If you feel unnerved when you think of learning German then I am sure this blog will give you some motivation to dive into the ocean of Deutsche language. Let me start by telling you that if you are planning on staying in Germany for a longer duration, then learning German is inevitable. Not only for the opportunities that it will bring along, but also to survive and interact socially. Well how often have you seen an auto driver in India speak in English or a vegetable vendor interacting with you in English? Does not happen right? Well same is the case all over the world, so if you are travelling to France learn French, to go to UK learn English and to go to Germany learn German.
I give you 10 more reasons to pull up your socks and start learning German:
Top 10: Opportunities for exchange: If you know German and if your school allows you a study abroad option, you would not need to think twice before opting for the country whose education standards are world recognized. My experience says staying in Germany for a semester or so leaves a student seeking more opportunities to be in Deutschland. A wide range of exchange programs exists for both school and university students between India and Germany.
Top 9: Similarity with English: Don’t believe me? Ok check for their alphabets or even better open a paragraph written in German and try to mark the words which are similar to or sounds like English. You will get a surprising result. So please kill the demon of fear within you, and it will be fun to learn German. If you talk to a language trainer they will tell you that in spite of the influence of Latin and Greek on English, it still shares the same Germanic root.
Top 8: European Union’s Co-official language: Do you know that German is an Official language for more than 6 countries. So if you learn the language you can study, work and stay in not only Germany but also in Belgium, Austria, Switzerland, Luxembourg, and Liechtenstein. It also is a co-official language in the European Union. It does not end here. Ask me if German is spoken in Denmark, Italy, Hungary and Poland and the answer is yes. Though they have German as a National Minority language, still if you know German, you will be able to communicate with at least some population in these countries. Overall about 16% of the population in European Union speaks German.
Top 7: Access to world class education: You all might have heard of it a number of times that education in Germany is free. But do you know that the universities which offer free education are the state funded universities and most of them offer free courses which are partially taught in German? Yes you have at least one subject or one or two electives taught in German in the free universities. These universities in the said cases would ask for at least A2 or B1 level German.
Top 6: For your CV: Have you ever looked at the situation this way? When you apply for a position in Germany, there are other international students too applying for the same position. And here perhaps your German language skills can give you that much required edge over others. So if I happen to be the employer I will send an interview notification to those whose resume says that they have German language proficiency.
Top 5: Cultural understanding: Well this cannot be questioned! You tend to understand a culture better if you understand and can speak a particular countries language. Speaking German will not only being you close to other German speaking peers but will also give you better understanding of the culture and traditions. Now doesn’t that sound like a fun?
Top 4: Perception widening: Correct me if I am wrong, but the very fact that you accepted the challenge of learning a new language shows your receptiveness towards new things. On that onset you definitely get to learn new things and facts, which further make you more open minded.
Top 3: To get part time employment: referring to the point number 6, imagine that you are still studying and wish to take up a part time employment which is allowed by German Law. Even if you are still studying and logically do not have a German masters degree in hand, still you will find it a lot easier to grab an opportunity with a well reputed company, if you know their language.
Top 2: To get accommodation: I always tell my students to imagine this situation. Someone comes to you to ask for an accommodation or a room in your apartment. He does not speak your language, has a different skin tone and looks little different than the people you have grown seeing around you. How will you confide in him? This is where language does the magic. When you talk to someone in their native language, it makes the other person confide in you. Getting an accommodation outside the university will become simple and easy with this.
Top 1: Making connections: Answer my simple question. Where is the charm or the fun in making friends with Indians only, if you are in Germany? Staying connected to our roots is fine, but then intercultural understanding is the major need of the companies today and also a pivotal objective behind your decision to take up your studies in Germany isn’t it? With the knowledge of German your interaction, confidence and approach changes completely, further widening your social circle.
Learning a foreign language can be fun. If you need our help in unfolding this fun please feel free write to us on counsellors@eugateway.in or meet us.
