Más allá de la lengua: el español como motor de crecimiento económico internacional
Beyond Language: Spanish as a Driver of International Economic Growth
This project, developed in collaboration with Enrique Martínez-García (Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas), examines the economic value of Spanish on a global scale, exploring its impact on labor mobility, trade, and business competitiveness. Through an interdisciplinary approach that combines economics and linguistics, we analyze how Spanish proficiency facilitates access to Spanish-speaking markets, generates job opportunities, and attracts foreign investment.
Our research provides key data for the development of linguistic and economic policies, highlighting Spanish not only as a communication tool but also as a strategic asset for global growth.
Would you like to contribute to our study?
We are looking for:
We are looking for:
🔹 Spanish speakers who have migrated to another country for work-related reasons.
🔹 Learners of Spanish as a foreign or second language (regardless of their current proficiency level)
📌 Survey in Spanish
📌 Survey in English
Publications (journals)
Martínez García, E. y Martínez García, M. T. (2022). El valor económico del español en Estados Unidos: Oportunidades y retos para el futuro. Estudios del Observatorio / Observatorio Studies, 78, pp. 1-50. https://doi.org/10.15427/OR078-05/2022SP
Martínez García, E. & Martínez García, M. T. (2022). The Economic Value of Spanish in the United States: Opportunities and Challenges for the Future. Estudios del Observatorio / Observatorio Studies, 78, pp. 1-48. https://doi.org/10.15427/OR078-05/2022EN
Publications (blogs)
Martínez-García, E., Martínez-García, M. T., Coulter, J, & Grossman, V. (2021). Spanish-Speaking Growth in Texas Reinforces Need to Close Education Gaps. Dallas Fed Economics Blog (link).
Martínez-García, E., Martínez-García, M. T., Coulter, J, & Grossman, V. (2021). El aumento en el uso del español en Texas refuerza la necesidad de cerrar las brechas educativas. Dallas Fed Economics Blog (link).
Martínez-García, E., Martínez-García, M. T., Coulter, J, & Grossman, V. (2021). Se Habla Español: U.S. Yet to Realize Many Benefits of a Growing Bilingual Population. Dallas Fed Economics Blog (link).
Conferences & Talks
Martínez-García, M. T., & Martínez-García, E. (2025). Impacto Económico del Español en Corea del Sur: Retos y Oportunidades Emergentes. Lecture given in the VIII Congreso Internacional del Español en Castilla y León (Salamanca, Spain), June 26th-28th.
Martínez-García, M. T., & Martínez-García, E. (2024). Quantifying the Economic Value of Spanish. Lecture given in the Incheon Global Campus Research Showcase (Songdo, Incheon, South Korea), May 10th.
Martínez-García, E. & Martínez-García, M. T. (2022). “Los beneficios económicos de aprender español en diferentes partes del mundo: Motivaciones y hallazgos preliminares”. Lecture given in the Victoria Association of Teachers of Spanish Annual Congress, (online), October 23rd.
Martínez-García, E. & Martínez-García, M. T. (2021). “El valor económico del español en los EEUU: Oportunidades y retos para el futuro”. Lecture given in the speaker series of the Observatorio del Instituto Cervantes at the University of Harvard, (online), December 2nd (link).