Why learn German?

  • German is the most widely-spoken language in Europe.1
  • Research has shown that knowledge of the German language increases annual salary in the U.S. by 4 percent.1
  • German is the second most commonly-used scientific language.1
  • Germany is an economic powerhouse. German companies like Adidas, Lufthansa, Bayer, T-Mobile, and Volkswagen employ over 700,000 people in the U.S. and North America.2
  • About 25 percent of English words are derived from Germanic languages, so many German words are similar to the English equivalent.3

Learn about our German curriculum

 

Why learn French?

  • French is the official national language of 29 countries.
  • Due to the U.S.’s proximity to Canada, many French and Canadian companies located in the U.S. employ bilingual French-English speakers.
  • French is one of the official languages of the United Nations and the European Union.4
  • A study by the investment bank Natixis predicts that French will become the world's most widely-spoken language by 2050, partly due to demographic growth prospects in Africa.5
  • About 28 percent of English words are derived from French, so learning French can help one’s English vocabulary.3

Learn about our French curriculum

 

Why learn Spanish?

  • More people speak Spanish in the U.S. than in Spain (47 million speakers) and in Colombia (48 million speakers).6 By 2050, 138 million Spanish speakers will live in the U.S., making it the largest Spanish-speaking country in the world.7
  • It is the second most commonly-spoken native language in the U.S., behind English, and in the world, behind Mandarin.8
  • The number of Spanish speakers in the world continues to rise while English and Mandarin speakers are declining, due to demographic reasons.4
  • Because of Latin America's proximity to the U.S., many companies seek bilingual Spanish-English workers. In fact, around 65 percent of employers surveyed by The University of Phoenix Research Institute reported a moderate to high demand for Spanish-speaking employees, but less than 3 percent of employees surveyed were proficient in the language, showing a great need for more Spanish speakers.9
  • About 28 percent of English words are derived from Latin, which shares many root words with Spanish. Thus, numerous Spanish words are easy for English speakers to recognize.3

Learn about our Spanish curriculum

 

Sources

  1. Source: Goethe-Institut
  2. Source: German American Trade
  3. Finkenstaedt, Thomas, and Dieter Wolff. Ordered Profusion; Studies in Dictionaries and the English Lexicon. Heidelberg: C. Winter, 1973.
  4. Source: "The status of French in the world," France Diplomatie.
  5. Source: Forbes Magazine
  6. Source: Instituto Cervantes
  7. Source: Instituto Cervantes 2015 Report
  8. Source: Instituto Cervantes
  9. Source: University of Phoenix Research Institute