I fell in the love with the Spanish language and culture in the eighth grade during my first year of learning Spanish. Since then, I have always had at least one Spanish class every semester. Although I experienced challenges along the way, learning the language was relatively easy for me. However, it was not until I studied abroad in Seville that I began to develop speaking proficiency. It did not matter to me if I could read and write at an advanced level if I could not communicate with native speakers and maintain a conversation. Although I have known for a while that I wanted to be a teacher, it was not until my study abroad experience that I realized that I wanted to teach Spanish so that I could transfer the fervor of the language and culture that I have to students in Georgia.
Throughout my time in Spain, I have personally witnessed the emphasis that is placed on learning English. This necessity is not only placed on the younger generation, but it is also placed on those who are already in college or who wish to advance in their careers. Therefore, many parents are investing in their children by placing them in bilingual schools, paying for extra English tutoring, or paying for an English-speaking au pair to live with them. Especially due to the existing economic crisis in Spain, a pre-intermediate level of English is required for employers to even consider you.
In the same way that English is viewed as a valuable language in Europe, I believe that Spanish is viewed