The Advantages Of Learning To Speak German
Learning to speak German is a great investment in both your social and business life. 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. While these are all good reasons to learn German, you might be surprised to discover just how many other great reasons there are that you’ve never considered. These are some that come to mind:
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. Learning German will allow you to communicate with German speakers all across the world and not just the Germans, Austrians and the Swiss in their respective countries.
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. Germany exports more high-tech products than any other country apart from the U.S. so Germany is a country of innovation.
With ample disposable income and an average of 6 weeks of vacation a year, German’s have both the time and means to travel. 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. Tourism companies, airlines, hotels and car rental businesses that can communicate in German will profit from the German tourism industry.
Don’t be fooled into thinking that the German language is dying. The only language markets that produce more books annually than the Germans are the Chinese and English publishing industries. As few of these books are translated into English, the only way to profit from this information is to learn German.
The cultural heritage of German speaking countries is very rich. Germany is known for being a country of poetry and great 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. The philosophies of Kant, Hegel, Marx, Nietzsche and numerous others have had lasting influences on modern society. Anyone interested in any of these fields automatically expands their knowledge and skill by knowing German. 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 sought after and comfortable places to live.
You’re probably thinking that’s all well and good, but German is too hard to learn. If that’s the case, you’d be wrong! If English is your native language then you already have a huge advantage when it comes to learning German. Due to their common heritage, German and English share many similarities in both vocabulary and grammar. Also convenient is that German words are spelled phonetically. Besides, there are loads of great resources online that will help you learn to speak German and have a lot of fun in the process.