Why Take German???

Here is a list of important reasons for learning German and the significance German speaking countries have for the USA and the world.  This list has been created in order to help teachers, parents, students or anyone else concerned with maintaining German programs within the American school system.  We hope these lists of facts will give individuals the research, support, data, facts, etc. one will need in order to write influential letters or give inspirational speeches, talks, etc. to maintain current programs and help create new programs.

·         German is the most widely spoken language in the Europe Union with over 120 million native speakers worldwide (or ¼ of all Europeans as their mother tongue).

·         German is the official language of Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Luxembourg, and Liechtenstein.

·         Germany is the 2nd most populous country in Europe (Russia is #1).

·         German is the 3rd most popular language taught worldwide.

·         German is the 2nd most popular language taught in Europe and Japan, after English.

·         The Japanese, who have the 2nd most powerful economy in the world, understand the business advantages that a knowledge of German will bring them:  68% of Japanese students study German.

·         Germany has the 3rd strongest economy in the world.

·         German is the # 1 exporting nation in the world.

·         Germany is the major force behind the European Union.

·         German economic strength equals business opportunities.

·         There are more than 1,100 companies in German-speaking countries that have subsidiaries in the United States.  These companies account for 700,000 jobs in the USA. 

·        Well known German firms with subsidiaries in the US include: Adidas, Aldi, Audi, Bayer, Braun, BMW, Daimler Chrysler, DHL, Hugo Boss, Lufthansa, Mercedes-Benz, Puma, T-Mobile, Porsche, Siemens, Volkswagen, Continental Tire, and Deutsche Bank to name a few.

·         More than 750 American companies are doing business in German-speaking countries. These companies account for approximately 700,000 jobs in Germany.

·         Germany is the #1 international trading partner in Indiana (#5 is the USA).

·         Germany is the #1 trading partner of all European countries and many non-European partners.

·         50% of polled US companies said that they would choose someone with German literacy over an equally qualified person because German proficiency enables the company to export goods to the European Union and Eastern European countries.

·         Willy Brandt, the former Chancellor of Germany, said it best when he stated, “If I'm selling to you, I speak your language. If I'm buying, dann müssen Sie Deutsch sprechen.“

·         Germans are innovators, with 4 out of the 10 most innovative companies being located in Germany.

·         Germany ranks 3rd in the world for patent applications.

·         Where would we be without Gutenberg’s printing press, Hertz’ discovery of electromagnetic waves, Einsteins’ theory of relativity, and Brandenburg’s creation of the MP3 digital music format to name a few innovations throughout history that are credited to Germans.

·         Germany is the 2nd highest exporter of high-tech products.

·         2/3 of the world’s leading international trade fairs take place in Germany, including CeBIT, the world’s largest trade fair for information and communications technology.

·         Germany is the #1 market in Europe and the 3rd largest market in the world for telecommunication products.

·         Germany, Switzerland and Liechtenstein all have one of the highest per capita incomes of the world.

·         Germans are major travelers and their first travel destination overseas is the USA (making it the #1 nationality of foreign tourists to the USA at 25%).

·         Travel agencies, tour companies, hotels, airlines and car rental agencies that can communicate with Germans in their own language will win their business.

·         Such a large number of Germans visit Florida that the state of Florida publishes at least 2 travel magazines in German: Florida Journal and Florida Sun Magazin.

·         Germans are #2 with Internet presence.

·         There are over 8 million Internet domains with .de, which is only second to the extension .com.

·         German domain names are more popular than .net, .org, and .info extensions.

·         Many colleges and universities recommend or require the study of German for students interested in: Anatomy, Architecture, Astronomy, Astrophysics, Art History, Biochemistry, Biology, Botany, Chemistry, Comparative Literature, Dramatic Art, Film Studies, Genetics, History, International Business, Linguistics, Logic & Methodology of Science, Mathematics, Music, Near Eastern Studies, Philosophy, Physical Science, Physics, Physiology, Political Science, Religious Studies, Telecommunications, and Zoology – to name a few.

·         At the University of California, for instance, a knowledge of German is recommended as an important supplement for more academic majors than any other language (German: 56 majors, French: 43 majors, Spanish: 21 majors, Japanese: 7 majors).

·         Also, most Indiana and US colleges and universities require or will soon be requiring a minimum of 2 years of language study for admission.

·         Most students who take three or more years of German test out of one or more semesters at a college or university. Today, credit for a one semester course, even at a public college or university, could mean saving $800 or more. At a private institution, the savings could be well over $2500.00. Many students can test out of a full year, three semesters, or even two complete years which could equal a savings of over $10,000 at a private university or college.

·         German is the 2nd most commonly used scientific language.

·         Classical music today would not be the same if it were not for German speaking composers such as Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Strauss and Wagner to name a few.

·         Vienna, Austria remains the international center of music today.

·         Almost 1 out of every 5 books in the world are published in German.

·         German is the 3rd largest language market for new published books.

·         Only a small percentage of German books are translated into other languages (i.e. 10% into Korean and Chinese, 5% into English) and, therefore, only a knowledge of German will give an individual access to a vast majority of untranslated titles.

·         German is the 2nd most commonly used language for scholarly publications in the world.

·         Over 2,000 scholarships and grants are awarded to US students each year to help them study abroad in Germany.

·         Germany financially supports over 60,000 international exchanges each year.

·         Even more scholarship and grant opportunities are made available to individuals who study German sometime during their post secondary education.

·         More than 10,000 students visit each other every year through the German American Partnership Program (GAPP). 

·         German Americans make up the single largest heritage group reported in the US (approximately 15%).  Approximately 40% of Hoosiers state they have German ancestry, one of the highest state percentages in America.

·         German immigrants are responsible for thousands of mainstay products and cultural characteristics in the USA. These include Levi’s jeans, ketchup, the Christmas tree, kindergarten, hotdogs, hamburgers, Bratwurst, Hershey’s chocolate, multiple breweries, and the “American” image of Santa Claus just to name a few.

·         Germans had such a fundamental presence at the time of the founding of the United States that a German language version of the Declaration of Independence was printed only a few days after it was adopted.

·         Foreign language learners, especially those enrolled in German, have stronger language arts skills.  Vocabulary skills in English, a better understanding of the English language itself, improved literacy, higher reading achievement as well as enhanced listening skills and memory have been shown to correlate with German language study.

·         With each additional year of foreign language instruction, a student scores on standardized tests such as the ISTEP, SAT, ACT, GRE, MCAT, and LSAT improve dramatically.