Why learn German?

*Why learn German?

German is the most commonly spoken

language in Europe *with more than100 million speakers communicating worldwide.

*It is an official language in*Germany

*Austria

*Switzerland* Luxembourg *and Liechtenstein

*German also plays an important role as a foreign

language In Central and Eastern Europe.

*It is the3rd most popular

foreign languagetaught worldwide

*and the second most popular in Europe after English.

*Germany has the largest economy in

Europe

*and the fourth largest inthe world

(after the USA, Japan and China).

*Germany exports more high-tech

products *than any other country except China.

*

*As a nation committed to research and

development *Germans are on the frontline of new technologies and home to numerous international corporations*from cars

*to machinery and industrial equipment

*from pharmaceuticals

to household goods.

*If you learn German, you could be part of the

world of:*Car-making*mechanical, electrical and precision engineering*chemicals*environmental technology *optics*medical technology

*biotech and genetic engineering*nanotechnology* aerospace*logistics

*computer gaming industry*Travel

*Hospitality

*the airline industry* journalism

*Germany is a world leader in

environmental innovationand energy

efficiency

*Companies like BMW, Daimler-Chrysler,

Volkswagen, Siemens, Lufthansa, Bayer, Bosch,

BASF, and many others need international

partners.

*Germans are innovators.*Einstein - theory of relativity

*Brandenburg- creation of the MP3 digital music format

*Zuse- design of the digital computer

*Ehrlich- chemotherapy

*4 of the world's 10 most innovative

companies are located in Germany. Germany is the UK’s

biggest trading partner.

*•In 2011, Germany exported goods and

services worth €65bn to the UK*and imported UK goods and

services worth about €44bn.

*German direct and indirect investments in Britain added up to €120bn (2009).

*German speakers are highly sought after by

British employers.With a knowledge of German,

you improve your employment

opportunities.

*Academic rigour*German at AS/ A2 level is a highly academic subject and achieving a good grade reflects extremely well on a candidate applying to university. The ability to understand and speak German at this level indicates a high level of academic ability, diligence and dedication.

*Being able to speak the language puts

you in high demand!

*German companies account for over

315,000 jobs in the UK. *They are especially strong in manufacturing in South East England and the Midlands.

*The leading German banking and insurance companies have *their offices in the City of London.

*German ranks as the second most frequently

used language on the internet after English

*With 8 million Internet domains, Germany's top-level country domain .de is second only to the extension .com.

*Knowledge of German is often required in

the fields of publishing and

research as important research is often published in German books and professional journals.∙German is the second most commonly used scientific language after English.

*Foreign students like coming to Germany to

study.*It is the third most popular country for studying & there are no tuition fees. *Germany financially sponsors over 60,000 international exchanges each year.

*Learning German is fun & not as hard as

you think!

English speakers usually find German quite easy to pronounce, as both languages share common linguistic roots.German and English both evolved from the common ancestor language, Germanic.

*They share thousands of the same word

origins *e.g Sommer Vater

MutterHaus

Apfel

*German is the key to a rich cultural heritage at

the heart of Europe *Millions of foreign tourists visit German-speaking countries every year.

*to explore the vibrant *culture of cities

*like Berlin

*Munich and Cologne*to see and experience King Ludwig’s castle in Bavaria,

*to ski in the Austrian and Swiss Alps

to try German beer at the Oktoberfest

*to try the local specialities

*or to take a boat trip along the stunning

Rhine River

Speaking and understanding German will give you a chance to get to know Germans, their culture and their history at first hand.

*The world of Philosophy and Science

*has been vastly enriched by the works of Nietzsche, and Freud

*The world of classical music is inseparable from the names of Mozart & Beethoven

*Vienna remains an international centre of

music today.

*Who speaks German?