The Nature of German
Successfully studying German in the Middle School at West Moreton Anglican College will give you the ability to communicate at a simple level when you travel to German speaking countries (either as an exchange student or a tourist). It will also enable you to communicate with German-speaking visitors to Australia or with others where German is a shared language. You will also build your IT skills as the use of IT is fully integrated into the German curriculum at the College.
The Value of Studying German
An Important Language for Communication in Europe: Anyone who can speak German can easily communicate with around 100 million people in their own language, for German is not only spoken in Germany but also in Austria, in large parts of Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg as well as areas of Northern Italy, Eastern Belgium and Eastern France. Alongside Russian, German is the most frequently spoken native language in Europe and is one of the ten most frequently spoken languages in the world.
Germans in Australia: Australia has a long and continuing tradition of German immigration. During the 19th century, Germans constituted the largest non-British minority group in Queensland, establishing European settlements in places such as Nundah, the Rosewood and Wide Bay districts and the Fassifern and Brisbane Valley. There are over 36,000 people living in Queensland who were either born in Germany or have at least one German parent. About 90% of the Swiss in Queensland are German Swiss.
Reading Original Material: Anyone interested in literature cannot avoid German. Over 60,000 new books are published in Germany each year, equivalent to 18% of books published world-wide, making German the third largest publisher of books in the world. Translations can never fully reproduce the cultural depth of German literature.
Doing Business with Germans: Germany is the most important trading partner for almost all European and many non-European countries. The ability to speak German improves business relationships with partners in the third largest industrial nation and one of the most important exporting countries in the world. A knowledge of German is a big advantage in business, as negotiations in a third language can easily lead to misunderstandings with costly consequences.
Experiencing Success: There is a great deal of commonality between English and German as they are both classified as Germanic languages. The two languages share the same linguistic roots and principles and many German words are easily recognised by English speakers. About 35% of English words have German origins.
Advantages for Tourism: In Australia visitors from Germany, Austria and Switzerland make up one of the largest and most important tourist groups. Knowledge of German is therefore a great advantage for many people working in the tourist industry.
Opportunities on the Job Market: Knowledge of German improves your chance on the job market. Many German companies abroad, many foreign companies in Germany and companies with close business connections with the German speaking countries all look to recruit workers with language qualifications.
German Prepares you for Europe: Knowledge of foreign languages always broadens both your intellectual and professional horizons. Those who learn German gain access to an important intellectual, economic and culturally historic area of central Europe.
Scientific Progress: Knowledge of German is very important for scientists and students as German is in second place in the field of scientific publications. If you can read German, you have access to a whole world of research findings in all areas of modern science.
Experience Germany in more depth: Each year millions of tourists from all over the world visit Germany which lies in the ‘heart of Europe’. Being able to speak and understand German means you get to know Germans better and gain a deeper insight into their history and culture. It also gives you independence when travelling.
German, language of culture: Knowledge of German opens the door to the birthplace of one of the greatest cultures in Europe, for German is the language of Goethe, Nietzsche and Kafka, Mozart, Bach and Beethoven, Freud and Einstein.
For further information, please contact Mrs J Roberts, Head of Department, or you can download a copy of the course outline here.