German is the language spoken by over 120 million people.

German is an important language for communication in Europe.
German is the most commonly spoken language in the European Union. It is spoken in Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, and also in areas of Eastern Belgium, Northern Italy and Eastern France. German is one of the most frequently spoken native languages in Europe, the second language of many people in Central and Eastern Europe and is one of the ten most frequently spoken languages in the world.

German is the language of culture.
Learning German provides deeper insights into a region that plays a vital role in central Europe's intellectual and economic life and in its cultural history. German was the language of famous persons like Goethe, Kant, Nietzsche, Brecht, Kafka, Mozart, Beethoven, Strauss, Freud, Klimt and Einstein. Studying German opens the door to the birthplace of one of the greatest cultures in Europe.

Opportunities on the job market.
A knowledge of German improves your chances on the job market. Germany is the world's largest exporter. German is the key business language in the European Union and in the rapidly growing markets of Central and Eastern Europe. Germany is America's largest European trading partner with more than 750 major American firms doing business in Germany. Over 1,000 German companies do business in the U.S. Over 600 of these companies have subsidiaries in the United States with many thousand employees. A knowledge of German is also a great advantage for people working in the tourist industry.

German is an important language for research.
If you go to graduate school, German is one of the most important languages for research in philosophy, history, the sciences, art history, classical studies, religious studies and music.

Similarity to English.
English and German are related Germanic languages, which means there are considerable similarities between them.