Close to 500 million people speak Spanish and 20 countries have it as their official language. Spanish is the second-most spoken language in the U.S. (41 million Spanish speakers), giving you a local and a global advantage when it comes to job and business opportunities, travel, and life experiences.A second language is an invaluable asset in business, healthcare, government, research, teaching, publishing, translation/interpretation, and in the performing arts. Understanding a language and the cultures in which it is spoken is critical to the preservation and growth of our cultural, economic, and political ties with other countries.