Europe, being the epitome of the diverse ancient background, has twenty-four official languages, with German being the first, French second and Italian third. Europe also has more than 60 regional and minority languages.
This undeniably powerful language, German, is challenging to learn but offers many benefits that other languages don’t. Some recent reports claim that German unravels potentials for the fourth-largest economy globally and has over 100 million speakers worldwide.
According to the Goethe-Institut (a key cultural organization promoting German language learning), around 15.4 million people are learning German worldwide (as of their 2020 report). The number of schools and institutes offering German education is in the thousands.
Leadership in Academics, Culture Industry and Trade
Germany is one of the leading nations in scientific research and innovation. German universities, like the Technical University of Munich and Heidelberg University, consistently rank among the best in the world. Additionally, Germany is home to more than 100 Nobel Prize winners, many of whom have made groundbreaking contributions in fields like physics, chemistry, and medicine.
Germany is the world’s third-largest exporter, after China and the United States, with key industries like automotive, machinery, chemicals, and pharmaceuticals driving its economy. Major German brands like Volkswagen, BMW, Siemens, and Bayer are recognized globally.
Germany has a rich cultural history, including its contributions to classical music (e.g., Beethoven, Bach, Mozart), literature (e.g., Goethe, Thomas Mann, Hermann Hesse), and philosophy (e.g., Kant, Nietzsche, Hegel). Modern German cinema and media are also influential, with a strong presence in the European film industry.
Germany offers some of the best tuition-free or low-cost higher education opportunities in Europe. Many German universities have partnerships with institutions worldwide, and knowing the language can be beneficial for international students seeking exchange programs or scholarships like the DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service).
German; The Second Most Common Language In Europe
German being the most spoken official EU language and the second most spoken in Europe (after Russian), is ordinally denoted as “money language.”
If you are intending to expand your business across Europe, prepping to progress in your career, or planning your trip to Germany, learning German is the first thing you should ponder. With about 90-100 million native German speakers in Europe, and another approximately 25-30 million who speak German as a second language, the German language is considered a livewire for Europe’s economy.
Even now, when students have massive career opportunities, they still choose to learn the German language to bring out the best livelihood and work opportunities through the European Union and beyond. If you plan to immigrate to Europe or establish a business, you must be familiar with this superlative language; otherwise, being can get challenging for you.
Whether you’re expanding your business or navigating complex regulatory requirements across borders, German legal translation services play a crucial role in ensuring accurate and compliant communication with German-speaking partners and authorities.
Germany’s Influence on the European Union:
Germany is often considered the economic powerhouse of the European Union, accounting for around 21% of the EU’s GDP. The country is not only the largest economy in the EU but also a key player in EU policymaking and trade.
Understanding German is crucial for anyone involved in business, economics, or politics within Europe, as it opens doors to communication and collaboration in industries heavily influenced by Germany’s policies and economic strategies.
Five Reasons German Is So Popular
Germany is the dynamo of the economy in the European Union and is the fourth largest economy in the world. German is not an easy language to learn and mastering it can take some time. However, the level of difficulty can vary depending on your mother tongue. Here are a few reasons why Germany is so popular, especially in the European Union.
1. German And English Share More Than 50% Of Their Vocabulary
If you are familiar with the English language and have the know-how of German, you might have recognized some similar terminologies.
German and English are often known as sisters’ language, and it’s said that if you are fluent in English, you are already a way forward to speak German. However, a few words have different connotations, such as rat, gift, etc.
Some sound-alike English and German terms include:
Brother – Bruder
Earth – Erde
Knee – Knie
Uncle – Onkle
Sun – Sonne
2. The Rigid Word Order
The word organization in the German language is absolutely inelastic. Therefore, you have to listen to each term from the sentence very carefully to understand its meaning.
Also, varying to the nature of the sentence, an important word, can be a verb is positioned at the very end.
However, German allows for flexibility in main clauses, making the description somewhat simplistic.
3. Spoken Over Five Continents
German is widely spoken in Central Europe beyond Germany itself. It is an official language in Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, and Luxembourg. It also has significant numbers of speakers in countries like Belgium, Italy (South Tyrol), and parts of Eastern Europe. The far-reaching nature of German extends beyond Europe and is spoken over five continents: it is a minority language in Kazakhstan, Namibia, Russia, and the southern tip of Brazil. You can also find German-speaking communities in Australia, Paraguay, Bolivia, Argentina, and South Africa.
4. Incredibly Long Words
The German language can make long words by merging one or more words together. These compound words can go a long way beyond your imagination.
5. The Clever Nature
The German language can be very subtle. This sovereign language allows the orator to articulate an idea in the most profound density in only a single word.
Where other languages need a whole sentence to express a concept, German only takes a word to do the same.
For instance:
English: to clean my oven, German: ummeinenBackofenzuputzen
English: do my essay for me, German: machmeinenAufsatzfürmich
Four Reasons You Should Learn German
We know the countrymen of Germany feel more proud in speaking a foreign language, but German holds significant importance in making your career go heights.
Here are the reasons that ensure why the German language is so important to learn.
1. A Key Language If You Are a Science Nerd
With the turn of the 20th century, German has been titled the official language of science because of the contributions of leading thinkers like Sigmund Freud and Max Planck.
A Report Writing Service UK published in their paper, If you are a science nerd and crazy about learning scientific experiments and investigations, consider learning the german language so you can have an exceptional understanding of some tremendous german minds like Albert Einstein, Otto Hahn, Fritz Haber, etc.
2. Expanded Work Opportunities
Learning German brings you expanded work opportunities. If you are planning to ship your business to Europe and other German-speaking countries, you won’t be able to make it to the fullest without the German language know-how.
Learning this business or money language brings an opening to a lot of earning opportunities. For instance, there’s always a need for German translators to convey the message to prospects; you can always find vacancies open for this position.
Also, if you are exceptional in writing and plan to write a book, go for writing it in the german language. The linguistic has strong resemblances with English and is easy if you are a native English speaker.
3. Better Travel Experience
Many of us are waiting for governments to lift Covid restriction and lockdown so we can travel to our favorite European countries. Having German know-how while travelling to the countries where German is spoken helps make the experience more splendid.
4. Openings to Exchange Programs
Being familiar with the German language is essential if you have plans to study abroad or apply for the students’ exchange program.
This language also holds significant importance in countries other than Europe, so it’s recommended to add this skill to your skillset because you might not understand the significance until you start hunting the job or academic market.
Other Popular Languages in Europe
Below are some other most spoken languages of the European Union that you can deem to learn apart from German.
The most spoken language of the European Union, Russian, is a good choice if you’re planning to immigrate to Europe. About 60 million people in Europe speak English, making it the third most spoken language in the region. French and Germanic dialects have persuaded English Linguistic. In most countries of the continent, it is also said as an official language. Other popular languages around the union include Polish, French and Italian.
German English translation service.
Author bio
Stella Lincoln is an Assistant Editor at Crowd Writer, one of the most popular essay writing services for university students to acquire their academic writing services from. You can find Stella on LinkedIn as well.
