Of the languages commonly taught in the U.S., German is the most closely related to English, so many German words and sentences are easy to understand.

Freund = friend
Wasser = water
Apfel = apple
Buch = book
Mutter = mother
Milch = milk
Vater = father
Katze = cat

Just compare:

YOU CAN LEARN = 
German: Du kannst lernen = 
Spanish: Tu puedes aprender = 
French: Tu peux apprendre

DID YOU  KNOW . . . ?

German culture has had a substantial impact on the United States: 

According to the 1990 census, more Americans (25%) can trace their ancestry to Germany than to any other country. 

More than 60 million Americans are at least partly of German heritage.

Many Americans speak German, including: ex-President Clinton and his daughter Chelsea, statesman Henry Kissinger, General John Shalikashvili, Hollywood stars Sandra Bullock and Arnold Schwarzenegger, opera singer Jessye Norman, architect Philip Johnson, and TV stars Susan Lucchi and David Hasselhoff.

Learning German opens new worlds and fosters understanding among peoples and cultures.  It also opens the door to cultural enrichment.

German is among the top ten most commonly spoken native languages in the world.

German is the most widely spoken language in Europe. 

German is an official language in 7 European countries: Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Belgium and Italy.

After English, German is the second most used language on Internet.

One of every 10 books published in the world is published in German.

German is widely used as a business and scientific language in Europe, including Russia, and parts of Asia.

20 million people in the world are currently learning German as a foreign language. 

68% of all Japanese students study German.

DID YOU KNOW . . . ?

American history has been shaped by Germans: 

General Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben fought for American independence.

Politician Carl Schurz was an adviser to Abraham Lincoln. 

Heinrich E. Steinway built high quality pianos.

Architect Johann August Roebling designed the Brooklyn Bridge.

Immigrant Levi Strauss created the ultimate American icon, blue jeans.

BACK

Choose German and:

Better your SAT, ACT or GRE scores.

Improve your chances for college or graduate school admission.

Open doors to international scholarships and internships (Germany alone awards approximately 2000 grants annually to study in Germany).

German is widely used as a business and scientific language.  A knowledge of German is also invaluable to the study of philosophy, literature and the other arts, including film, music and architecture.

DID YOU KNOW . . . ?

At many American colleges and universities, German is the global language required most often.  At the University of California, for example:

56 majors require or recommend German,
43 majors require or recommend French,
21 majors require or recommend Spanish,
7 majors require or recommend Japanese.

Among the many academic programs requiring or recommending German are: Anatomy, Art History, Biochemistry, Biology, Biomedical Studies, Genetics, Linguistics, Logic and Methodology of Science, Molecular Biology, Music, Near Eastern Studies, Philosophy, Physical Science, Physics, Physiology, Religious Studies, Zoology. 

Foreign language study will prepare you to be a competitive job candidate into the next millennium.  German, in particular, can be your ticket to career advancement, because:

Germany is the most powerful country in Europe politically, financially and economically.

For those in business or service fields, German is a real asset, since Germany is the fifth largest trading partner of the U.S.

German is a key business language in the European Union and in the rapidly growing markets of Central and Eastern Europe.

More than 750 major U.S. firms are doing business in Germany.

1100 German companies do business in the U.S. and their presence continues to grow.

More than 25% of all foreign tourists visiting the U.S. come from German-speaking countries, spending more than $37 billion annually around the world. 

DID YOU KNOW . . . ?

In a 1994 survey conducted by the German-American Chamber of Commerce, 65% of all respondents stated they were looking specifically for German/English bilingual skills when hiring new employees. 

German companies in the U.S. pay German-speaking employees premium salaries.