After English, Spanish is the second most widely-spoken language in the world. More than 350 million people in 25 different countries speak it. In Mexico, which is the most important market for United States, as well as its main business partner, the number of people who speak Spanish totals more than 95 million.

The Hispanic population in the United States has grown 60% in the last 10 years and represents 12.5% of the total demographic. This phenomenon has caused many significant changes in society. For example, there is a growing demand for advertisement in Spanish in newspapers, magazines, calling centers, customer service, television, etc.

People who speak both English and Spanish are very valuable to any company and have more opportunities in the labor market due to their bilingual abilities. Latin American countries are growing in the economic arena and it are becoming more important not only to the United States, but for European and Asian countries as well. The North American Free Trade Agreement between Mexico, Canada, and the United States made important changes in the entire region. Many companies needed bilingual people to work and manage their branches abroad.

In addition to the economic and social aspects, Spanish introduces an important cultural influence. More Latin Americans are being recognized for their contributions in art (i.e. Frida Kalo, Diego Rivera, Jorge Jímenez Deredia), music (Gloria Estefan, Shakira, Ricky Martin and Jennifer Lopez), Hollywood (Antonio Banderas, Penelope Cruz, Anthony Queen), literature (Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Cervantes, Isabel Allende), and more.

When a person speaks a foreign language, they also have the skill to understand the culture where the language is spoken. The acquisition of another language not only gives you the chance to be a valuable worker, it provides an opportunity to open your mind to even more languages and customs.

Costa Rica is without a doubt an excellent option for study abroad. The Spanish spoken there is clear, pure, more formal, and more slowly spoken than in other Latin American countries. Its people are very friendly and highly educated with socio-economic conditions higher than neighboring nations.

Costa Rica, with its impressive scenic beauty, boasts a consolidated system of protected areas, social and political stability, high educational levels, and efficient infrastructure and services in one the world’s great adventure hot spots.

All of this offered in a territory of only 51,000 square kilometers, bounded by the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. The coasts are separated from each other by only three to four hours by land or 45 minutes by air.

The country is world known for its natural beauty and its eco-friendly attitude. Environmental preservation and conservation is well appreciated by Costa Ricans, who have approved several laws in order to protect rain forests, rivers, beaches, natural parks, volcanoes, and wildlife.

The high health standards and the emphasis placed on higher education boost the country into one of the best positions in the world ranking. Every year, for example, 1 million people visit the country on vacation, thousands of students volunteer their time while studying Spanish, and countless others have homes or businesses in the country.