7 reasons to learn German

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

It is easiest to learn the language you like. But if they all sound equally pleasant to you, and you already know English, approach the matter from a practical point of view. Lifehacker has seven arguments in favor of German.

1. German is the second most popular in Europe

German is spoken in Europe more often than any other language, with the exception of, of course, English. Germany alone has 83 million inhabitants - more than other European countries. Traveling around Europe, you will be able to communicate freely with the residents of Austria, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Liechtenstein. The native speakers of the language are residents of northern Italy, eastern Belgium and eastern France, the Netherlands, Denmark, Czech Republic, Romania.

German is the third most popular foreign language in the world and second in Europe.

By the way, the German domain.de is one of the most widespread: German sites occupy a significant segment of the Internet. And yet there are fewer specialists with fluency in German than with knowledge of English, so it will make you stand out from the competition.

2. Sponsoring international academic exchanges

German foundations finance numerous exchange programs, internships and summer courses for international students. Check out the mobility department at your university and inquire about partner programs with German universities. In the case of Germany, the costs are often borne by the host.

The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), the Heinrich Böll, Konrad Adenauer, Rosa Luxemburg, Alexander von Humboldt Foundations, the German-Russian Forum and many other organizations are ready to help highly motivated students and graduates gain work experience or the opportunity to study abroad.

If you do not have a research project yet or do not plan to pursue a master's degree, you can apply to study at one of the DAAD-funded summer schools. By immersing yourself in the environment and interacting with native speakers, you can learn a language quickly and efficiently - and even get rid of your accent.

3. Free education

If you did not succeed in obtaining a scholarship, with good German you still have a good chance to study in Europe. After studying for several semesters at a Russian university, you can enroll in a bachelor's degree, and then apply for a master's degree.

Germany is one of the few countries where tuition at most universities is free, with the exception of a fee of about 200-400 euros per semester.

By paying the fee, the student receives a public transport pass and other benefits. There are no entrance exams, but grades in a certificate or diploma play an important role. Germany is open to foreign students, about 12% of the total, and this number is constantly growing.

4. Prospects for professional growth

The Germans are world champions not only in football, but also in the country's foreign trade balance over the past year. The German economy ranks third among the leading economies in the world and is in the top five countries according to the Human Development Index (HDI).

Germany is a country of origin of machinery and various equipment, which makes up a significant part of German exports. The service sector, medicine, information and biotechnology, the use of renewable energy sources and environmentally friendly technologies are developed here.

All this experience in Germany can be studied and adopted, which opens the way for the development of your own business, search for partners or advanced training.

5. German is the language of inventors and innovators

German is the second most important language of science, and for those who are going to build an academic career, it will not be superfluous to master it. A huge number of German-speaking scientists have received worldwide recognition: among them are Albert Einstein, Max Planck, Heinrich Hertz, Konrad Zuse and many others.

The German book market is the third largest in the world after Chinese and English.

Not all works have been translated into other languages - knowledge of German will give you access to them.

6. Culture and art of German-speaking countries

The cultural heritage of Germany and Austria is famous all over the world. German, according to its speakers, is the language of poets and thinkers. It will help you get acquainted with a new culture and learn about its features first-hand. You will be able to read Hesse, Remarque, Brecht and Ende, not to mention Goethe and Schiller, in the original. And also sing along with Rammstein, Nena, Die Toten Hosen and AnnenMayKantereit.

7. German is easier to learn than people think

German grammar and vocabulary are legendary. “If a German writer dives into a phrase, you won't see him until he comes up on the other side of his Atlantic Ocean with a verb in his mouth,” writes Mark Twain, an American writer and journalist desperate to learn this rebellious language. in the essay "On the Terrible Difficulty of the German Language."

Perhaps Mark Twain simply did not try to learn Russian: after six cases of Russian, four cases in German will not be so difficult. If you have already studied English, then not only the alphabet, but also many words will be familiar to you.

German is easy to understand by ear: the rule "how you hear it, you write it" works flawlessly in most cases. Don't be intimidated by separable prefixes, dialects, umlauts, and compound words. Try to love the language - it will definitely reciprocate!