Phrasebook

The Spanish language

The Spanish language belongs to the world languages. It is the native language of more than 380 million people. Additionally, there are many people who speak it as their second language. That makes Spanish one of the most significant languages on the planet. It is also the largest of all the Romance languages. Spanish speakers call their language español or castellano . The term castellano reveals the origin of the Spanish language. It developed from the vernacular spoken in the Castille region. Most Spaniards spoke castellano as early as the 16th century. Today the terms español and castellano are used interchangeably. But they can also have a political dimension. Spanish was dispersed by conquests and colonization. Spanish is also spoken in West Africa and in the Philippines. But the most Spanish-speaking people live in America. In Central and South America, Spanish is the dominant language. However, the number of Spanish-speaking people is also increasing in the USA. About 50 million people in the USA speak Spanish. That's more than in Spain! The Spanish in America is different from European Spanish. The differences are found in the vocabulary and grammar more than anything else. In America, for example, a different past tense form is used. There are also many differences in vocabulary. Some words are only used in America, others only in Spain. But Spanish isn't even uniform in America. There are many different varieties of American Spanish. After English, Spanish is the most learned foreign language worldwide. And it can be learned relatively quickly. What are you waiting for? - ¡Vamos!