Learn why you should learn German
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| Hi! |
| Welcome to Introduction to German. |
| My name is Alisha and I'm joined by... |
| Hi everyone. |
| I'm Jennifer! |
| In this series, you'll learn everything you need to know to get started learning German. |
| That's right! |
| And we're here to help guide you through your journey. |
| In this lesson, you'll learn the reasons you should start learning a new language, why you should learn German in particular, and how to get started. |
| Why learn a new language? |
| There are countless reasons, but perhaps the biggest one of all, is that it could actually change your life! Learning a new language unlocks new pathways that are off limits to you now. |
| Opens Pathways |
| There are certain things that you simply cannot do without having the technical or cultural skills that come from learning a new language. |
| Like working or living in another country! |
| Knowing another language provides you with greater job opportunities. You have the freedom to move to another country halfway around the world and be able to earn a living, or even better yet, build a career from it – instead of just being stuck in one place. |
| Language allows you to visit or live in places that you may never even have considered going, simply because that wasn't a possibility for you. Knowing another language simply gives you more options to choose from. |
| And learning a new language also helps you to be more open-minded and see the world from a new perspective. |
| Language and culture go hand in hand. The world is a big place, and by broadening your understanding of other cultures, it allows you to be more empathetic and understanding of the many different ways that people live their lives. With language, you're able to see and experience more, which helps you to grow as a person. |
| Learning a new language also improves your memory. |
| Several studies have consistently shown that those who study another language have improved memory as opposed to those who didn't learn another language. Learning another language also keeps your brain healthy by significantly delaying the onset of Alzheimer's and dementia. This difference can be as much as 4 to 5 more years of quality life! |
| And those are just some of the reasons you should learn another language. The list just goes on and on. |
| Now you know the benefits of studying another language, but why should you learn German in particular? |
| Why learn German? |
| Have you heard of Adidas? BMW? Or Audi? Well, they all come from Germany! |
| And what about the fact that Germany has the fourth largest economy in the world? |
| Germany has the largest economy in the European Union. Germany is renowned for its high-quality craftsmanship and engineering. German car makers take up a large percentage of the global automobile market. Volkswagen, Daimler, and BMW alone make up one-fifth of the entire automobile industry worldwide! Knowing the German language can open up business opportunities for you. Understanding their customs and work ethic, can go a very long way in the world of business. Often times it could even make or break an important business deal. So, knowing German will put you ahead of the pack. |
| Germany is also one of the top-ranked tourism destinations in the world! Germany is known for its festive culture. Most notably for hosting Oktoberfest, which is a yearly "beer festival" of epic proportions. It hosts roughly 6 million visitors every year! |
| Oktoberfest takes place in Bavaria in southern Germany, where many of Germany's pristine castles are located. |
| In fact, castles like Schloss Neuschwanstein, was actually the original model for the iconic Disney Castle today. Another spot that I really like is the Zugspitze, Germany's highest mountain. Being at the top gives you a great view of the Alps and the German countryside. |
| In northern Germany, Berlin is of particular interest as this city has a mixture of cultures and ethnic groups as well as historical sights, museums, and street art. |
| If you love travelling and exploring, learning German is a must because it allows you to discover much more of Germany than just common tourist spots. |
| Okay then, we've talked about why you should start learning a language, and why you should start learning German, but how can you get started, Jennifer? |
| How to get started. |
| The good news is, that you already know some German! |
| Kindergarten, Dachshund, Gesundheit |
| Not only does German use the same Roman script as English, but there are many loanwords that have made their way into English. According to researchers, roughly 26% of modern English is derived from Germanic roots. |
| The reverse is also true. Many English words are now used in German too. In fact, 10% of the all the words in German are borrowed from English! |
| Outlet, Club, Computer |
| This means that you already know about 10% of German vocabulary! |
| Let's teach you something that you might not know but is very useful. “Dankeschön.” It means “thank you very much” in German. |
| That's a useful phrase. But can you please explain a little more about it? |
| Sure. The first part Danke can stand alone. It means: “Thanks.” |
| The second part schön means “pretty.” It makes Danke more polite. |
| So the phrase Dankeschön, essentially means “Thank you very much!” |
| These two dots here will be unfamiliar to English speakers, but don't worry. We'll talk a little bit about them in the next lesson. For now, just listen and repeat after Jennifer. |
| Dankeschön |
| Now you try! |
| Dankeschön |
| Your turn again! |
| Dankeschön |
| One last time! |
| Dankeschön |
| Well done. Now you know how to say "thank you very much" in German! |
| We've covered a lot of things already, so why don't we wrap up the first lesson and recap on what we've learned. |
| In this lesson, you learned that studying another language has many benefits such as opening up career and business opportunities. Germany has a rich culture with many things to see and learn. And to say "thank you very much" in German, it's... |
| Dankeschön |
| In the next lesson, we're going to take a closer look at German pronunciation by examining the sounds of German, so be sure to watch the next video. |
| See you in the next lesson. Bye! |
| Bye! |
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