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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 has had a turbulent
history, of course, but is a beautiful, cultured, stimulating
place. Wonderful scenery; interesting architecture; a strong
tradition of inventors, composers and philosophers; thumping
nightlife and great beer - Germany has a lot to offer. (If
you like beer, you have got to experience the world-famous
Oktoberfest
in Munich.)
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
a capital letter, which makes it easy to distinguish them
from other words.
German grammar can be
quite tricky for native English speakers. If you have studied
Latin or know some modern Greek, this will be a help to you
because the most difficult aspect of German is that the nouns
and articles change according to their function in the sentence.
For example:
Der
Mann arbeitet. (The man works.)
Ich sehe den Mann. (I
see the man.)
Ich bin die Schwester des Mannes.
(I am the sister of the man.)
The work for 'the' is
different in each sentence, even though we are always using
the same noun. The noun itself changes in the genitive, to
show possession. This is the same principle as English pronouns
changing, depending whether we are talking about the subject
or the object of the sentence:
I
see him. (I am the subject and he is the object.)
He sees me. (He is the
subject and I am the object.)
In compensation for the
rather challenging grammar, German spelling and pronunciation
are pretty straightforward and, as indicated above, much of
the vocabulary has common roots with English.
Recommended Reading
If you are interested
in learning German, 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 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.
If you are planning a
trip to one of these countries, don't go without your Lonely
Planet Guide to Germany,
Austria
or Switzerland.
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
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: Switzerland.com
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