Why Study German?
Germany and other German-speaking countries have made major contributions in a number of areas - science, music, literature, philosophy, psychology, sociology, architecture, technology. Despite the widespread use of English as a lingua franca, German remains an important language in science, the arts, trade and technology. Worldwide 140 million people speak German. In the EU, German is spoken by the second largest number of people after English (25% of EU's 370 million citizens are German native speakers and 9% more EU citizens have German language skills). The German-speaking countries in Europe (Germany, Austria, Switzerland) are together Australia's third most important trading partners.
German has a strong tradition in Australia which goes back to the beginnings of European settlement, particularly in South Australia where it is regarded as a "heritage language". The German community in the latter part of the 20th century has been the fourth largest non-English speaking community group in Australia, and German the third largest community language after Italian and Greek. It was, and still is, one of the main foreign languages taught in the Australian education system.
German at the University of Adelaide
Whether you have studied German at high school or never studied it at all, it is possible for you to study German at the University of Adelaide. Both the beginners’ and the continuers’ stream are taught at all levels of the degree, so regardless of your existing knowledge, there will be an appropriate course for you. And you are encouraged to do part of your study in Germany!
Career Prospects for German Students
German graduates find employment in many different areas - the education system, the media, the public service, libraries, the diplomatic service, the tourist industry and business, and increasingly in international legal firms. Many students now do combined degrees which include a foreign language to enhance their employment opportunities both in Australia and overseas. An increasing number of students combine German with other majors in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
(for instance with History, Politics, Media Studies, International Studies, Music, and other languages) or with study in other Faculties such as Law, Health Sciences and Engineering. On the international job market these graduates will have a competitive edge.
