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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 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.
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