1. German* (jur`man): (N.) Most commonly spoken language in Europe.
2. Germany is the LARGEST TRADING PARTNER of the U.S. in Europe. More than 1,100 companies of German- speaking countries have subsidiaries in the U.S. More than 750 U.S. companies do business in Germany. Knowledge of German improves your CHANCES in the job market, both with many German companies abroad and with foreign companies in German-speaking countries and in the European Union.
3. Study for free in Germany!! No tuition for international students with the German skills to take university- level classes in German.
4. Speaking German improves BUSINESS RELATIONSHIPS with partners in Germany, the FOURTH LARGEST INDUSTRIAL NATION and one of the most important exporting countries in the world.
5. Germany is the most important TRADING PARTNER for almost all European and many non-European partners. Germany is the largest MARKET in Europe.
6. Germans spend the most on TOURISM worldwide, and the U.S. is their first travel destination overseas.
7. 114 Germans were awarded the Noble prize – 22 Austrians and 27 Swiss also received the Noble Prize
8. German is the SECOND most used language for scholarly publications worldwide. German is important for SCIENTISTS AND STUDENTS. 40% of scientists in the U.S.A. recommend the study of German.
9. Language that is excellent preparation for TRAVELLING to Europe: 38% of European citizens say they can converse in German.
10. More than 2,000 SCHOLARSHIPS AND GRANTS are awarded to U.S. citizens every year by the Goethe-Institut, the German Academic Exchange Service, and other institutions and foundations.
11. German is one of the ten most spoken languages in the world. Do not asume that all Germans speak English or feel comfortable using English in conversation.
12. Think of German engineering and inventions! Cars, Airbags, Helicopters, X-Rays, Contact Lenses, MP3, the Bicycle, Diesel Engine etc. </strong><strong>Germany has the second highest number of engineering workers among all employees in the EU.
13. Switzerland for example ranks #1 in patent applications per capita in the EU and Germany #6 in the world.
14. Germany is of course known as the land of thinkers, writers, artists, musicians, film makers and philosophers. You have a who is who list of so many famous contributors to western civilzation it is hard to know where to start: </strong><strong>Ludwig van Beethoven, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Friedrich Schiller, Fritz Lang, Otto Hahn, Karl Marx, Amalie Emmy Noether, Otto Lilienthal, Martin Heidegger, Rainer Werner Faßbinder, Chrita Wolf, Gerhard Richter, Hannah Arendt, Friedrich Nietzsche, Clara Schumann, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Hans Zimmer, Max Planck, Albert Einstein, Rosa Luxemburg, Werner Heisenberg, Immanuel Kant, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Sophie Scholl, Gottlieb Daimler, Joseph Beuys, Käthe Kollwitz, Carl Wilhelm Siemens, Wilhelm Röntgen, Martin Luther, Hildegard von Bingen, Richard Wagner . . . there is not enough space to keep adding to this list here.