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| Importance of German Language
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What conditions
do I have to meet if I want to study in Germany? |
You must definitely
provide proof that you hold a qualification which entitles
you to study in your home country, i.e. a secondary school
leaving certificate. This secondary school leaving certificate
must be recognised in accordance with the Evaluation Guidelines
proposed by the Conference of Ministers of Education and Culture
(KMK). Under certain circumstances you will be required to
attend a preparatory course (Studienkolleg) where you can
gain necessary additional qualifications before commencing
your studies. |
Learn German
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These pages provide
all the answers to your questions on how best to learn German.
You will find information on aspects like language schools,
online learning methods, materials and a compilation of all
recognised German language tests and certificates. You
can choose from the following topics:
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Why
learn German? |
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We give you
seven good reasons on why it is worth learning German.
In addition, you will find some interesting facts on
where German is used and spoken all around the world. |
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Where can I
learn German? |
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This section
provides comprehensive information on who offers German
language courses, on search engines for language courses,
on multimedia forms of language learning, on who organises
and holds German language tests, on organisations that
promote the German language as well as links to other
relevant sites. |
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How can I learn
German? |
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Even if no
German language courses are offered in your home town,
you still have plenty of opportunities for learning
German, such as online courses or home study programmes.
We also give you detailed information on internationally
recognised examinations and tests, as well as on the
German language certificates required for admission
to higher education in Germany. |
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Test your German!
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We give you
a chance to take two little German tests to help you
make a first assessment of your German language skills.
Of course, these tests cannot be compared with the recognised
tests; rather, they aim to give you a first idea of
where you stand. |
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Summerschools
in Germany Summerschools in Germany 2006 published!
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Germany's
higher education institutions offer a broad range of
summer courses; these are not only language courses,
but also courses on specific subject areas. Among the
language courses, you will find an extensive range of
beginner's, intermediate and advanced offerings, as
well as courses for German teachers and special language
courses, for example, on Business German.
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Frequently asked
questions |
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We have put
together a list of the most frequently asked questions
on learning German. We have also compiled a list of
contacts who can answer your special questions. |
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Did you already
know... |
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...that German,
spoken by 101 m people world-wide, occupies 12th place?
more: |
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...that German
is the most widely spoken language in the EU? more:
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...that German,
after English, is the most widely taught language in
schools in the new EU countries? more: |
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...that German
occupies second place in the Internet? more: |
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...that German
is most widely learned in the Russian Federation and
Poland? more: |
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....that German
occupies third place amongst the languages used in book
production world-wide? more: |
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...that there
are over 200,000 foreigners studying in Germany? more:
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Top 12 of
the most widely spoken languages |
Number of speakers
and percentage of the world population1 |
Language |
Number of speakers |
% of world population
|
Chinese |
1,210 m |
23.6 |
English |
573m |
11.3 |
Hindi |
418 m |
8.2 |
Spanish |
352 m |
6.9 |
Russian |
242 m |
4.7 |
Arabic |
209 m |
4.1 |
Bengali |
196 m |
3.8 |
Portuguese |
182 m |
3.5 |
Indonesian |
175 m |
3.3 |
French |
131 m |
2.5 |
Japanese |
125 m |
2.4 |
German |
101 m |
2.1 |
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Top 11 of
the most widely spoken languages in the EU |
The eleven official
languages of the EU are spoken by the following percentages
of the population of the EU (as their mother tongue).2
|
Language |
% of the EU population
|
German |
24 |
French |
16 |
English |
16 |
Italian |
16 |
Spanish |
11 |
Dutch |
6 |
Greek |
3 |
Portuguese |
3 |
Swedish |
2 |
Danish |
1 |
Finnish |
1 |
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In the countries
joining the EU (2004) German is the most widely learned language
after English |
The eleven official
languages of the EU are spoken by the following percentages
of the population of the EU (as their mother tongue).3 |
Language |
% of students
at high school/ secondary school level |
English |
77% |
German |
37% |
French |
18% |
Finnish |
1 |
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German occupies
second place in the Internet |
With respect both
to the proportion of web pages and the languages used in the
search engines4 . |
Web pages in
... |
% of students
at high school/ secondary school level |
English |
56.4%
(1,142,500,000 web pages excluding PDF-formats)
|
German |
7.7%
(156,200,000 web pages excluding PDF-formats)
|
French |
5.6% |
Japanese |
4.9% |
Spanish |
3.0% |
Chinese |
2.4% |
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Languages
used in search engines (here Google) 5 . |
English |
57% |
German |
12% |
Japanese |
7% |
Spanish |
6% |
French |
5% |
Chinese |
3% |
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Top 10 of
students learning German in absolute figures6
. |
Russian Federation
|
4,657,500 |
Poland |
2,202,708 |
France |
1,603,813 |
Ukraine |
1,235,647 |
Uzbekistan |
855,900 |
Hungary |
629,742 |
Kazakhstan |
628,874 |
| Netherlands |
591,190 |
| USA |
551,274 |
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German occupies
third place amongst the languages employed in book production
world-wide7 . |
English |
28% |
Chinese |
13% |
German |
12% |
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Foreign
students in Germany |
In the year 2002,
there were 206,000 foreign students attending German institutions
of higher education8 |
Why learn
German...? 7 good reasons for learning German |
In the year 2002,
there were 206,000 foreign students attending German institutions
of higher education8 |
1. ...because German
is an important language in international communication.
Communicate internationally in German
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2. ...because German
is an important language for trade.
German as the language of trade and industry
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3. ...because German
occupies a firm place in science and the humanities.
German as the language of science
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4. ...because German,
as a cultural language, opens up intellectual horizons.
German as a cultural language
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5. ...because German
opens the door to German university courses.
German at university
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6. ...because German
improves your chances of finding work.
German for your Professional Career
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7. ...because Germany
is a popular tourist destination
German and Tourism
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Where can
I learn German? |
This section provides
comprehensive information on who offers German language courses,
on search engines for language courses, on multimedia forms
of language learning, on who organises and holds German language
tests, on organisations that promote the German language as
well as links to other relevant sites. |
Further Information |
Where can
I learn German? |
• Institutes
in Germany
• Multimedia Modes of Learning
• You can find further information also in the section
"Learn German - how?": Search engines and language
portals for language courses
|
Where can
I get material for German as a foreign language? |
• Publishers
and Material in Germany |
Where can
I take language examinations for German as a foreign language?
|
• Placement
tests and "Test you German"
• Further information on language examinations for German
as a foreign language
|
Which institutions
foster the German language? : Information, addresses and hints
|
• Language
and area studies: information on the Internet, DaF-portals,
hints for specialists in German as a foreign language |
Learn German
- how? |
Even if no German
language courses are offered in your home town, you still
have plenty of opportunities for learning German, such as
online courses or home study programmes. We also give you
detailed information on internationally recognised examinations
and tests, as well as on the German language certificates
required for admission to higher education in Germany. |
