Why learn German?

German is very useful for travelling in Europe. It is the native language of a good hundred million people - mainly in Germany and Austria but also in parts of Switzerland and Luxembourg and in Lichtenstein. It is also widely spoken as a second language in Eastern Europe, particularly in Hungary and the Czech Republic.

Germany itself has had a turbulent history, of course, but has grown into one of the most powerful economies in the world - and that is in spite of all the issues surrounding reunification.

Whether you are interested in getting involved with a German-speaking country for holidays, for business or just out of curiosity, there is no doubt that it is an enormous advantage to know the language.

For English speakers, a lot of the vocabulary is easily recognisable. For example:

das Haus (the house)
der Mann (the man)
die Musik (the music)

All the nouns begin with capital letters, which makes it easy to distinguish them from other words.

Some of the grammar can be quite tricky (for an overview, have a look at the Vistawide pages) but, if you have a good enough teacher, you will soon get used to the genders and cases. The upside is that you will have a huge sense of satisfaction when you've cracked it!

Inspired to learn German?

If you live in or near Manchester, you could start a one-to-one German course with us tomorrow (or whenever it suits you).

There is a large German-speaking community in Manchester and you should have no trouble finding people to talk to in German, to practise what you've learnt in your lessons.

Recommended Reading

If you are interested in learning German, you might like to have a look at the German language books we recommend to accompany any course you take or for maintaining/improving your German by yourself.

If you are planning a trip to Germany, Austria or Switzerland, check out the guide books available.

If you are interested in the life and culture of Germany, have a look at our recommendations for books about or set in Germany. These books are in English, a range of fiction and non-fiction that we have enjoyed and hope you will too.

Some Quick Facts About Germany

Language:
German

Capital city:
Berlin

Regions:
Germany is divided into 13 states:
Baden-Wuerttemberg
Berlin
Brandenburg
Bremen
Hamburg
Hessen
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
Niedersachsen
Nordrhein-Westfalen
Rheinland-Pfalz
Saarland
Sachsen-Anhalt
Schleswig-Holstein

and 3 free states:
Bayern
Sachsen
Thueringen

Population:
82,422,299 (July 2006 est.)

Currency:
Euro

Religion:
Protestant approx 35%, Roman Catholic approx 35%, Muslim approx 3%, None or Other approx 27%

Government:
Federal republic. Bicameral parliamentary system.

Internet domain:
.de

Country calling code:
+49

If you are interested in learning more about Germany, you might also like to look at the following websites:

Germany Travel

A Manual for Germany

Deutsche Welle

If you are interested in learning more about Austria, you may find this site useful: Austria Info

If you are interested in learning more about Switzerland, you may find this site useful: Swiss World

Learn German at our school in Manchester:

• Tailor-made, one-to-one courses
• Intensive or longer-term courses
• Convenient Manchester location

Click here to read more about our German courses.