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There is no other time in history where global interaction and cooperation has been clearly observable as now. In every aspect of our modern world, may it be in world affairs and security, political relations, trade and commerce, media and entertainment, and culture; no one can deny this phenomenon that is set afoot in every corner of the globe. Better intercultural awareness is, therefore, necessary to foster greater mutual understanding amongst all nations of the world. Linguistic competence plays an integral role in achieving this end. Learning a fluency in the Spanish language opens up doors of intercultural understanding and opportunities with as much as 30 countries spanning over four continents. It is spoken by almost 400 million native speakers in Spain, Bolivia, Colombia, Argentina, Chile, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Equatorial Guinea, Panama, El Salvador, Honduras, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela, and Paraguay, ranking as the second most spoken language in the world in terms of native speakers. It is also spoken by a significant number of people in the United States, Belize, Trinidad and Tobago, Gibraltar, Andorra, the Philippines, and Jamaica, thus making Spanish the third most widely spoken language, after Mandarin and English. This allows for the equal prominence of the Spanish language in international politics, commerce, and culture. |