There are many reasons for you to learn German. Language learning in general can be incredibly fulfilling, however with so many languages in the world, you may ask yourself; why should I learn German? What are the benefits of learning this language instead of another language?

There are many great reasons to learn German, and if you are looking for another language to learn but are not sure which one to go for next, I can wholeheartedly recommend German.

German is a language spoken natively by over 120 million people across 5 countries in Europe and is the official language of Namibia. It is a popular second language in the United States, as well as in Europe alongside English and French.

It is often said that German is not a beautiful language and sounds too rough. I cover reasons why this is not the case in my post here.

Is German Worth Learning?

I would definitely say German is worth learning because there are so many benefits to it. One of the main benefits is that German is one of the most popular languages spoken in Europe which means that is a language you would be to use on your travels in Europe.

If you were able to speak English and German you would be able to travel a large part of Europe using these languages.

In addition to being the official language of Germany, German is also spoken in Austria, Switzerland, and Lichtenstein, as well as parts of Italy, Belgium, and Luxembourg.

Knowing German would also open up a wide range of extra literature, both in the scientific world as well as literature for leisure. This is something you would be up able to enjoy from the comfort of your own home even before travelling to Europe. Even better, German may open the door for more opportunities for you in your career, something I go into more depth in this post. If you are based in the US, however, you may find that learning Spanish will be a better boost to your career if you plan to stay in-country. Read below for more on this.

Is German A Good Language To Learn Just For Fun?

Because German is such a popular language there are limitless learning materials for you to access. This means that learning German for fun would be quite manageable because of the wide range of resources available.

German is also a particularly good language to learn if you have an interest in history, not only for its history around the World Wars but also the Cold War and the division of Germany between East and West. There is also a large amount of history prior to Germany being united, as well as countless folktales such as those from the Brothers Grimm.

Learning a language helps you better understand the people who use the language as well as the culture of the German people. If you have an interest in anything that is German-related, even if it is no language that you need to use in your career, I would recommend that you give it a shot and see why the journey takes you.

If you are looking for the easiest language, you can compare learning German to other languages in this post, but keep in mind that learning a language for fun still requires motivation to achieve.

Why Should I Not Learn German?

There are very few reasons that I would recommend that you not learn German. Most of the reasons that are given for not learning German such as the difficulty of the grammar like masculine, feminine and neutral articles are common in many languages. Germany is not unique in this and is simply a grammatical concept that needs to be learned.

If you have no interest in the language, the country and its history, or the people, learning German is probably not for you.

That’s it. That’s about the only reason that learning German would not be recommended for you. Believing that German is an aggressive language, or that it is not a beautiful language and because it is too coarse, are actually reasons I would say you should learn the language. The easiest way to find the truth about the language is to engage in learning it.

Learning any language is a commitment that takes time and will require that you consistently spend a little bit of time as many days as possible learning. It’s extremely easy for a language learner to get a little way into learning one language and then find a shiny new language that you want to start as well. Pretty soon you’ve started 2 or 3 languages without getting very in-depth because you’re spreading your learning time too thinly.

If you’re not sure, give it a shot! The worst thing that could happen is you spend some time learning a language you decide to no longer pursue. No harm done. Don’t discount it just because it doesn’t sound good to your ear. Wait until you understand what is being said and see if you still think the language isn’t beautiful.

Is German More Useful Than Spanish?

Whether learning German or Spanish is more useful for you will depend on some factors. Where are you currently based and what is the biggest second language spoken around you?

If you are in the US Spanish will probably be more useful for you than German, while those in the UK would probably benefit more from learning German. If you were to meet a German-speaking person in the US they will most likely be able to speak English to a high level. There is a higher amount of Spanish speakers in the US many of whom do not speak English. Those living in the UK are much closer to Germany and the economic influence of the country, resulting in more contact between businesses in Germany and the UK.

Is also a different attitude to language learners between the two languages. Native Germans typically see the use of language as a tool to communicate and do not necessarily place a high value on your ability to speak the language. On the other hand, native Spanish speakers who hear you speaking Spanish may be more favourable to you because you can speak Spanish.

For those who are able to speak Spanish, the doors for travel and career opportunities are open to parts of the US, Spain as well as South America. This is a much wider region than a German speaker would have access to, however, if you have no interest in travelling to South America then this may not be much of a drawcard.

Why Don’t More People Learn German?

There are a few reasons that German is becoming a less popular language to learn. Other languages are becoming more preferred for economic and business reasons such as Mandarin. There is more appeal to learning a language that will directly benefit you and increase your business perspectives. This also ties into the fact that many native Germans speak English which negates the need for learning the language as there often isn’t a communication barrier anyway. Many would see learning German as redundant from this perspective and learn other languages instead.

There is a perception that German is a course language and therefore some may be put off from learning it. I have previously mentioned some posts I have made for why this is not the case, however, if this does not persuade you, perhaps a romance language such as French may be more up your alley.

Finally, some may say that learning German is too difficult and that they would prefer to learn a different language such as Spanish. It is difficult to learn any language without having a specific need to learn it, such as travelling there for study, or work, or due to having a personal interest in the country or the language. Learning something, anything, for the sake of learning it or because you are told you are possible but will take much longer than learning something you have a personal drive and motivation to learn.

Learning an arbitrary language without having a personal investment is difficult simply because of the amount of time and effort that needs to be put into learning a language. Do you find that you remember things you have learned better when they are of personal interest or in a subject you enjoy, as compared to a subject you don’t enjoy? The chances are the answer to this is yes! Imagine trying to remember phrases and words for a language you simply don’t enjoy. It won’t be easy.