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The acquisition of a second language is extremely important in today’s world. With the expansion of communication and transportation and the globalization of the business sector, it is becoming an increasingly crucial asset for candidates seeking employment or continuation of studies. The mobility of the global labor force demands job candidates to diversify, and fluency in a second or third language can enhance one’s marketability. This article focuses on the benefits of learning German in particular, and what advantages it brings to your skill set. Linguistically speaking, German aids in intellectual development, similar to Latin. Learning German also facilitates understanding of other languages, especially those in the Indo-European branch used in Scandinavia and BENELUX countries. A commonly held belief is that German, presented for its difficulty, is a language learned by classes of an elevated status, and is thus a skill regarded highly in the career market (Philippe Lecomte, ESC Toulouse). For this reason, it is the most chosen second language for ambitious French students who show success in school.

German is one of the 10 most spoken languages worldwide and one of the three most learned languages of the world. It is the most spoken mother tongue of the EU (1 in 5 Europeans), and is an administrative language in Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, Belgium, Luxembourg, Liechtenstein, and holds an official status in France, which may explain why it is one of the three official languages of the European Commission. Moreover, German is the most used language in the new EU countries which joined in 2004, countries that are quickly growing like Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary. Outside of the German language area, 100 million people speak the language; over 3,000 media outlets exist outside of the area as well. One fifth of all yearly published books are printed in German, and it is one of the two most used languages of the internet.

The acquisition of German to one’s language set opens possibilities for training, studies, and work opportunities in business, government, justice, medicine, health, education, military, communication, social work, tourism and marketing. An employer sees a job candidate or employee with German language skills as a bridge to international clients. It is much more difficult to influence and network with people whose language you cannot grasp. It also offers an employer’s successful, competitive businesses the prospect of expanding in the EU and to the eastern European countries. Germany is the world's third-largest economy and the largest in Europe. Germany is the largest exporter in the world, and German tourists play a large part in economies everywhere. The United States is Germany's second-largest trading partner, and U.S.-German trade has continued to grow strongly. Two-way trade in goods totaled $184 billion in 2007. U.S. exports to Germany were $ 71 billion while U.S. imports from Germany were more than $113 billion. At nearly $45 billion, the U.S.'s fifth-largest trade deficit is with Germany. Major U.S. export categories include aircraft, electrical equipment, telecommunications equipment, data processing equipment, and motor vehicles and parts. German export sales are concentrated in motor vehicles, machinery, chemicals, and heavy electrical equipment. Much bilateral trade is intra-industry or intra-firm. For 2005, the most recent year for which statistics are available, German investment in the U.S. amounted to 233 billion euros (29 % of all German foreign direct investment, or FDI; the U.S. is the number-one destination for German FDI), while U.S. investment in Germany was 45 billion euros (11.5 % of all FDI invested in Germany; U.S. is third-largest source of FDI in Germany). U.S. firms employ about 510,000 people in Germany; German firms likewise employ about 746,000 people in the United States .Germany stands as the sixth largest exporter to Canada with 4.87 billion euros, and it is an international base for many international corporations and there are 600 branches of German firms in Canada such as Bayer, BASF, Siemens, Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, BMW, Miele, Mannesmann, and Thyssen-Krupp. In addition to this, Germany is France’s primary trading partner, and 30% of transactions in French commerce are made in German- second only to 45% of cases in English.

Imports in Billions of € : 1.	Germany 66.5

2.	Italy 33.7

3.	Belgium 32.9

4.	Spain 27.6

5.	USA 22.8

Exports in Billions of €:

1.	Germany 51.3

2.	Spain 35.9

3.	Italy 32.3

4.	United Kingdom 31.1

5.	Belgium 28.2

German goods are known for their high quality and for this reason are exported in such magnitudes. Germany is also leading the environmental technologies and alternative energy, a market creating many new opportunities. If one attains German language skills abroad, thereby one also attains indispensable qualifications in today’s job market such as cosmopolitan thinking and intercultural competence. Businesses and Industries today increasingly value these attributes in a potential employee. German is the key to accessing important new world markets, and is needed in German Firms abroad, foreign businesses in Germany, and all firms who work closely or would like to work with German speaking countries. For example, the job search website www.anpe.fr yields 729 results when given the keyword ‘German’, double the results of the same search with ‘Spanish’. In France, more students learn Spanish than German, giving students of German an edge in the job market. In Europe in general, English as a second language has become so common that a third language has now become the new greater asset. Germany has long been a leader in research and development, and could therefore open future career possibilities in science and technology. An ability to perform in German betters one’s chances for a job in the 21st century, and culturally, German is still a leader in science, literature, and art among other fields. In international business, a sector where many careers fall today, knowledge of the German language is valued, and workers are rewarded for their abilities.

See also:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_the_United_States#US_trade_by_nation http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bilingual_education http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_language http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_as_a_foreign_language#German_as_a_foreign_language

Sources:

American Association of Teachers of German. “The Value of Learning German.” January 2008. (1 May 2008).

Combs, Andrea. “Foreign-language fluency key to landing more U.S. jobs.” 31 December 2003. (1 May 2008).

Deutsch Lernen.com “Why Learn German?” (1 May 2008).

Deutsch Mobil. “Pourquoi Apprend L’allemand.” (1 May 2008).

Goethe-Institut. “Warum Deutsch Lernen.” 2008 	 (1 May 2008).

U.S. Department of State. “Background Note: Germany.” Bureau of European and Eurasian 	Affairs. (2008)	(1 May 2008).

External Links:

Berlin.de

CNN.com/CAREER. "Business Benefits of a Second Language."