Spanish on the Rise as a Foreign Language in Eastern Europe

According to a recent report by the Instituto Cervantes, the interest in Spanish language and culture is on the rise in many countries in Eastern Europe. Spanish music, literature, movies, football, as well as tourism and the massive emigration from Eastern Europe to Spain are factors that have influenced the number of people that choose to study Spanish as a foreign language. In countries such as Czech Republic, Poland, Romania, and Bulgaria, people have become much more interested in the Spanish reality and want to learn more about the culture and its people.

Teaching Spanish in high schools and universities in Eastern Europe has become a massive phenomenon, while the interest for other Western languages, such as German, French and Italian is lower than in the past. The post-communist countries have opened the doors of many Institute Cervantes centers where people gather to celebrate various cultural events. The movies of Pedro Almodóvar are well-known among the Eastern European audience and popular Spanish songs are often tuned on Radio Prague and Radio Bulgaria.

Spanish has been taught as a foreign language in this region since the 70s and since then the numbers have risen significantly. However, in the past decade, the rise has been surprisingly big. Between 1997 y 2000 the demand for Spanish has risen 158,2% en Romania, 86,4% in Poland, 69,6% in Hungary, 49,5% in Slovakia and 27,2% in Czech Republic. In Bulgaria it is the language with the highest demand after English and the number of students who start Spanish is quite significant. The reason for the high demand is the interest in the Spanish culture in those countries, but another important factor is professional. Spanish is becoming more and more used in the business world, in the international relations, as well as the political, economic and scientific area.

This process of popularization of the Spanish language in Eastern Europe has just begun and the prediction is that the interest will continue growing in the future. According to the Instituto Cervantes, the typical student is a female between the age of 17 and 25 most often choosing Spanish for personal reasons such as interest in tourism or the Spanish culture as a whole.

Instituto Hemingway is a great way to explore Spain for anyone who is passionate for the Spanish culture. The variety of places and programs you can choose from make it easier to focus on what one is really interested in. Enjoy discovering the Spanish culture with us!