If you are contemplating learning German but haven’t been able to decide firmly; here’s what I wish you to know before I begin talking about the blog topic!
German is the 11th most spoken language in the world with over 90M native speakers. It ranks as an Ace in Europe, with approximately 16 percent of the people of the continent speaking their first language German. Aside from Germany, German is spoken in Luxembourg, France, Lorraine, Austria, and Southern Belgium, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Alsace, and Northern Italy.
The modern era has made it rather difficult to survive in the commercial world without knowledge of the second language. This means that it is very necessary for you to be able to speak another language apart from your native. But, the language you decide to learn is also equally important as each language brings different benefits to you. German is one of the most beneficial languages for its learners with an exceptional amount of benefits accompanying it. Hence, it is time that you learn German.
Let’s now see if you have to learn German to be able to study in Germany.
We start by exploring the need for German
When we decide on pursuing higher education abroad, the biggest barrier is the communication barrier. We need to decide if learning the language in the home country that we are going to be studying in is necessary or if we can survive simply on the language of English. In this blog we will explore if you have decided to learn in Germany, is it truly important to learn German.
Germany as a hub for good quality education
Germany offers some of the best quality education in the most renowned institutions around the world at some of the lowest prices possible, especially when compared with the countries in the UK and the US. This means that students do not have to suffer from the burden of student loans and actually get to enjoy their education rather than worrying about their future. With that said, there are some specific necessities to even qualify to be able to study in Germany and avail all these benefits.
German for travel
It is important to understand that when we travel to a different country, it is always helpful to learn German especially if you’re going to be staying there for a long time. Automatically, if you are going to pursue your higher education abroad, it is sensible to learn their language to a specific level in order to have an easy flow throughout. With that said, is it really necessary?
Studying in Germany
Considering Germany, yes it is. It is important to keep in mind that the language of instruction in almost every university in Germany is the language of German. Apart from that if you intend on taking a German taught program, then you actually need to demonstrate exceptional knowledge and a firm grip on the language to even qualify by taking a proficiency test and proving your fluency. With that said, if you happen to be studying in Germany for less than two semesters, then this proof might not be necessary but a good grip on the language could be.
But what if you do not have time to learn German or even achieve proficiency in the language?
No worries, because if your knowledge in regards to your language is very limited then I suggest opting for an English language program. While there are not many of these in Germany, they are increasing rapidly especially at the postgraduate level. If you happen to be a non-native English speaker then you need to provide your language proficiency proof by attempting TOEFL or IELTS.
Keeping all this in mind, I personally suggest learning German and achieving proficiency in the language for multiple reasons.
First of all, if you have a good grip on English, German will be exceptionally easy for you as both belong to the same Germanic family. Apart from that, Germany has created an amazing scope for the language of German to grow in the future, and hence all the people who learn it to grow with the language. And of course, the most obvious reason would be for the fact that if you are going to stay there for a while, it is sensible to learn the language it will make it much easier for you to do your day-to-day work.
