Why Should I Take German? (Warum Soll Ich Deutsch Lernen?)

Dan Rather, CBS News, January 5, 1999:

"If you haven't thought about it lately, now is as good a time as any to consider this. There are three and only three great, truly great economies in the world today. Three economic super powers. Two of them, the United States and Japan get plenty of attention, lots of ink and loads of airtime. The third does not. It is Germany. The US and Japan are the world's leading economic super powers, one, two, in that order, but Germany is the third and not that far behind Japan, especially given the Japanese economy's current problems."

"With that in mind two points are worth pondering. One, Germany is about to enter a period where its economy figures to become bigger and stronge because it is the center, the heart of a new overall European economic entity. One that will have among other things, eventually its own currency. German banks, German industry and business will be the engine, the center of gravity for this whole new effort at European economic integration."

"The second point is that Germany increasingly is buying into the USA. Taking over in some cases, merging with in others, US banks, businesses and industry. Everything from publishing to auto making. The Japanese have been doing this for a long while. So have the Germans, but now the Germans are accelerating their investment in America. In the sweep of history, as we head into the 21st century, this may be a major development. One that tends to get overlooked in the hurly-burly of daily headlines."

And you don’t have to know any German (but it’s not a bad idea to know a little)

A new program aimed at English-speaking students makes it easier for Americans to study in Germany. The German government is supporting the efforts of globally-oriented universities to attract foreign students.

Because relatively few foreign applicants are proficient in German, and because English language proficiency is required of its graduates, Deggendorf University of Applied Sciences (Fachhochschule Deggendorf) will offer the first two years of its four year bachelor's degree programs in English. Students are expected to improve their German proficiency during this time through interaction with German students and culture, working in German companies, and though supplementary intensive German language courses.

Before beginning the final two years of study foreign students must pass a German language proficiency exam. . Upon successful completion of the program students will be awarded a bachelors degree. Students who elect to leave the program earlier will receive American style transcripts to facilitate the transfer of credits to American (or other foreign) colleges and universities.

Although the program is oriented toward recent high school graduates, applicants who have already earned college credits are eligible for advanced placement. Motivation and the potential for German language proficiency and success in the program weigh more heavily in the selection criteria than current demonstrated German language proficiency. This means a good high school graduate with two or three years of German as well as a college student with one year of German could be accepted.

Deggendorf is a state-supported university offering degrees in business administration and electrical, mechanical and civil engineering. There is currently no charge for tuition.

For more information write to me or visit www.FH-Deggendorf.de and click on the British flag icon.

jack.bauersachs@FH-Deggendorf.de

Mary Sullivan, a former CHS student, wrote the following letter on April 1, 1999 as an application essay for Mercer College.

Every month, in every class, Herr Curtis announces the German Student of the Month. He explains that the Schüler des Monats award comes with a free-homework coupon and a classy certificate ("good for wrapping fish, lining bird cages, or even hanging on your wall"). Three times, in my four years of German, I’ve been Student of the Month. The first time was my freshman year. I’d only been at high school a month, and I already wanted to drop out, take the GED, and devote myself, full-time, to writing scripts for Star Trek. When Herr Curtis told my class about the Schüler des Monats award, I wanted more than anything to win, to be singled out, told I was Number One. I held my breath as Herr Curtis announced the winner, and winning put me on top of the world. Sometimes the small moments count the most. I’m not saying: being Student of the Month kept me in high school. But, ever since, German has been my mainstay, keeping me sane.

I once described myself to Herr Curtis as "cripplingly shy and twice as competitive." In most classes, this means: I’m attentive but retiring during class, and I always have the highest score on a test. German is different. Herr Curtis makes the class competitive while keeping it easygoing. One year, everyone kept a sheet called the Reisepass and earned stamps on it through various types of participation. It was more important to answer a question than to answer it correctly, and my desire to win the most stamps easily overcame my fear of looking the fool. For once I didn’t worry about making mistakes.

Until this fall, I never ate lunch at school. My first day staying for lunch, I was scared. I didn’t know who to eat with or where to eat. Like a homing pigeon, I came to the German room. Within the month, I felt accepted. The mix of people changes daily, but the entire atmosphere is friendly. I can hardly imagine making it through the day without eating there. It’s the one place where I can relax and be myself. In the German room, everyone is crazy, so nothing I do is out of place.

Being in German or just the German room is like being a member of a big club. It’s a unique experience. Winning Schüler des Monats that first time was only one moment from four years of moments, but it was the first time I felt like part of the German room. Looking back, it was pivotal, not because it was important in and of itself. It was a beginning. Missing my experiences in the German room would have been an immeasurable loss. I wouldn’t trade them for anything. I framed that silly certificate. Like my memories of German, it’ll be with me for a long time.

