German is not always the first language that springs to mind when someone is thinking of which foreign language to learn. However, there are several reasons why it should be. The main one is that there are a lot of German speakers out there to speak German with! Although most German speakers are to be found in Germany, Switzerland and Austria, there are many more in both the USA and South America. Now that we’ve seen how many German speakers there are, let’s consider four important reasons why you should consider learning their language.
Learn German for Business
Germany is one of the most industrialized countries in the world and also one of the major exporters. While most German businessmen speak English to a very high level, being able to speak and understand German will certainly give you an advantage over your competitors when doing business in German-speaking countries. Your German counterparts will appreciate the fact that you consider them important enough to learn their language, and you will be able to speak to people lower down in the company whose English is not so good as their bosses’. You’ll find that many German language schools offer specific courses for businesspeople (although you really need to reach intermediate level before you can get the most out of them). These courses typically include speaking German over the phone, negotiating and presentations.
Learn German for Travel
Not only will you find German useful when traveling in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, but also in many countries in Central and Eastern Europe where German is often used as a second language, for instance in Romania, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Russia or Kazakhstan. Potential visitors to any of these countries will be able to find many websites that will offer them free “survival” level German vocabulary and phrases, but a short beginner’s course would allow you to have much greater interaction with the native speakers.
Learn German for the Tourist Industry
German is a key language for the tourist industry - remember, the population of three major countries are German speakers, plus a large number of people from other countries. Studying German could be a way of breaking into the tourist trade, whether you are targeting a job in Germany, Switzerland or Austria to cater to foreign tourists going there, or perhaps to work in your own country with the millions of German-speaking tourists who travel abroad each year.
Learn about German Culture
Many people think German culture stops at beer and lederhosen. In fact, Germany has a long and rich artistic, cultural and intellectual heritage. To begin with, just think of Freud and Einstein. And what about Beethoven? The list could go on and on. You’ll find lots to do in Germany, from visiting old towns with centuries-old history to visiting the most modern science and engineering projects. Knowing at least some German culture will ensure that you are in a position to understand much more about the people who created the works of art or philosophy, the architecture, or the engineering marvels.
Where Should I Learn German?
Where to learn any language depends on your objectives, your expectations, and your learning style, and German is no exception. The options usually available to most of us are: finding a local school or college that offers German classes; buying a self-study course to use at home in our own time; or taking an immersion course in a school in a German-speaking country. You are the person in the best position to know what option is the best to achieve the objectives you have set for yourself.
If you choose to attend a local school or college, it is obviously very difficult for us to give you advice - you know much better than we do what options you have in your area. As regards a self-study course, we recommend testing a product first before committing yourself to buying it. One of the most popular courses is Rocket German, which offers a free 6-day course - try it and if you like it move on to the full course. Click here to receive your free 6-day German course. Finally, if you feel that you need to take an immersion course in a German-speaking country, we advise you to visit one of the following websites to choose your school:
LanguageCourse.net
Language-Learning.net
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