SSU, Modern Languages & Literatures

Reasons to Study German

Why learn German? Did you know that:

German is by far the most widely spoken native tongue in the European Union with 88 million native speakers? (English and French are 60 million each.)
After English and French, German is the third most popular language to learn in the world and the most widely spoken language in Europe?
One out of every ten books published in the world is published in German?
German is an official language in seven countries; Germany, Austria, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Luxemburg, Belgium, and Italy? It is a "Lingua Franca" in Eastern Europe, which means that Eastern Europeans with different mother tongues use German to communicate.
68% of all Japanese students study German?
About 20 million people learn German in 94 different countries of the world?
German is a very important business language because Germany has the third highest GNP in the world after the U.S. and Japan?
For many scientists and researchers a knowledge of German is essential?

German is important in today's multicultural world for many reasons. It is your ticket to career advancement, because:

German is a key business language in the European Union and in the rapidly growing markets of Central and Eastern Europe.
Germany is America's largest European trading partner; more than 750 major American firms are doing business in Germany.
1,100 German companies do business in the U.S. and their presence continues to grow.
In a survey conducted by the German-American chamber of commerce, 65% of all respondents stated they were looking specifically for German/English bilingual skills when hiring new employees.
German companies in the U.S. pay German-speaking employees premium salaries.

Here are some professional fields where German is either required or useful.