Dear Freshmen and Parents,

• 1.In order to meet the requirements of the Certificate of Initial Mastery in the state of Oregon students must demonstrate specific skills in the areas of speaking, listening, reading, writing and culture.  These standards require a minimum of 2 years of study, and in many cases 3 years.
• 2. Most universities have established minimum standards of proficiency in a second language as a requirement for admission. These standards vary from a minimum of 2 years of high school credit to demonstrating the ability to functionally apply second language skills at a pre- determined level.
• 3. German will improve English skills. English is a Germanic language, and studying German teaches one a great deal about his own language. A 1987 study by Thomas Cooper and Associates indicates that students who studied a 2nd language scored higher on the SAT than students who did not. Students of German scored higher than students of other languages (See Thomas Cooper "Foreign Language Study and SAT-Verbal Scores" in the Modern Language Journal Vol 71 #4, p. 381-387, 1987).
• 4. Travel - A background in German makes the difference between seeing Europe as a tourist and really seeing it. A group of CHS students recently traveled to all 4 German speaking countries, and another trip is being planned for the the Spring of 2003.
• 5. It is an exciting time to be learning German. The fall of the Berlin Wall and the reunification of East and West Germany have created a great interest in the language, the country and its people. Great opportunities to travel and study in Germany are being developed every day.

Don’t miss out. Register for German next year. See your counselor for help, or call me for more information. I look forward to seeing you next year.

Ed Curtis

Corvallis High School

____________________________________________________________________________________

"A person who does not know a second language does not truly know his own."

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Why Learn German (from Pazifischer Rundschau)

• German is the most widely spoken language in Europe (Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, as well as parts of Eastern Europe, the Balkans, France, Luxembourt, Italy, Belgium and Russia.
• German is the official language of many international conferences
• The federal Republic of Germany is the 3rd largest trading partner of the USA
• More than 1,100 cGerman ompanies have subsidiaries in the USA and pay atop salaries to their employees who are able to speak German.
• The state of Washington exports $2.6 billion in goods to Germany in one year.
• There are 58 majors requiring German at many colleges and universities compared to 43 for French and 21 for Spanish.
• More than 25 percent of the population traces its ancestry back to Germany, more than any other country.
• German is user friendly - it is more closely related to English.  Many words are identical or very similar.
• The German-speaking countries are among the most popular destinations for American travelers.
• One out of every 10 books published in the world today is published in German.
• There are 20 million people in the world currently learning German.
• German and Japanese are the pilot languages for MICROSOFT.
• Next to English, German is the most popular language in the INTERNET.

Rob Williams' Top 10 Reasons To Learn German

1. German is important for school. You need at least two years of a foreign language to study at a Minnesota State college.  Other colleges highly recommend it.
And consider this: at the University of California, German is by far the most frequently recommended and/or required language.  This is generally true for most other universities as well.  Among the majors specifically recommending German are: Anatomy, Art History, Biochemistry, Biomedicine, Botany, Chemistry, Film Studies, Genetics, Linguistics, Logic and Methodology of Science, Molecular Biology, Music, Near Eastern Studies, Philosophy, Physical Science, Physics, Physiology, Religious Studies, Zoology.

2. German and English are both Germanic languages. They both started out as the same language.  They share many of the same words, word origins and grammar characteristics.  That makes German a good choice for English speakers. 

3. German is important to our American heritage. Three out of every four citizens of our town have German heritage.  One out of every four Americans nationwide has German heritage.  German-Americans are the largest ethnic group in America today.    They have made innumerable contributions to our country.  The United States government sponsors exchange programs with Germany.  One of those is the German American Partnership Program (GAPP).  Our partner school is in Neuhaus, Germany.  And our official sister city is Neuhaus as well.

4. Over 120 million people speak German as their native language. German is spoken in Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Luxembourg and Liechtenstein, as well as parts of other European countries such as Italy, France and Belgium.  Twice as many people speak German in Europe than any other language.  And after English, German is the most popular foreign language to learn in Europe.

5. German is important in the global economy. Germany also has the world's third biggest economy (after the USA and Japan).  Germany is the largest economic and political influence in Europe.    Germany has the highest paid workers in the world.  Germany is also the leading export nation in the world in proportion to its population.  And Switzerland, another German-speaking country, is the world's richest country.  The standard of living in German speaking countries is among the highest in the world.  

6. German is very important for business.   Many American companies are owned by German companies.  Brown Printing in our town is a German-owned company.  Corchran's Metal Fabrication also does much business with Germany.  More Americans have lived and worked in Germany than in any other foreign country since 1945.  Germany and the USA invest $40 billion in each other's businesses per year.  Many companies name German as the language they would most like their employees to know.  When American car company Chrysler and German car company Mercedes merged, a lot of Chrysler employees needed to learn German.  Take a look at the Netscape Career Center, type in the search word German, and you will find well over 800 jobs requiring or recommending German on any given day.

