Why You Should Learn German
Learning the German language is an excellent way to expand your personal and professional horizons. Some of the most popular reasons to learn to speak German are to communicate with relatives, to prepare to travel in Germany or to study in Germany as an exchange student. There are however many other great reasons to learn German that many people never even consider. Here are a some others for you to think about:
Germany has the largest population of all the European countries and the language is very widely spoken internationally. German is the third most popular foreign language internationally and by learning German you are able to connect with 120 million native German speakers. So German will not only allow you to build relationships with people in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Luxembourg and Liechtenstein but also German speakers all over the world.
Germany has one of the strongest economies and is one of the world’s top export nations. Germany’s international trade earnings are proof of the high demand for German goods. Knowing German creates many business opportunities, not just in Germany itself but also internationally. The Germans are great innovators and Germany is on the frontline of new technologies.
But all work and no play makes Jake a dull boy and the German’s also know how to enjoy themselves and are the biggest spenders of tourist dollars in the world. If you are a world traveler, you are sure to encounter Germans wherever you go since nearly 3 out of every 4 vacations by Germans are spent in other countries. Travel agencies, tour companies, hotels, airlines and car rental agencies that can communicate with Germans in their own language will win German business.
Don’t be fooled into thinking that the German language is dying. As prolific researchers and scholars, German speakers produce nearly 80, 000 new book titles each year. As very few German books are translated into English, the only way to appreciate these books is by learning to speak German.
German speaking countries have a very rich cultural heritage. Germany is often referred to as the land of poets and thinkers. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Thomas Mann, Franz Kafka and Hermann Hesse are just a few authors whose names and works are well known internationally. Scientists from the three major German speaking countries have won dozens of Nobel prizes in physics, chemistry and medicine. Knowing German allows you to access the works of these people in their original language allowing you a more in depth appreciation of their work. Whether you’re interested in cultural and intellectual heritage of these countries or not, the fact remains that Switzerland, Austria and Germany all offer a very high standard of living, which make these countries very attractive to many people.
You might be thinking that this sounds good in theory but the German language is too difficult to learn. Well you’re wrong! I think you’d be surprised to discover just how similar English is to German. Modern German and modern English both evolved from the common ancestor language Germanic. Also once you learn the German system of sounds, it’s easy to predict how the spoken word is written and how the word is pronounced. Besides, learning German is fun when you make use of these German language podcasts.