Section Pages
Welcome/Willkommen! Faculty Courses Major in German Minor in German Graduate Studies Opportunities Study Abroad Stammtisch Why Study German? Teach for Jamie Course MaterialsThe Department
Foreign Languages
and Literatures |
 |
||
Why study German?The German Language
German-speaking
|
The German LanguageAlthough it might seem hard to believe, German and English are actually in the same language family and share far more linquistic similarities with each other (and Dutch, Norwegian, Swedish, and Flemish) than English does with Spanish or French. Unfortunately, German often has the misplaced reputation of being a very difficult language to learn. The fact of the matter, however, is that acquiring a second language can be an easy or difficult process depending on the learner's attitude toward it and willingness to practice. To put in a push for our section's "Brot und Butter", though, we should point out that English-speakers learning German will already have a leg up on those starting from scratch with one of the Romance languages (Italian, Spanish, French.) Much of German's vocabulary (Haus, Hund, singen und tanzen, for instance) and grammar (Ich singe gut!) will be easy to recognize for English speakers! While the faculty here in Virginia Tech's German section are biased and convinced that it is an intriguing language -- and one that is quite a bit of fun to learn (and teach!), -- there are also a number of really good and practical reasons for learning German. See below. Return to the top of the page. Top Reasons to Study GermanRoughly 120 million people all across the globe speak German. German is the official language of Germany, Switzerland, and Austria -- three of the leading economic powers in Europe. (And in the rapidly-developing Eastern European bloc countries, German has, like English, become a foreign language of choice.) According to the Goethe Institut, "German is among the ten most commonly spoken languages in the world and has the highest number of native speakers in the European Union." German is a popular language in regards to international business and science, and Germany is a constant leader in the the fields of engineering (Mercedes, Siemens), optics (Carl-Zeiss), printing & imaging (Heidelberg Druckmaschine), chemistry (BASF, Bayer), and banking (Deutsche Bank). Knowing German could help you get a job here at home in the States. A growing number of German companies are expanding their enterprises and branches into the United States. Mercedes-Benz and BMW, for instance, have flourishing production plants here in the Southeast (Alabama and South Carolina). "Worldwide, German accounts for the most written translations into and from a language. Furthermore it belongs to the three most learned and to the ten most spoken languages worldwide." (Wikipedia) 18% of all the world's books are published in German. (Goethe Institut) Germany is the world leader in product exports.
Return to the top of the page. Oh, the weltschmerz of it allOriginal
URL of San Francisco Chronicle article Dan Hamilton Want to win at English? Learn German. That's the unexpected message of the 2006 Scripps National Spelling Bee finals. America's new national champion, Katharine Close, won by spelling Ursprache. The runner-up, Finola Mei Hwa Hackett, tripped up on Weltschmerz. Another favorite lost on Heiligenschein. Katharine might be excused for a shade of Schadenfreude as she watched her friends falter, because behind all the prime-time glitz and angst was a simple lesson. German and English are both Germanic languages. They share many word origins and characteristics. That makes German a good choice for every English-speaking Mensch, whether you are a Kindergartner, a Student, or just one of the Familie. It's ubercool, Mann. You don't have to be a Wunderkind to learn a little German. Even Einstein was no Wunder as a Kind. Once you learn the basics, words that stumped the superspellers are a piece of Kuchen--every first-year German student can master their domain. German is basically a Lego language--just take word blocks like Welt and Schmerz, smash them together, and you've got some real Weltschmerz. It may sound painful, but it can be practical. For starters, you'll finally be able to understand those Volkswagen ads. Here's the leitmotiv: German is very American. It has worked its way into our world. While some worry loudly about too much Spanish, German has become everyday English. We check the weather on the Doppler and the temperature in Fahrenheit. If your neighbor chokes on his Bratwurst, you give him the Heimlich. German helps us make our way in American pop culture. How can one understand the deeper meaning of Shrek without some personal insight into Teutonic fairy tales? "You're a Harvard historian, for God's sake, not a pop schlockmeister," author Dan Brown exclaims in "The Da Vinci Code." If you work really hard, you might actually be able to understand Arnold the Governator in "Kindergarten Cop"--although my Austrian friends tell me he still needs to work on his Akzent. German can be helpful wherever the Zeitgeist may take you. J.K. Rowling took some good old German Sturm und Drang and turned it into Durmstrang for Harry Potter's Tri-Wizard tournament. It sounds a bit creepy, but it's a whole lot better than Hogwarts. I can only imagine how she came up with that. A little German can help you Meister your business--after all, it's the Wirtschaft, Dummkopf. Germany is the world's Exportmeister. Perhaps the ultimate tribute to Bill Gates was when he was dubbed the Softmeister. If a salesman seems to be giving you the same old Spiel, a bit of German might help you decipher whether he is truly a Weltmeister or just another Spindoktor. German can help in diplomacy, even if the inconvenient truths of Realpolitik sometimes get in the way of America's Idealpolitik. In the early 1980s our ambassador to Germany, Arthur Burns, was called in by German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt to explain the Reagan administration's overarching concept, its Gesamtkonzept, for American foreign policy. Without missing a beat, Burns replied, "Of course, Mr. Chancellor. Would you like the Gesamtkonzept from this week or from last week?" Achtung, though, there are some tricks. Soccer is football and foosball is Kicker. A Billion is a trillion. If you take your Beamer for a spin, you'll be driving an overhead projector. If you are out Smoking you are in a tuxedo. A Gymnasium is a high school. A Pickel is a pimple. A Reformhaus is not a place for delinquents; it's a health food store. A Roman is not some Italian guy, it's a novel. The Rathaus is the town hall, not the rodent community center. An Evergreen isn't a tree, it's a golden oldie. Knowing some German can be practical if your Auto is kaputt, you have some Wanderlust, or you want to explore the Hinterland with your Rucksack. One time I found myself in a tourist area of rural Pennsylvania and strolled by das Gifthaus. I kept walking, because in German, Gift is pure poison. Of course, Kitsch is kitsch in any language. And I'm not sure anyone can understand Rammstein. There are times when it is best not to know. See how handy German can be? In fact, in German, Handy is a mobile phone. Handy. I think they've got something here. It is handy. "Cell phone" sounds like a germ spewer. Let's go with handy. Sure, English is a must. But German is a plus. So let's take a cue from Katharine Close and improve our English by learning a little German this week. After all, on Freitag the biggest sports event on the planet starts in Germany--the Soccer World Cup. Grab your Bier, settle back and repeat after me: TOOOOOOOOOOR!!! It's Wunderbar. And if you find you have celebrated a bit too much, just take some Aspirin and call me in the Morgen. Gesundheit. ---
Return to the top of the page. |
||
 |
|||
