What is the best place in the world to learn Spanish? The Answer is Colombia

By 2050, Spanish will be the most widely spoken language after Mandarin. 

Teaching Spanish: a Government strategy

Spanish in Colombia, a Government strategy that wants to make Colombia the first destination to learn Spanish, starts on July 31st.

Spanish teaching in Colombia is headed by the Caro y Cuervo Institute, a 70 year old entity that has received awards such as the Prince of Asturias in 1999 for the Spanish Rules and Construction Dictionary; the Bartolomé de las Casas Award in 2001 and the Elio Antonio de Nebrija Award in 2002.

The project is supported by the Interinstitutional Articulation Board SFL (Spanish as a Foreign Language), formed by the Foreign Affairs, Education and Culture Ministries, Proexport, Fiducoldex, Brand Colombia, Icetex, APC and the Caro y Cuervo Institute.

The academy is also commited to teaching Spanish

To learn the most highly regarded Spanish in the world, Colombia has internationally known universities, five of which are among the 38 best universities according to QS Latin American University Rankings 2013.

According to SICELE (International Certification System for Spanish as a Foreign Language, for its acronym in Spanish), there are 77 institutions, well known for their traditional SFL regular and active courses, 34 of which are in Spain. The other 43 are in Latin America and 20 of them are in Colombia, almost 50%.

Our writters and litterature: a proof of quality

Colombian Spanish quality is seen in the fact that the country has 1.400 public libraries, over 800 museums, a Nobel Prize in Literature —Gabriel García Márquez—, grammar and literary experts and internationally known writers like Cervantes Award and International Neustadt Literature Award winner Álvaro Mutis; Fernando Vallejo and William Ospina, both of whom have received the Rómulo Gallegos Award in 2003 and 2009, respectively; and the Alfaguara Novel Award winners Laura Restrepo and Juan Gabriel Vásquez, among others.

An ideal environment to practice

Plus, one can practice what has been learned in Colombia’s many cultural, festive, joyful and partying scenes like art shows, concerts, book readings, conferences, congresses and symposiums, or by traveling around the country at the pace of more than 700 festivities carried out around the national territory and enjoying oneself in beautiful sunbathed beaches. This way, and with the help of communication strategies by Brand Colombia, foreigners can confirm and tell their friends what Colombians have known for a long time: that when it comes to learning the best Spanish in the world, the answer is Colombia!

Starting on August 1st 2013, foreigners who want more information about learning Spanish in Colombia can go to www.spanishincolombia.gpv.co or look for it in social media: on Twitter @SpanishinCO and on Facebook SpanishinColombia.

Interesting numbers about Spanish

  • In 2013 Spanish became the second most important language because of the number of native speakers as well as its international communication reach.
  • About 18 million people have learned or are learning Spanish as a second language or culture language.
  • Spanish is the official language in 22 countries around the world, be it constitutionally or in practice.
  • Latin America concentrates 90% of native Spanish Speakers. The remaining 10% is concentrating in the United States, not in Spain.
  • If current trends continue, there will be more than 535 million Spanish speakers by 2030, 7.5% of the world’s population. By 2050 the United States will be the first Spanish speaking country.
  • In 2013 Spanish became the third most widely used language in virtual communications and online information, after English and Chinese.
  • Spanish speakers make up Facebook’s second largest linguistic group with over 90 million users.
  •  In 2012 alone, 62.293 people, mostly European and North American asked for a DELE (Spanish as a Foreign Language Diploma, for its acronym in Spanish), a certification issued by the Cervantes Institute which proves Spanish proficiency.
  • About 1.000.000 people started learning Spanish as a second language in Spain and in the Americas. The trend has been increasing since 2009 and it is expected to continue.

You may also enjoy:

Why Colombia is best place to learn Spanish

Colombia: an attractive destination for higher education, research and learning Spanish

Why study in Colombia?

Rate this post
Artículos recomendados
Cartagena, a city of the most welcoming country in the world | Colombia Country Brand

Guide for Spending 48 Hours in Cartagena

Frequently, many travellers only have two days for discovering a new city. That's why we bring you a list of...
Tourism, Tourism by region, Colombian regions, Regions of Colombia, Landscapes

Tourism by Regions

The important natural and cultural diversity of the country has allowed it to have a varied offer of destinations throughout...
Manizales, Coffe Triangle, Colombia, Tourism

Manizales, a city right in the heart of the Coffee Triangle

Caldas’ capital is located in a breathtaking landscape. This is Manizales, the city with open doors. 
Bicycle lane sign on a street in Bogota - Enjoy your weekend riding bicycle in Bogota | Colombia Country Brand

Enjoy your weekend in Bogota experiencing the ciclovia

Bogota is an exciting city to explore via bicycle. The capital city of Colombia comes in 12th place amongst the...

What’s living in Colombia like? Here are three stories that’ll inspire you

These are the stories of three foreigners who rarely thought about living abroad, but were destined to change their minds...
Adventure, Tourism, Colombian tourism, Xtreme sports

Colombia, an Edgy Adventure

When looking for adventure, Colombia should definitely be on your list. Here you will experience extreme sports from a whole...
Museo Botero

Five museums every tourist should visit in Colombia

These are some of the museums that save some of the most important art pieces.
Colombia, the perfect destination for a digital nomad - A digital nomad smiling while working in a coffee store | Colombia Country Brand

Are you a digital nomad? Work from Colombia in these places

The benefits of working remotely have become apparent in recent years, especially among young people looking for a lifestyle for...
Festival of the Flowers, Flower Fair, Medellin, Flowers, Silleteros, Tourism

Medellín’s Flower Festival: a pageant full of tradition

Every year during the first days of August, Medellín is filled with flowers and parties for one of the most...
Colombia’s biodiversity is unique | Colombia Country Brand

Colombia, second-greatest biodiversity in the world

Allow us to introduce you to the unique country of Colombia. A haven of biodiversity, with more than 50,000 species...