German is one of the very few languages spoken all over the world, with 110 million worldwide speakers. It is the main language used in science and technology, and people learn the German language to attain education from some of the best universities in Germany. Not only the German language popular but is also useful and is widely used n various arenas, particularly in the field of science, business and politics.
Here are some facts that essentially highlight the international presence of the German language:
- German is taught as a compulsory foreign language as a part of school curriculum in 114 countries across the world. Its popularity and usefulness make it one of the most sought-after languages in the world, with more than 15 million non-native speakers. The trend of learning German language continues to grow, with more people becoming aware of the life-changing reasons to learn German.
- German has been a prominent language in the world of science, with a majority of texts and scientific reports written and published in the German language, accounting to 1 percent of the total texts published in the field of natural sciences across the world. There has been texts written and published pertaining to social science as classic works of Karl Marx, Max Weber, and Einstein.
- The introduction of courses in English by German universities has triggered cultural diversity as more students enroll in German universities to attain a world-class education. This has led to more students wanting to study in German universities, thus strengthening the international status of the language and opening more doors to learning German language.
- German is among the 23 official languages in the EU to facilitate communication between the member states and the institutions. Since German has the largest number of native speakers in the whole of Europe, its importance and presence in the list of official language is well justified. This presence of the language has led to the formation of the strongest language community.
- Not only is the German language present across borders, but is also visibly present on the internet. Nearly one-third of the total internet pages are written in the German language. The articles that are written in English are 3 million, followed by one million German articles. It is the second most popular language when it comes to websites and ranks sixth as per the number of users.
- When we talk about the Gross National Product generated by all the German speakers together, the German language takes the third position. It has helped facilitate world trade and there is a huge demand for the knowledge of the language in business as well, thus helping build international relations.
Conclusion
The interest and popularity of the German language arise out of the economic powerhouse that its mother country Germany is, its political impact, its attractive and reputed education system, and the role it plays in international business. The language has and continues to make a difference politically, economically and culturally, thus making more and more people be a part of it.