Spain is one of the most progressive countries in the world. It is a developed country and ranked as the ninth largest international economy with a very high living standard. Spanish, their indigenous language, is the second widely spoken language in the world, next to English. The majority of Spanish people are not fluent in English, even as a second language. The Spanish tourism industry continuously grows and since most of the tourists are English-speaking people, many Spanish companies have a significant number of positions where employees need the ability to speak English.
Should this possibility attract you and assuming that you are already well versed in the English language, the next step is to study and then master the Spanish language.
The Paradores of Spain are so much more than mere hotels. They are repositories of the romance and passion that is the history of this country. These special places literally exude the ancient perfume of Spain’s majesty and mystery. Experiencing the Paradores of Spain is ‘cultural tourism’ at it’s best – and a giant step above the usual tourist experience.
The Paradores of Spain are medieval castles, Arab fortresses, monasteries, palaces and ancient manor houses. These are places of great historical interest and rare beauty.
Just because many of the Paradors are buildings that are centuries old – don’t be fooled. All have been refurbished and brought up to the highest quality of modern convenience and service. These are superlative accommodations and combine features that will captivate any traveler; enthralling architecture, fascinating history, exquisite cuisine, delightful ambience and impeccable service. In a word, they are unmatched.
If you want to learn the language, why not learn Spanish in Spain and do it properly? Learn how to speak Spanish like a Spaniard does? Most people learn languages from books or audio courses, and some attend courses once or twice a week. How long will that take you to learn and how well are you going to learn? Forget it, and do it the correct way where you won’t forget what you learn because you don’t have time to.
The problem most people have with learning a language is that they do it part time. They go to courses once a week and are given homework to do. They come back a week later and try to remember what they have learned while at the same time being given new lessons and more vocabulary to learn. You will not learn vocabulary that you are not using, and you certainly won’t understand what a Spanish person is saying to you unless you are used to hearing the words in his accent, and not in yours in your head!
There are certain cities and places in the world that are so special, so emblematic of a particular kind of cultural wealth and uniqueness – that they have been declared as part of the ‘Heritage of Mankind’ by UNESCO. These places contain an “invaluable and irreplaceable heritage of not only each country, but of Mankind as a whole.”
Spain holds an esteemed position in this regard – as it possesses one of the longest lists of these World Heritage sites of any of the world’s countries. This list (and the names roll sweet off the tongue – for these are truly special places) include the cities of; Avila, Caceres, Cordoba, Cuenca, Salamanca, Santiago de Compostela, Segovia, and Toledo.