v
German is the native language of about 100 million
people in Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Luxembourg and Liechtenstein.
Another 20 million native speakers of German live in countries inside
and outside Europe, even in various parts of South America. Germany,
Austria, and Switzerland are poised to play a major role in the rapidly
growing markets of Central and Eastern
Europe.
v
Many Americans speak German: 23% of Americans claim
German “ancestry or origin. Among them are: Former president Bill
Clinton and his daughter Chelsea, statesman Henry Kissinger, Governor
Arnold Schwarzenegger, General John Shalikashvili, actress Sandra
Bullock, opera singer Jessye Norman, architect Philip Johnson, and TV
stars Susan Lucchi and David Hasselhoff.
v
The study of German enhances
opportunities to work or study abroad. Learning German enhances the study of
history, civilization, art, music, business, philosophy and the
literature of German-speaking cultures.
v
Germany has the third largest economy in the world and
the leading economy in the European Union (EU). Germany is Europe’s
largest market with one of the strongest economies in the world. It is
the United States third largest trading partner with more than 750
major American firms doing business in Germany and 1100 German
companies do business in the US. In a 1994 survey conducted by the
German-American Chamber of Commerce, 65% of all respondents stated they
were looking specifically for German/English bilingual skills. German
companies in the US pay German-speaking employees premium
salaries.
v
More than 25% of all foreign tourists visiting the US
come from German-speaking countries, spending more than $37 billion
annually around the world. The German speaking countries are among the
most popular destinations for American
travelers.
v
Scientists from the three German-speaking countries
have won 21 Nobel Prizes in Physics, 30 Nobel Prizes in Chemistry, and
25 Nobel Prizes in Medicine. Nine Nobel Prizes in Literature have been
awarded to German and Swiss writers, and seven Germans and Austrians
received the Peace
Prize.
v
In the world of sport, Germany accumulated the
second-highest total number of medals in the 1996 Olympics, while also
winning the European Cup in soccer for the third time. In the history
of World Cup soccer, Germany has reached the finals more often than any
other country, and only Brazil has won the title more often. Athletes from the German-speaking
countries excel at tennis, bicycling and dominate the sport of alpine
skiing to the extent that German is the sport's primary
language.
v
A knowledge of German gives access not only to rich
literary, philosophical, artistic and scientific traditions but also to
many kinds of current economic, political, and cultural developments."
(with thanks to Dartmouth College,
USA)
v
Learning German helps students get better SAT and ACT
scores. German is very close to English. Both languages are based on
the same linguistic roots and principles and share a wide range of
concepts and vocabulary. Every English speaker knows a lot of German
words already: Ball; beginnen; bringen; finden; Finger; Hand;
Kindergarten; Land; Mann; mild; senden; singen; still; warm; wild;
Wind; Winter
v
Many academic programs require or recommend German:
anatomy, art history, biochemistry, biology, biomedical physics,
botany, chemistry, design, engineering, film studies, genetics,
linguistics, logic and methodology of science, molecular biology,
music, near eastern studies, philosophy, physical science, physics,
physiology, religious studies,
zoology.
Sources:
1.
National Standards in Foreign Language Education
Project. Standards for Foreign Language Learning in the
21st Century. 1999. Allen Press, Inc.
Lawrence, KS
2.
Easton Language Education, eleaston@mindspring.com, http://eleaston.com/why.html1998 - 2001
3.
Go Global…Select German! Brochure. Goethe-Institut. New
York. 1999.
4.
D. Nutting. Reasons to learn
German! McKinnon Secondary College. http://www.mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au/la/lote/german/mckinnon/whyger.htm