Did you know that nearly 400 million people speak Spanish as their native language? It is the most widely spoken Romance language and is second only to Manadarin. So, learn a little Spanish; it will definitely come in handy at some point in your life.

México has the highest number of Spanish speakers in the entire world! (Yes, even more than Spain.) The language was introduced to México during the early 1500s when the conquistadors arrived in the New World. Prior to the arrival of the Spanish, many pre-Columbian languages were spoken in México, including: Nahuatl, Maya, and Zapotec. Though some people in México continue to speak these native languages, more than 90% of Mexicans speak Spanish as their first language.

For me, it’s a priority to learn as much Spanish as I can during our travels. The airport staff, our driver; shop owners, and most of the people we will interview speak Spanish. I want to make the effort to communicate with all of these people in their native language. I will also have bilingual – Spanish and English speaking – guides to help me translate when I need help.

I’ve already noticed that people here in México are appreciative of my attempts to communicate in Spanish, even if some phrases are supplemented with creative hand gestures to get my point across. It just goes to show you, making the effort to learn a new language always pays off.

Hungry? Let’s head to the kitchen.

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