WHY LEARN GERMAN?

Berlin, Germany

German is the most widely spoken language in Europe. Around 100 million

people or a quarter of all Europeans speak German.

It is the official language of Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Liechtenstein,

and Luxembourg. You can therefore speak German in many countries when

you visit Europe.

German is the 2nd most popular language taught in Europe and Japan, after

English. This is because other countries recognize its significance for

international business, high-tech industries, and scientific fields.

Germany is known for its beauty and is a popular tourist destination for

people around the world. Berlin is one of the most widely visited cities in

Europe due to its renowned art scene, the Berlin International Film Festival,

and its famous museums.

Germany’s economic strength brings business opportunities. There are more

than 1,100 companies in German-speaking countries that have subsidiaries

in the U.S. These include Adidas, Aldi, Audi, Bayer, BMW, BOSCH, Braun,

Deutsche Bank, DHL, Hugo Boss, Lufthansa, Puma, T-Mobile, Siemens, and

Volkswagen.

There are more than 400 German companies with subsidiaries right here in

Georgia. The North American headquarters for Porsche is located in Atlanta

and Mercedes Benz is opening its U.S. headquarters in Sandy Springs, just a

short drive from Roswell.

More than 750 American companies are doing business in German-speaking

countries. These companies account for approximately 700,000 jobs in

Germany.

German is the 2nd most commonly used scientific language.

German is the 2nd most commonly used language for scholarly publications

in the world.

It is an important language to learn for those interested in music and the

arts.

Students who learn German at Crabapple can continue to learn German at

Roswell HS. Also, top universities in Georgia offer German, including Georgia

Tech, Georgia State, the University of Georgia, and Emory. Many U.S.

colleges recommend German as an important supplement for academic

majors such as Physics, Biochemistry, Business, Engineering,

Telecommunications, International Business, Music, Film Studies, and

Comparative Literature.

German and English have common roots! That is why so many German

words are similar to English. German is therefore not difficult to learn. See

for yourself by reading the passage below.

*If you are interested in learning more about German, contact Ms. Davy, the German Teacher at

Crabapple MS (davyj@fultonschools.org).

Short German text giving biographical information:

MEINE FAMILIE

Meine Mutter heiβt Maria. Maria ist 45 Jahre alt. Maria hat blonde Haare und grüne

Augen. Maria spielt gern Golf. Meine Mutter ist Journalistin. Mein Vater heiβt Peter.

Peter ist 44 Jahre alt. Peter hat braune Haare und blaue Augen. Peter schwimmt

gern. Mein Vater ist Computerspezialist. Meine Mutter und mein Vater haben ein

Haus in Roswell. Mein Bruder ist 13 Jahre alt. Er ist Schüler an Mountain Park. Er

liebt Tennis. Meine Schwester ist 11 Jahre alt. Sie liebt Lacrosse.

English Translation of German Text:

MY FAMILY

My mom’s name is Maria. Maria is 45 years old. Maria has blonde hair and green

eyes. Maria likes to play golf. My mom is a journalist. My father’s name is Peter.

Peter is 44 years old. Peter has brown hair and blue eyes. He likes to swim. My

father is a computer specialist. My mom and my dad have a house in Roswell. My

brother is 13 years old. He is a student at Mountain Park. He loves tennis. My sister

is 11 years old. She loves lacrosse.