Five Reasons to Learn German for Business

Language Services Direct Team

German has always been a popular language to learn for business because Germany is such an important player in global trade and industry. Germany is renowned for being a giant of the world’s economy, enjoying political stability and being home to a highly skilled and educated labour force, and prosperous citizens. Need more persuading about why learning German for business is a sound investment? In this article we delve deeper into the reasons why.  

The Facts Speak for Themselves 

German is the second most widely spoken language in Europe (after Russian), with over 95 million people around the world speaking German as their primary language. German is also the official language of Belgium, Austria, Switzerland, Luxembourg and Liechtenstein.  

Germany has enjoyed a strong and stable economy for decades and boasts the largest economy in Europe. In fact, Germany has the fourth largest economy in the world (after China, the United States and Japan – and many experts believe that the German economy will soon overtake Japan’s). It regularly ranks in the top three nations for imports as well as exports. Despite unsettling events in Europe such as the energy crisis and the war in Ukraine, business is still booming in Germany! If you want to be part of the action, learning German for business makes a lot of sense.  

A Manufacturing Powerhouse 

In contrast to the high unemployment rates in many other countries, the number of people working in Germany has increased steadily over the past two years. In fact, employment in Germany is at a record level, with 46.1 million people in work: over 77 per cent of the population. Germany is particularly well known for its successful automotive industries, including Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen. Germany is also home to the world’s largest chemical company, BASF, with 112,000 employees. Furthermore, Germany is investing heavily in research and development, where it invests over 3 per cent of GDP (gross domestic product). 

German industry right now is particularly focused on renewable energy, digital transformation within healthcare, and investment in infrastructure. If you are looking to expand your employment opportunities in Germany in these industries – or indeed the German stalwarts of manufacturing or engineering – learning German for business is a smart business move for achieving the next step in your career.  

Attracting the Best 

Germany recently passed a law to attract migrant workers to its shores to maintain its burgeoning economy. Ministers warn that an ageing population means that an imminent labour shortage puts the robust German economy at risk. If you have a background in construction, health care or IT, your skills are particularly welcome. And if you can speak some German already, you will be ahead of the competition. A points-based system will take language skills into account. If your company is looking to expand into Germany, or if you are keen to relocate to a prosperous and stable country in the heart of Europe, then learning German for business gives you a clear advantage when it comes to making Germany your home. 

A Language of Logic 

German has a reputation for being tricky to learn but as a second language for native English speakers – and in the capable hands of a trusted Language Services Direct tutor – you will find that you are at an advantage. German and English share a lot of vocabulary already (no need for a dictionary for ‘Buch’, ‘Politik’ or ‘Diskussion’, for example). Once you have got a grip on vocabulary, the long words that German is so famous for will not seem so daunting, as you realise that they are built up using shorter ones. For example, ‘Handschuhe’ (‘gloves’) is literally ‘hand-shoes’. Fridge is ‘Kuhlschrank’ – putting two words together that mean ‘cool cupboard’. The University of Cambridge calls this process of adding smaller words together as building blocks to create longer words ‘The Lego Principle’. You will quickly discover that you learn vocabulary at twice the pace!  

German and English share the same 26-letter Latin alphabet, with German having only four extra letters – the vowels ä, ö and ü with the umlauts (double dots) giving a different pronunciation to the a, o and u sounds, and the letter representing the double ‘s’ sound (ß, known as the ‘Eszett’). It really is a language of logic. Your German colleagues will be impressed that you are making an effort to communicate in their language and will be delighted to help you improve.  

If you now feel convinced that you are ready to learn German to improve your business prospects, contact us today. We have a plethora of native German teachers who can deliver training both online and in face-to-face lessons. We look forward to finding out how we can help to meet your needs.