Why Learn German?

by erin on December 21, 2010

In today’s world, there is a need for learning another language. Some have chosen to learn German language because of the fact that more than one hundred million people in about thirty eight countries speak it. Many of those who do speak the language reside in countries such as Switzerland, Austria, and Germany. One other country that seems to shelter its share of German speakers is the United States.

There are other reasons for someone to decide to learn another language. Some do it for business reasons. Others take the time to study the language to learn about the culture of Germany, to play tourist, or to travel to a country whose national language is German. How then can one go about reaching their goal?

When someone learns the German language for business, it will give them the edge in dealing with a nation that is the third largest industrial nation in the world. It is also a major exporter of the goods its industrial base produces. Another reason to learn the language, even though some who are native German speakers may know English, is that one can gain an understanding of what is said in the original context.

When traveling, it is interesting to note that German is used as a second language in many European countries. Thus those who find themselves with a reason to travel to places such as Hungary, Russia, the Czech Republic, Romania, or Kazakhstan may find it more than useful to learn at least a few important phrases to better communicate. It is certainly an asset if you find yourself in urgent need of something and can only be understood in that particular tongue.

Those who are tourists or who work in the tourism trade should also consider learning the German language because of the many regions in which it is spoken. Thus those who encounter a person who may only speak that one language will be better able to communicate with them if they are at the very least moderately fluent in the language.

Learning the language of a country will also be the key to understanding a great deal of its culture. Many of the meanings behind the words that are uttered are bond up in the history of the area of its origin. Thus when learning a language, history lessons about the people and their accomplishments along with the cities and towns they may have lived in are inevitable on the road to gaining fluency.

How then can one go about learning German? One way that is available is to go to a class on the subject. But in the end, that can only teach a person so much thus it can only be considered a tool in one’s arsenal of instruction. Immersion in the language is another option that one should take advantage of. Find a group to practice with that only allows its members to speak the language in question. If one has a question as to the meaning of certain words, there are also sites online that may be of help.

An individual who decides to learn German does so because they need the advantage it will bring in an international business setting. This is especially the case if the firm that one is transacting with employs people who can only speak that one common language. Check out language courses in your area today!

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