Why Learn German? Top 6 Reasons to Learn German

By Ben Schmidt Jul 30, 2022

If there is one thing that German is known for, it is being a hard language. Yet it is one of the most popular languages to learn.

So why do so many people put up with complex grammar and tricky pronunciation? Why do they see that German is worthwhile?

Reasons to Learn German

Well, learning German does have many benefits, and here are the best reasons to learn German:

Germany’s economic power:

Germany has the largest economy in Europe. Worldwide, it is the fourth most economically powerful country. This means that it is the home of some of the world’s leading companies, especially in technology.

Think of Volkswagen, BMW, and Adidas, to name a few. And of course, multiple large companies mean multiple job opportunities.

This is why many people travel to Germany to find better jobs. But even if you don’t plan to travel all the way there, Germany has many large international companies that people dream of getting a job at.

Perhaps one or more of these has a branch in your own country. And you know what can give you an advantage over hundreds of other applicants? Knowing German.

Although Germans are generally fluent in English, people naturally communicate better in their native language. They feel more comfortable speaking it, and they’d appreciate it when someone puts an effort into learning and mastering it

In other words, speaking German will motivate employers to hire you because it will enhance communication in the workplace.

High-quality education:

Germany boasts top-notch universities that enjoy a good reputation and international renown. What makes it a good bargain to study in Germany is that its high-quality education is usually offered for either low tuition fees or none at all.

International students can also benefit from its numerous scholarships and student-exchange programs, but without learning German, these opportunities will be out of reach for you.

There are also research fellowships for students and scientists. In fact, Germany comes third in its contribution to research worldwide, and the German language is the second most frequently used in scientific literature.

Number one native language in Europe:

You never know where life is going to take you. Perhaps you’re sitting at home now, thinking that you could never get the chance to travel as far as Europe. But life takes unexpected and delightful turns sometimes. And you never know, maybe you will soon find yourself on a plane to Europe preparing for your first day at work.

One of the best pieces of advice I’ve ever heard is that you should strive to be prepared for the moment a once-in-a-life-time opportunity is thrown your way. And if an employer is hiring in Germany, and you fit the requirements perfectly, then you’d better have already learned German. A lot of companies prefer that their employees speak it fluently.

Yeah, you may be musing. I already know that now. But Germany is one of many developed countries. If I get lucky enough to find a better job abroad, what are the chances that it will be in Germany? Maybe learning its language will be a waste of time after all.

Well, it will still be a good idea to study German, because it is spoken not only in Germany but also in countries like Austria and Switzerland. If fact, it is the most widespread native language in Europe. If you see that studying a new language is a gamble, German is definitely your best bet.

Enjoy literature in its original language:

Germany is the homeland of some of the most prominent canonical authors in the world. You must have at least heard of Goethe’s Faust and Kafka’s The Metamorphosis. Did you know that they were originally written in German?

These works and other famous ones have been translated into many languages. But translation is never perfect, and much of the tone and character of original texts are lost.

Learning German will allow you to experience reading famous books as they were originally written. For example, it will help you understand things like cultural-specific wordplay and references better.

Access to a plethora of information:

The number of websites ending with the domain name .de is over 17 million. This is an exclusively German domain, and it comes second place in terms of frequency of use, right after .com. But not all German websites end with .de, which means their number may well exceed 20 million. So one can only imagine the amount of information that accesses to these websites can provide.

Not only that, but Germany is one of the top counties when it comes to publishing books, with tens of thousands published every year, reaching about 80 thousand books. If you’re an avid reader and passionate learner, knowing German will give you the ability to gain so much knowledge and will help you expand your horizon.

It is similar to other languages:

German may be more difficult than English and less similar to it than Spanish, for example, but that doesn’t mean that the similarities between English and German can be overlooked.

After all, English is a Germanic language. So if your level in English is at least intermediate, this can facilitate learning German as you will find many similar words between the two languages. Take these as an example:

Denken – Think.
Bruder – Brother.
Hammer – Hammer.
Mutter – Mother.
Tochter – Daughter.

I already mentioned that a few European nations speak German as their native language, but there are others whose languages are very similar to it, such as Dutch and Afrikaans.

So when you learn German, you’ll be making it easy for yourself to learn other languages in Europe, you know, in case you get the opportunity to travel to the Netherlands and have to learn Dutch fast, for example.