In the United States and Utah, Spanish is second only to English in terms of usage; over 297,000 (10%) people in Utah speak Spanish (2022 Utah Data Language Report), and nearly 42 million (13%) people in the US speak Spanish (2019 US Census). A language of practical utility, great literature (Don Quixote, One Hundred Years of Solitude, Pedro Páramo), and wide applicability (in North, Central, and South America, as well as in Europe and Africa), Spanish proficiency is a necessary skill for navigating today’s world, with over 500 million speakers worldwide.
Spanish is increasingly necessary for professional work and communication in the United States. Spanish-speakers have more job opportunities with higher pay, particularly in the medical, legal, and media fields. In the Department of Languages and Cultures, we're meeting that demand with
