REASONS for learning German, French, Italian
1. Not everyone speaks English
There are approx. 6,900 languages and approx. 200 countries world-wide. Amongst the 7 billion people worldwide are the following native speakers:
GERMAN: 110 million native speakers (11th place and most spokern language in Europe)
(German has 120,000 words)
German is spoken
- in Germany
- in Austria
- in Switzerland (four official languages: German [65 % of population], French [23 %], Italian [12 %] and Romansh = Romansch = Rumantsch Grischun [1 %])
- in Liechtenstein
- by German immigrants / ex-pats world-wide: UK, Ireland, Channel Islands, Isle of Man, Gibraltar, Malta, NZ, Australia, USA, Canada, South Africa, Namibia (= former German South-West Africa) etc.
FRENCH: 80 million native speakers (18th place and third most spoken language in Europe)
(French has 80,000 words)
French is spoken
- in France (and its overseas territories New Caledonia, French Polynesia etc)
- in Switzerland (four official languages: German [65 % of population], French [23 %], Italian [12 %] and Romansh = Romansch = Rumantsch Grischun [1 %])
- in Belgium (three official languages: French, German, Dutch [in Belgium the Dutch dialect / language "Flemish" is spoken)
- in Luxembourg (three official languages: Luxembourgish, French, German)
- in Canada (officially bilingual: French and English and all Export / Imports have to be labelled biligual)
- in Vanuatu, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia etc
- by French immigrants / ex-pats world-wide: UK, Ireland, Channel Islands, Gibraltar, Malta, New Zealand, Australia, USA, Canada, South Africa etc
ITALIAN: 65 million native speakers (19th place and fourth most spoken language in Europe)
(Italian has 80,000 words)
Italian is spoken
- in Italy
- in Vatican City (= Holy See) (official languages: Latin and Italian)
- in San Marino
- in Switzerland (four official languages: German [65 % of population], French [23 %], Italian [12 %] and Romansh = Romansch = Rumantsch Grischun [1 %])
- by Italian immigrants / ex-pats world-wide: UK, Ireland, Channel Islands, Isle of Man, Gibraltar, Malta, NZ, Australia, USA, Canada, South Africa, Argentina etc.
English: 360 million (400,000 words) (5th place and second most spoken language in Europe)
Arabic: 370 million (4th place)
Hindi (one of most spoken languages in India): 380 million (3rd place)
Spanish: 400 million (80,000 words) (2nd place and fifth most spoken language in Europe)
Madarin (China’s official language of the five main languages spoken in China): 870 million (1st p