Today’s spotlight language is Spanish! We offer some background information and interesting facts about the language, as well as help finding children’s books in Spanish. Interested in learning about other languages as well? Check out our series of posts on world languages, including French, Hindi, Russian and Japanese!
Where is it spoken?
Spanish is spoken by an estimated 560 million people around the world. It’s the official language of Spain and Mexico, as well as 20 other countries. It is the second most commonly used language in the world.
How Many People Speak Spanish in the US?
According to the most recent Instituto Cervantes data, there are about 41 million native Spanish speakers in the US, and another 11 million who are bilingual. There are large Spanish speaking populations in New Mexico, California, Texas and Arizona. There are currently more Spanish speakers in the US than in Spain. In fact, only Mexico surpasses the US in terms of number of Spanish speakers!
Interesting Facts About Spanish
In some parts of the world, Spanish is referred to as “español” or “castellano.”
The rolled “r” sound is one of the most challenging aspects of learning to speak Spanish.
In many Spanish speaking countries, when greeting informally, it’s common to kiss on each cheek.
Spanish Books – Bilingual Children’s Books
If the kids in your life speak Spanish, or are learning the language, you may want suggestions on some of the best bilingual Spanish kids books and audio books. Many engaging and popular stories with text in both English and the Spanish language are available, including Lima’s Red Hot Chilli , Goldilocks and the Three Bears, The Three Billy Goats Gruff and The Giant Turnip. There are also book sets that allow for interactive learning via a special Talking Pen, audio books and an interactive Spanish picture dictionary.
Do you speak Spanish, or are you learning the language? Comment below and share your interesting language facts!
“SPAIN” by Willy Verhulst via Flickr is licensed under CC BY 2.0 https://flic.kr/p/AmJNgj