Well, you see…. An Argument in Favor of German

So, you say you shouldn’t take German… It seems you have a lot of reasons why you won’t take German. Well, you see, I ever so humbly beg to differ. But first, let me hear your arguments. I will then ever- so-politely refute them.

So you say: “German is simply too hard to learn!”

Well, you see…. English is closer to German than it is to Spanish! Vater! Mutter! Sommer! Hund! Mann! Name! Warm! Silber! Wind!

You say: “German isn’t relevant! How and when will I ever use it?”

“Well, allow me to ever-so- respectfully retort. Please.” Well, you see, studies show that students who study German earn MUCH more than those studying French or Spanish. You can also save tens of thousands of dollars by studying at a German university, which are among the world’s best. AND, in a job market with fewer German language majors, you will stand out more.

You say: “My classmates say German is the best class ever, but I can’t switch. I’ve already finished one year of (insert other language here).”

If I may: OF COURSE you can switch to German. See your counselor. And, if I may, if you switch, then you get to take German for 2 years. And we do all the fun stuff: German Day Candle Tea KRAMPUS! Just don’t watch that goshdiddlydarned awful movie!

You say: “Germany? Nazis! They have an awful past!”

To that, I can only say: Germany did indeed have an awful past, one that cannot be forgotten or atoned for. However, the Germany of today is much different. The German government is one of the world’s best advocates for human rights. Today, Germany has taken in more Syrian refugees than ay other country except Sweden.

More to say have you, my young padawan? “Why should I learn German? My uncle Conrad and my aunt Ginnie went to Germany last summer, and they said everyone spoke better English than we do.”

In response, I humbly submit…. You can get around in Germany speaking only English, but it will only take you so far. If you are going to do business or interact with another culture, you need to learn the language. If you work in business, science, technical fields, etc., German is very valuable. Ask Herr Reierstad, the Michigan native, about Daimler-Chrysler!