In our ever interconnected world, speaking more than one language is increasingly common, especially among younger generations. While people all over the world turn to English as a universal language, Spanish is actually more widely spoken, with an estimated 580 million people speaking the language according to the Instituto Cervantes, making it the second most popular language in the world, after Mandarin. In China, learning English is almost a given for younger generations, but millennials are increasingly turning to the Spanish language and Latino culture, in large part due to the popularity of Spanish-language TV shows and movies and social media applications like TikTok.
Spanish-language TV shows and movies, like the famous Casa de Papel and Elite, captivated audiences from all over the world. For some Chinese millennials like Yilin Ye, a student from Zhejiang, these became an opportunity to keep up with the language that is becoming increasingly popular in China. Ye began learning Spanish upon hearing of its “excellent reputation,” she said in an interview with NBC News. She called the process fascinating, “when I’m speaking Chinese, I’m more calm. When I’m speaking English, I’m probably a bit more open, and when I speak Spanish, I’m very ‘wow,'” she said.
TikTok, or DouYin, as the original Chinese version in is called, has also contributed to the language’s rising popularity. On the app, Chinese millennials flaunt their language skills in both English and Spanish. A scroll through the app will turn up videos of users lip-syncing along to Shakira and Luis Fonsi, vlogs and makeup tutorials in Spanish, and Zumba-style dances as young people in China embrace both the language and culture.
Rising DouYin star Lula Yang explains why the language is so appealing: “nowadays in China, English is very common, and more and more people know it. Without Spanish, I feel I’d be a very ordinary person and that I’d have a very ordinary job, but because of Spanish, I’ve been on many trips and visited many cities,” she said. Due to her language skills, she has had the opportunity to live in Spain and travel to Cuba for work. “Everything I know, every work opportunity or love story I’ve had, is thanks to my Spanish,” she added. Scott Xi, who reaches 3 million people on the app with Spanish educational content, also credits his language skills for many unique opportunities. “Take a look at a map. There are tons of Spanish-speaking countries. If you speak Chinese, English and also Spanish, then you’re basically covering all your bases — there isn’t a place you can’t go,” he said.
As the language’s popularity rises—with approximately 50,000 Spanish speakers in China—schools and universities have had to make changes to keep up. “The Spanish language is making waves in China,” said Lu Jingsheng, national coordinator of Spanish for the Chinese government and professor at Shanghai International Studies University. While the university previously offered only English, Japanese, and Russian as second language electives, in 2017 it added new programs and electives in the Spanish language. Many Chinese students now consider learning Spanish to prepare for the Gaokao, the national college entrance exam in which students must demonstrate proficiency in a foreign language.