Spanish is the third most spoken language worldwide. An official language of over twenty-one countries on four continents, Spanish is also one of the official languages of the United Nations, the European Union, and many other organizations. Spanish is spoken natively by nearly twenty-five million people in the U.S., making it the fifth largest Spanish-speaking country in the world. Within a few decades, Spanish is expected to be the first language of over 50% of the U.S. population. An ability to speak Spanish gives students an advantage in employment opportunities and salary potential in a wide range of fields such as law, education, medicine, and the media.