Also, if you speak English, or if English is your native language then it will even be easier for you to learn to speak German. English and German come from the same base language: Germanic or Proto-Germanic. English and German are the largest Germanic languages in the world.

German and English are also similar in grammar and vocabulary. Here are a few examples: Winter kommt im November (Winter comes in November), Sommer kommt im Juni (Summer comes in June), Mein Hand hat fünf Finger (My hand has five fingers), Mein Name ist Harry (My name is Harry). Some words are very similar, granted some are not but there are enough that can help you understand the general meaning of a paragraph or someone’s conversation right from the start.

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To put down a second language on your resume is a plus in most industries and a must in others. Extensive studies have been done that prove that those who are bilingual get paid more on average and can transfer jobs and positions quicker than their unilingual counterparts.

Any second language will do, but learning to speak German should be at the top of the list because it is most widely spoken language in Europe.

Makes You Smarter
Speaking a second language is just plain awesome!
Those who can speak two or more languages have higher IQ’s, are more creative, have greater mental flexibility, and are better at solving complex problems than monolinguals. They are smarter, period. If you don’t believe me, search “benefits of being bilingual” on the internet and see for yourself. And then get started on learning that second language!

Connects You to More People
Bilinguals feel a connection to more people. Even when in the beginning stages of learning a language, the connection is there because it will come up in conversations and you’ll find out that a lot of people either already know two languages or have the desire to learn to speak another one as well.

The World Is Small?
Simply put, bilinguals are more connected, smarter, and get paid more. Join the bilingual club, if you haven’t already. Once you learn a second language, you will realize “it’s a small world after all!”

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The most popular books both current and old have been, or most likely will be, translated into your native language. But there is something about reading the original text in its original language. Although great care is taken to translate correctly and therefore the words are correct, sometimes a little of the emotional feeling is lost in translation. In my opinion, it is always best to go straight to the source.

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German, Austrian, and Swiss German authors have been awarded 10 Nobel prizes for literature over the years. Think of all of the classical music that has come from German composers: Mozart, Beethoven, Bach, Strauss, and Wagner. Psychologists Freud and Jung come from German speaking countries. Dozens of Nobel prizes in physics, chemistry, and medicine have been awarded to scientists from the three major German-speaking countries. Kant, Leibniz, Marx, and Nietzsche each played an important role in the history of philosophy.

Think of all the German castles and other beautiful architecture that hails from German-speaking countries. Learning to speak German could give you better insight into how these people thought and innovated.

Food
German cuisine varies from region to region but they all seem to concentrate on meats, especially sausages, a variety of dessert cakes, rye bread, and, of course, beer. These foods appear in plenty, especially around the time of Oktoberfest.

Sports
Football (soccer) is by far the most popular sport in Germany. Germany hosted the World Cup in 2006 and they placed third, which is very respectable. The next two most popular sports in Germany would be marksmanship and tennis. Germany has produced many top notch players in these sports: Michael Ballack, Lukas Podolski, Miroslav Klose, Oliver Kahn, Boris Becker, and Stefi Graf. Also, Germany is always a strong contender in both the Summer and Winter Olympics.

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The name of the festival tells us that it is celebrated in the month of October. It’s held shortly after the harvest has been gathered and is known as the German beer drinking festival.

It all began in the year 1810 to celebrate the wedding of Crown Prince Luitpold I and Princess Theressa of BavariaIt. It was held on a large meadow in Munich (Muenchen), Germany. Every year thereafter, it gained more and more popularity and overtime, as Germans immigrated to other countries, Oktoberfest migrated with them. Now you can find Oktoberfest in several other countries such as England, The Netherlands, Canada, and the United States.

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1. Google.de
2. Ebay.de
3. Anonym.de
4. Rapidshare.de
5. Amazon.de
6. Mobile.de
7. Web.de
8. Spiegel.de
9. T-online.de
10. Myvideo.de

There are over 52 million Internet users in Germany alone but if you add the other German speaking countries that number reaches approximately 62 million users. In Germany alone that is almost a 65% penetration. If you learn to speak German and you do business online you now have opened up a large number of potential customers.

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I’ll list some of the famous German brands here (you’d be surprised how many you’ll recognize): Daimler, Volkswagen, Allianz, Siemens, Deutsche Bank, Metro, BASF, Mercedes Benz, SAP, BMW, adidas, Audi, Porsche, and Nivea.

The euro is used in Germany and its monetary policy is set by the European Central Bank in Frankfurt, Germany. Switzerland, another German speaking country, has one of the highest standards of living in the world. 68% of Japanese students learn how to speak German because they know that a lot of business is being done there. In the U.S., German companies account for about 700,000 jobs.

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One thing you need to remember however, is that in the German language there is a difference between formal and informal conversation. Your German speaking skills will get many times better as you speak with native German speakers.

When in doubt you can always ask, “Sprechen Sie Englisch?” (Do you speak English?) and someone nearby will be able to help you out. Germans are polite and will respect that you have made an effort to learn their language. Germans who do not speak English fluently will often answer questions in English in one or two words because they do not know how to formulate a full English sentence. Do not think that they are being rude or impolite.

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German is spoken by approximately 100 million native speakers and approximately 80 million non-native speakers worldwide. 32% of the European Nations say they converse in German, whether as their native tongue or as a second language. It is also the third most popular language taught in the world. German accounts for the most written translations into and from a language in the World (Guinness Book of World Records).

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