7. German is important for science. Most of the world's scientists have come from or studied in German-speaking countries.  Many new scientific discoveries happen in German-speaking countries, and some scientific information is only available in German.  The newest elements on the Periodic Table were just discovered by a German scientist.  Universities encourage science majors to learn German.

8. German is important in music. Most of the world's famous composers and musicians came from German-speaking countries.  Think of Mozart, Beethoven, Bach, Brahms, Schubert...   Vienna, the capital of Austria, has been the world center of music for hundreds of years.  Classical musicians learn German. 

9. German is important for the tourist industry. Germans are the most traveled people in the world.  You will find German tourists everywhere.  In the USA, they will especially be at the top tourist spots like Florida, New York, and California.  Many American tourists go to German speaking countries, which are some of the most beautiful countries in the world.  Plus, German is widely spoken throughout Europe.  

10. The importance of German may not seem as obvious to Americans because we are separated from the rest of the world by ocean.  We tend to notice only what's in our backyard.  Worldwide, German is one of the most popular foreign language to learn. In Europe, it is the second most popular (after English).   The world sees the importance of German.  We really do live in a global society, and we need to look at more than what's right around us.  We need to see the entire picture.


Sources:  American Assoc. of Teachers of German, Dartmouth College, Goethe Institut, National Council for the Social Studies, St. Olaf College, Univ. of St. Thomas, US News & World Report, World Book Encyclopedia

Brian Zahn's Reasons To Learn German

Genealogical Purposes.

Not that many teenagers are the least bit interested in anything more than two to three years old, but if they or their parents/grandparents are interested in family history they would need an understanding of German to do their research, or else be willing to pay quite a bit of money for someone to do it all for them.

Business Purposes

OK, so you run into lots of people that speak English in the business world over there, but not always! Who's going to be able to deal with those people? Besides, American businesses are often looking for someone with FL training. It can provide an edge over your competition in the job search. 

Educational Purposes

Graduate programs usually require a research FL. German is one of, if not THE most required languages for this purpose. Who could resist spending a year abroad at a German university? OK, so a lot do resist it, but WHY??

Financial Purposes

Make money at home while you work another job! I often get requests for translation jobs. It's a great way to make some more spending money from something I like to do anyway.

Pride!

There is nothing more invigorating than continuing to speak German to a German who insists on speaking English because he/she assumes that I can't speak anything other than English. I can prove that I'm not the usual ignorant American.

Annoy Other People!

There is nothing more invigorating than continuing to speak German to a German who insists on speaking English because he/she assumes that I can't speak anything other than English. I have this little quirk where I enjoy annoying people sometimes. This is one of those that I enjoy most.

Play jokes on people!

This is somewhat related to the previous item, but you can have fun at others' expense when travelling with them in Germany. This aspect is usually totally overlooked, but what a great idea! When I lived in Germany, I would tell a recent arrival from stateside who asked how to get a respectable haircut, that they should ask for a Kaiserschnitt. That sounded reasonable to the newbie (you know, Schnitt = cut, Kaiser = respectable-looking guy), but was always worth the look on the Friseur's face and the consternation of the newbie. The other fun one (well, for ME it was - remember my strange sense of humor) was to suggest that they go to the Konditorei and purchase a wonderful pastry. I then explained that the clerk did not particularly care for Americans and always tried to sell them something else. The desired pastry was a Davon, but the clerk would keep trying to sell a Wovon. The duped one was encouraged to keep saying "Ich moechte ein Davon" despite the clerk's response "Wovon?". Just think of the possibilities just for knowing the language when others don't! ;-)

Amaze your friends!

Every time I watch a show/movie where German is spoken, people always ask me what they said. I can tell them, and that makes me even cooler and amazinger in their eyes than I was before!

Technology

German is the number two language for webpages these days, I believe, so knowing German will give you an edge in obtaining information.

Brian Zahn

http://sps.k12.mo.us/khs/german/gerlinks.htm -- Now over 1000 links!!!

Kevin Fulton's Top 10 Reasons To Learn German

10. Turkish cab drivers in German cities rarely speak English

9. You can tell the Yugoslavian Imbiss-stube operator at the train station that you're one of those odd birds who doesn't like mayonnaise with pommes frites

8. Knowing German is the next best thing to speaking the local language when travelling in warm coastal areas of Europe

7. You can sing along with the final movement of Beethoven's 9th symphony -- when sober

6. Quoting Nietzsche in the original is a sure-fire way to get lucky in academic circles

5. You can read the warning labels on the Ueberraschungseier and save children from eating the small plastic parts contained therein

4. You can impress your friends by telling them how badly the "Germans'" pronunciation is on the mini-series "Nuremberg"

3. You can pretend you're something other than an American after making a serious cultural faux pas while travelling

2. You can understand your German grandparents when they're not wearing their dentures

1. You can tell the old lady who just knocked you in front of the streetcar what she can do with her umbrella.

Links to sites about the imporatance of German