Despite a once bitter rivalry that dates to before the Spanish Armada in 1588, pupils in England are studying español in greater numbers than ever before, with it overtaking French as the most popular language for GCSEs.
The rise of Spanish in schools has long been predicted, helped by the popularity of holidays in Spain and the Canary Islands and its greater global reach. More recently its popularity has been turbo-charged by cultural influences through music, cinema and much of the US media, with an added attraction for young football fans thanks to superstars such as Lionel Messi of Argentina and the success of La Liga clubs including Real Madrid.
