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The Benefits Of Speaking German

Learning the German language is an excellent way to expand your personal and professional horizons. Some popular reasons for people to start learning German include being able to talk with German family, preparing for an exchange program at a German institution and for taking holidays in Germany. There are however many other great reasons to learn German that many people never even consider. 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. Learning German can connect you with 120 million native speakers around the globe and you might be surprised to learn that German is the 3rd most popular foreign language taught worldwide. 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 the 3rd strongest economy and is the number 1 export nation in the world. The competitiveness and desirability of German products is indicated by the country’s substantial trade surplus. Knowing German creates many business opportunities, not just in Germany itself but also internationally. If you’re in the field of research you will discover that Germany is a country committed to research and development.

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. In 2007, the Germans spent a record 91 billion euros on international travel. It’s understandable that the best way to profit from the German tourist industry is to speak the language.

Also don’t be fooled into thinking that German is a language of the past. As prolific researchers and scholars, German speakers produce nearly 80, 000 new book titles each year. Since only a small percentage of German books are translated into other languages, only if you learn the German language will you enjoy access to the vast majority of these titles.

German speaking countries have made a huge contribution to the world’s cultural heritage. Germany is known for being a country of poetry and great thinkers. 10 Nobel prizes have been awarded to German, Austrian and Swiss German authors. The philosophies of Kant, Hegel, Marx, Nietzsche and numerous others have had lasting influences on modern society. 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.  Even if the cultural significance of Germany is of minor importance to you, you may still be attracted to high quality of live in German speaking countries.

You might be thinking that this sounds good in theory but the German language is too difficult to learn. Well you’re 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. Also learning German can be really fun when you use resources like this free learning German podcast..

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