Why Learn German?

I thought an appropriate start to this blog would be a post on reasons why one should learn German. Of course you have your own reason for learning German, but I thought this list of reasons may be some extra motivation!

Click "Read More" to go to the list!

1. German is one of the world's major languages.
German is #10 in languages by number of native speakers, with 120 million speakers across Europe and around the world. There is also an estimated 80 million non-native speakers of German, making it one of the most popular second languages to learn. It is also an official or a regional/minority language in more than a dozen countries.

German is the most widely spoken first language across the European Union - about a third of EU citizens say they have a working knowledge of German. It is also an official language of the European Union and one of the three working languages of the European Commission.

German has a huge presence on the Internet. One source estimated that 7.7% of websites are in German, making it second only to English. Also, 12% of Google users use the German interface, second again only to English. German was #5 in languages used on the Internet by number of Internet users by their language. The German language Wikipedia is the second-largest Wikipedia, second to English. 

2. German is a major language in the business world.
German is one of the most frequently used languages in business, and many companies see knowledge of German as a plus when hiring.

Germany is the top country economically in Europe, and the fourth largest economy in the world (Wikipedia Article). Germany is also a top exporter and importer in the world: it is #2 in countries by exports (Wikipedia Article) and #3 in countries by imports (Wikipedia Article). Austria and Switzerland also have top economies.

Germany is home to many multinational companies including Adidas, Aldi, BASF, Bayer, BMW, Braun, Daimler, Deutsche Bank, DHL, Siemens, T-Mobile, ThyssenKrupp and Volkswagen. More than 1100 companies in German-speaking countries have subsidiaries in the US, and more than 750 US companies do business in German-speaking countries.

In tourism, Germans are the top spenders of tourist dollars in the world, and the US is one of their top destinations.

3. German is a major language in science and research.
Many of the top German companies are large in research and development. German is also one of the top three nations in research and development of high-tech products, one of the top five in global patenting, and a world leader in wind/solar power production and biotechnology firms.

German is still a very important language to know in the academic world of science; it is the second most used language in scholarly publications. Many famous scientists also spoke German, like Gregor Mendel, Wernher von Braun, Daniel Fahrenheit, Christian Doppler, Rudolf Diesel, and Albert Einstein. Germany, Switzerland and Austria are #2, 5 and 6 respectively in number of Nobel Prizes in science won.

 4. German has a rich culture to explore.
There is a long and rich literary and philosophical tradition in the German language. The German-language tradition includes such authors and philosophers as Kant, Goethe, Schiller, Heine, Hegel, Mann, Hesse, Nietzsche, Luter, Marx, Kafka and Freud, just to name a few. German language authors are #3 in the number of Nobel Prizes in Literature won (with 13). About 18% of worldwide publishing today is in German, and Germany is the third largest publisher of books in the world.

In art, German-speaking artists include Hans Holbein the Younger, Albrecht Dürer, and Max Ernst. German
German speakers have also had influence in architecture, such as the Bauhaus movement. In Switzerland in the inter-war years, the Dada cultural movement started, which influenced not only art but also literature as well.

German speakers are also influential in the music world. Classical composers such like Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms and Wagner spoke German. But Germany also has a vibrant modern music scene. You may have heard of the song "99 Luftballons" by Nena or the rock band Rammstein. German hip-hop, punk, and rock genres have established scenes and are very popular, and Germany also has one of the largest electronic music scenes in the world. Recently, a German singer won the 2010 Eurovision Song Contest.

German cinema also has a long history, ever since the start of cinema. More recent films from Germany with international success include “Das Boot,” “The Never Ending Story,” “Run Lola Run,” “Good Bye Lenin!” and “The Lives of Others.”

 5. German is not as difficult as you may think.
German has a reputation for being a difficult language to learn, but actually German is a lot easier to learn then many people think. German has long words, four noun cases, and three grammatical genders. But German and English are related, and you will find that many words in German already look familiar. English has adopted many German words (like “Kindergarten” and “Zeitgeist”). German also has adopted many English words as its own; this is known as “Denglish.”

See also the article "Oh, the weltschmerz of it all" by Dan Hamilton for the relation between English and German words..

German grammar is also considered to be pretty logical, and German words are pronounced just how they are spelled.

6. Make the most of your trip to Europe!
There is much to see and experience in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, whether you’re interested in seeing historical sites like castles, trying out the local cuisines, beers and wines, or just experiencing the vibrant modern culture of each.

There are too many examples to list here of things to see and do; each local region has its own unique sights and experiences. But knowing German will help you find your way around and truly get to know the region.

 7. German can help in genealogical research.
German is the largest self-reported ancestry group in the US, with 51 million people or about 17% of the US population. If you have German relatives or ancestors, knowing German could help you communicate with or do research on them.

Sources
BBC: A Guide to German - 10 facts about the German language 
Dartmouth College: Why Study German?
Goethe Institut: Good reasons for German 
Goethe Institut: Pro-Deutsch! Chapter 3.1 - Why Learn German (PDF) 
Goethe Institut: Pro-Deutsch! Chapter 3.2 - Why Learn German (PDF)
Goethe Institut: Why German is 4U! (PDF)
Netz-Tipp.de: Internet Statistics
Virginia Tech: The German Language
Vistawide: Why learn German?
Wikipedia: German American
Wikipedia: German language
Wikipedia: German literature


Of course there are numerous reasons why one should learn German! You can leave your own reason for why you are learning German in the comments below. Try writing it in German!