Learn German
If you know German, you can:
- read works by the great authors of the last centuries such as Goethe, Schiller and Brecht in the original; |
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- better sing and understand the songs of Tokio Hotel; |
| - include something in your CV that will catch the eye of prospective employers (many companies are looking for applicants with a knowledge of German); |
| - study free of charge at a university in Germany, Austria or Switzerland;( but check as some universites are in the process to introduce fees); |
| - read the latest academic publications (German is the second most popular language in academic publications, and 18% of all books published worldwide are written in German); |
- use one of the Top 5 languages in the internet. 7% of www - users rely on German,
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| - apply for jobs on the international stage. German is one of the official languages of the European Union and is also used in many other international organizations. |
Eleven curious items from the world of the German language which even Germany’s most famous poet, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, would not have known.
Eleven items from the German language
With the campaign “German – Language of Ideas” Federal Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle aims to promote learning German as a foreign language abroad. Minister of State Pieper introduced the campaign at the Federal Foreign Office. German is the most widely spoken language in Europe. Nearly 15 million people speak and learn German as a foreign language. However, in recent years there has been a decline in the number of people learning German. Pieper called this trend an “alarming sign” that the German Government was determined to counter. After all, language was a foundation for establishing good relations between countries.
German language
A global network of schools is being built through the PASCH partner school initiative. The partner schools initiative has been quite a success: the network includes 1500 schools, about 1000 more than in 2008. Twenty-three German Schools abroad have joined, 430 additional schools are introducing the German language diploma, and another 509 new members of the network are introducing German as a foreign language or expanding their teaching of German. Pupils at these schools are not just given the opportunity to learn German and enjoy German education. This cultural relations initiative is designed to arouse a lasting interest in modern-day Germany and the German language in young people.
PASCH three years on
Goethe-Institut
The Goethe-Institut, as the German Cultural Centre, brings the multifaceted image of Germany to the world. The 11 Goethe-Instituts in Subsahara Africa form the "Network Africa". They organise cultural events, are platforms and meeting places for social and cultural discourse in the artistic and education field. They are also the places to learn German in Africa.
The regional institute of Goethe in Johannesburg coordinates their work.
In several countries local cultural societies are providing services on behalf of Goethe (Madagascar, Mali, Mocambique, Namibia, Uganda, Zimbabwe).
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Goethe Institut Johannesburg, South Africa
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Goethe Institut Addis Abeba, Ethiopia
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Goethe-Institut Nairobi, Kenia
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Goethe-Institut Accra, Ghana
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Goethe-Institut Lagos, Nigeria
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Goethe-Institut Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
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Goethe-Institut Dakar, Senegal (in French)
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Goethe-Institut Lomé, Togo (in French)
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Goethe-Institut Abidjan, Ivory Coast (in French)
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Goethe-Institut Yaoundé, Cameroon (in French)
