Tell To Teach

Why Spanish?

Rudolf Steiner recommended that two different foreign languages be taught at Waldorf schools, three times a week each one. The choice of language is up to the school, but it is preferred to have a language that is not too close to one’s own native tongue, for the sake of bringing a richer variety to the soul’s experience, as stated above. However, being practical is the next best advice.

Of the approximately 6,000 languages spoken in the world, Spanish is spoken in 44 countries by almost 400 million people. Spanish is the third most spoken language (by natives), only after Mandarin and Hindi, and it is followed by English. In the USA there are about 45 million people who speak Spanish as their first or second language, composing the largest Spanish speaking community outside of Mexico.11

California is a state with a rich Spanish and Mexican heritage, and 35% of the population speaks Spanish at home.

It makes complete sense for schools in this situation to teach Spanish as their first choice of foreign language.

11 http://www.waldorfspanishteachers.org/