Why German?
The question I get asked the most is "why would I learn German". There are a ton of good reasons to learn any language, but I feel German is a great and unique choice! Look at it this way: you're not going to turn 40 and say "geez, I really regret becoming proficient in German". Many of my AP and UWHS (50% +) students continue with German at university, but equally as many have discovered that their knowledge of German complements such fields as architecture, economics, government, history, engineering, and computer science. But no matter what their future careers, students find that German Studies can enrich their professional and personal lives.
German In The World Today
According to Germany.info, “German is the most widely spoken native language in Europe. On the one hand, this is because of Germany’s size, which with around 82 million inhabitants is the most populous country in the EU. On the other hand, German is also an official language in Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, Luxembourg and Liechtenstein as well as in Italy’s South Tyrol. In addition, German plays a role as a recognized minority language in Denmark, France, Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia. Approximately 55 million Europeans speak German as a foreign language.”
German is also third by number of learners, trailing English and French and roughly tied with Spanish. The MIT economist Albert Saiz calculated that the average lifetime earnings bonus for an American college graduate who learns German is $128,000 (for French: $77K, for Spanish: $51K)
The German Economy
Germany alone boasts the world’s THIRD-largest national economy as of March 2024, while German-speaking Switzerland and Austria, whose per capita GDPs rank third and fourth in the EU, are also significant. The 2020 edition of the World Economic Forum Global Competitiveness Report ranks Switzerland first among the most competitive countries, with Germany fourth (Singapore is second, the U.S. third).
The Bloomberg business report for 2020 also ranked Germany fifth among the best current places to do business, while the UN Conference on Trade and Development’s World Investment Prospects Survey (2015-2020), placed it third.
In the area of world trade, Germany’s significance is greater than just its GDP would indicate. From 2003-2008 it was the world's largest exporter. It is now barely second to China, even though its exports continue to grow dramatically, and it has the world's highest balance of payments surplus. At the same time, Germany is the second-biggest donor of aid to developing countries.
Germans are No. 2 in the world when it comes to travel — 40 million Germans spent 34.2 billion euros on travel to other countries in fiscal 2017 — and Germany itself is a major tourist destination. In 2018 Berlin passed Rome in the number of foreign visitors. Austria and Switzerland are of course also popular destinations.
Despite its global reach, Germany maintains an especially strong economic relationship with the United States. German investment in the U.S. is over a trillion euros, while the U.S. total in Germany is a trillion dollars. Each country's companies, through their subsidiaries, employ around 800,000 people in the other's work force.
Learning German can make you money too! The types of career opportunities are usually in high paying fields!
A Forward Thinking Volk
Renewable energy in Germany is mainly based on wind, solar and biomass. Germany has been called "the world's first major renewable energy economy". The share of renewable electricity rose from just 3.4% of gross electricity consumption in 1990 to exceed 10% by 2005, and reaching 46.3% of consumption in 2019.
