October 12th is celebrated as National Day in Spain, previously known as Día de la Hispanidad. This date commemorates the cultural and linguistic legacy of Spain around the world, with a special emphasis on Spanish-speaking countries in Latin America.
On this same day in 1492, an expedition led by Christopher Columbus arrived in America, an event that marked the beginning of a cultural and linguistic exchange between continents. Although this historical chapter generates debate today due to many of its consequences, it is undeniable that the expansion of the Spanish language and its relevance in the modern world are largely a result of that era.
According to the latest annual report on Spanish from the Instituto Cervantes, Spanish in the World (2023):
•There are over 500 million native speakers, a figure that rises to nearly 600 million when including those with limited proficiency and language learners.
•Spanish is the second most spoken native language in the world, after Mandarin Chinese, and this number is expected to continue growing over the coming decades.
•There are 6 million Spanish learners, making it the second most studied foreign language worldwide.
For this reasons and many others, the teaching and learning of Spanish as a foreign language is more relevant today than ever.
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