Curriculum vitae

Spanish or Portuguese? With Brazil becoming a more prosperous emerging market country each year, Latin American economies continuing to improve and the US slated to have more than 30% of its population as Spanish speakers (and the majority by 2030), there has never been a better time to become bilingual. The US alone has 37 million Spanish speakers right now, according to the .   The mission of is to make it easy, fun, effective and affordable to learn another language. Our gamified approach that adapts to the user’s learning curve makes the most of the time that you have to dedicate to language learning. Spanish and Portuguese are two of five languages that are already up on the site (others include French, German & English – Italian and Latin will be launched shortly). Which one should you learn? Lest you not have a reason already to learn Spanish or Portuguese, here are our top 7 reasons to learn both of them.You decide and let us know! Tweet us @SixtyVocab or post to our page.  Top 7 Reasons to Learn Spanish   1.  Being bilingual makes your smarter. photo credit: via According to New York Times in an published in May 2012, being bilingual indeed makes you smarter.  Reconciling two languages gives the brain a workout that flexes the cognitive muscles. There is also ample evidence that it improves the brain’s so-called “executive function” which is responsible for  “planning, solving problems and performing various other mentally demanding tasks”. By learning another language, the brain is better able to stay focused, make decisions, decipher among disparate groups of information, and remembering multiple things at once, such as a task list. By consistency exercising the brain’s cognitive functions and learning new skills, there is also some evidence that learning another language can assist in the prevention of Alzheimer’s disease.   2.  Your kids will say, “Gracias”.   photo credit: via If you can speak a foreign language, your kids are more likely to want topick it up as well. Speaking to them in your home trains their ear to learn more languages, piques their cultural and linguistic interest, and encourages them to explore a broader education. It will also improve their SAT scores some day, too.   3. Some industries demand Spanish speakers.   photo credit: via More and more industries are not only appreciating but demanding foreign language skills. If you are interested in the healthcare, financing services, retail, human resources, social work or insurance fields, these are just some of the many areas in which jobs are becoming more plentiful if you have the bilingual skills.   4. Expand your dating pool photo credit: via Cultural distinctions are some of the many interesting differentiators among people. Expand your dating pool noting secondary language skills, travel interests, and even start using dating sites in other languages. There is only so many times you can throw that fishing line in the water on Match, Tinder, Zoosk, etc.  5.  Expand your television repertoire photo credit: via If you have ever watched a or a soccer game in Spanish, then you see an entirely different view on passionate television. Feel the emotion, experience the highs and lows, and practice your Spanish all the while. It’s another great excuse to plant yourself on the sofa in the name of educational enrichment.   6.  The US will be over 30% Spanish speaking within 6 years. photo credit: via Yes, you read that correctly. Over the 30% of the United States – that’s approximately 100,000,000 people. Think of how often you will get to use your newfound Spanish skills in every day life. You’ll engage with and experience the community in an entirely different way. And, the next time someone asks whether anyone speaks Spanish for on-the-fly translation help, you’ll be able to proudly raise your hand and volunteer! Arriba!   7.  You love to travel to warm weather places.   Spain, Mexico, Columbia, Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Puerto Rico, Cuba,Dominican Republic, Panama, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Uruguay, Venezuela, Bolivia, Peru, Honduras, El Salvador, Belize, Andorra, Gibratar … travel much? These are the countries in which Spanish is the national language. Think of the amplified vacation experience you can have when you can actually communicate with the locals and experience their home in their style using their words. Get thee to Kayak and start booking!       Top 7 Reasons to Learn Portuguese   1.  World Cup 2014!  Lest you need a better excuse to visit Brazil, world class soccer, world class fans, and a warm weather party like you would not believe is bringing everyone to Brazil this summer. English-language coverage is adequate, but in Brazilian Portuguese, it’s epic! Copo du Mundo will be bigger than anything the world has ever seen in Brazil. Start learning Portuguese today!   2. It’s the 6th most widely spoken language.    3. Brazilians accept you as one of their own.   4.  Passion, music and romance.   5. Brazil isone of the world’s fastest growing technology-based economies.  Technology, venture capital, clean energy, biotech, health case, consumer retail … the list goes on. With a population of nearly 200 million people, Brazil is a thriving economy that is trying hard to bring itself   6.  That Girl from Ipanema. There is always one who got away, and she is often from an exotic country. Or, listen to the lyrics of this song and feel inspired to become one step closer to a local.   7.  Churrascaria.  Hungry yet? Need we say more? photo credit: via       Ready to start learning or words today?