Hallihallo!
Thanks for visiting! To coincide with the CAO Change of Mind facility that opened up last Tuesday (5th May) and closes on the 1st July, we have chosen the theme of ‘Why Study German?’ for this week’s blog post. We have included lots of videos for you to watch and hopefully the points below give you some food for thought. Even if you already know you don’t want to study German after school, read on for some inspiration!
Reason 1: Improve your career prospects
In most cases, those of you deciding to go to university and study further are doing so to better your job prospects. As of this time last year, there were over 2,000 open jobs that required German in Ireland. If you check job search engines for example, Indeed currently have over 500 positions advertised where German skills are required. There is also a shortage of language teachers across Ireland and the globe. Germany has the fourth-largest economy in the world and the largest economy in Europe. Knowing the language improves your relations with German business partners and therefore your chances for effective communication and success.
Watch this video from Ralf Lissek, CEO of the German-Irish Chamber of Industry and Commerce, who discusses why German is so important in business.
Reason 2: Join over 289 million German learners worldwide
German is not only spoken in Germany. It is also an official language of Austria, Switzerland, Luxembourg and Liechtenstein as well as a significant portion of the population in northern Italy, eastern Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, eastern France, parts of Poland, the Czech Republic, Russia and Romania, for example. More people speak German as their native language than any other language in Europe.
Deike Potzel, German Ambassador to Ireland, focuses on this in the video below.
Reason 3: German is an academic language
German is the language of Bach, Beethoven, Brecht, Einstein, Freud, Goethe, Marx, Mozart, Wagner, Weber and many more great philosophers, writers, artists, scientists and composers. German is the most commonly used scientific language after English whilst 1 in 10 of the world’s books are published in German. Germany is the fourth most popular destination among international students in the world and currently both domestic and international undergraduates at public universities can study for free, with just a small fee to cover administration and other costs per semester.
Reason 4: Germans are innovators
Germans have proved, and continue to prove themselves time and again to be great innovators. Some German inventions that changed the world include the Diesel Engine, Electron Microscope, Contact Lens, Printing Press, MP3 Music Format, Aspirin, X-Rays and Gummy Bears (yes, we think that Gummy Bears are also “life-changing”). Germans have been among the most frequent recipients of the Nobel Prize, with some 80 awards. Given that Germans are such big innovators, it is no wonder that two-thirds of the world’s leading international trade fairs take place in Germany. These include CeBIT, the world’s largest trade fair for ICT and the IFA consumer electronics trade fair.
Reason 5: Travel
There are some truly breath-taking places to visit in German-speaking countries. Learning the language provides you with an insight into the culture and the way of life in these countries, thus broadening your horizon. On the flip side, Germans are the world’s biggest spenders when on holiday and appreciate being looked after by German-speaking staff and guides. Did we already mention career prospects?
Watch the Lonely Plant’s video to get an insight into some of the stunning destinations Germany has to offer.
Studying German
To round off this blog post, we want to briefly discuss your options if you decide to continue with German. German is offered as a subject across arts and humanities courses in most universities but your options aren’t limited to this. German is also offered as part of other degrees such as those in Law, Business/Commerce and Sciences. If you decide not to study German at third level, there are lots of courses available to you to help you keep the language if that’s what you want. Many universities offer Diplomas in German outside of normal hours and organisations such as the Goethe Institut offer German language classes. A quick Google Search will help you see what courses or German language lessons are available. Furthermore, Germany provides lots of funding to non-natives. See the German Academic Exchnage Service (DAAD) website for more on this.
The video below describes Laura Glendon’s experience of working through German. Laura is an employee of German company SAP, working in Ireland. She did her Bachelor’s Degree in Commerce with German at NUI Galway.
We hope you found this blog post useful and that you may consider continuing your journey with German. Get in touch with us if you have any questions and keep up the good work!
Bis bald!