Essay On Spanish Language

The Spanish language has been an influential and constant part of American history in not only recent years, but dating back prior even to the colonization of the European settlers and pilgrims. Spanish has continued to be a prevalent force in America that is changing/impacting the culture in many ways, such as through its business transactions, education, and media. Therefore, the benefit of knowing the history/origin of Spanish, and how it’s important to the U.S, will convey the significance of learning Spanish as a second language for those living in the United States.
The introduction of the Spanish language came about, according to Phillip Carter (a lecturer in the Department of Foreign Languages at North Caroline State) by Ponce de León (a Spanish explorer) leading an expedition to what is now the Florida peninsula. Carter further outlines how this event caused the emergence of Spanish colonies within the United States as he says, “By 1556, they had established their first permanent colony in San Agustín, Florida … Between 1520 and 1570, the Spanish turned their attention to the … territory in the West and Southwest of the present-day United States” (“¡Spanglish! Spanish in the U.S”). These events are what, according to Carter, caused the Spanish culture/language to …show more content…
For example, “In the New York City area, newscasts broadcast on the Spanish-language, Noticias 41 and Noticiero Univision, often have higher ratings than ‘the big three’ network news shows on CBS, NBC, and ABC (“Why Learn Spanish?” 2011). Its influence has also been seen in the internet community for “Approximately 8.7% of Internet users speak Spanish, making it the fourth most common language among the Internet community” (“Why Learn Spanish?” 2011). Furthermore, the Spanish language can be seen all around America in everyday life, such as in Bank ATM’s and restaurant