Survey Series: What Was Your Initial Motivation for Learning German?

Ever wondered what would have been the reason for people flocking to learn the German language? We decided to roll out a survey to hear it from the aspirants themselves. Read on to learn what were the reasons for learning the German language.

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Introduction: Survey Overview

Of course, reasons for learning German, varies from person to person. However, we wanted to dig deeper and understand what the major reason would be through this survey. The survey was posted on Instagram and YouTube. Here is the question and it options:

• What was your initial motivation for learning German?
  • To study in Germany
  • For job opportunities in a German-speaking country
  • Personal interest or cultural reasons
  • Migration or visa requirement

A lot many people cam forward to share their initial motivation for learning the German language. The simple, yet insightful, question met with a lot of participation. The results were even more eye-opening as it showcased trends among the German aspirants. Read on to see the results and an analysis of what was the initial motivation of aspirants to learn this seemingly difficult language.

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The Survey Result and Analysis

Here are the snapshots of the results of the survey from Instagram and YouTube.

We got a variety of engagement across both the platforms. Academics and career advancements seem to the ones topping the survey. We’ll be going into each motivation in detail to understand how they play a major role in learning German.

Analysis of the Survey

As is is evident from the snapshots, we have received a wide variety of responses across both the platforms. Now it’s time to have a closer analysis of each motivation.

🏫To Study in Germany

Instagram: 46%

YouTube: 38%

Let’s face it! Studying in a university in India often means high fees and less employability chances. Even if you do get a job, the probability of getting a high-paying one is close to zero. The same goes for work-life balance that you can expect from a company in India. These are the few reasons as to why there are fewer number of students in India, or at least why we don’t find students after their 12th.

Now, imagine a country with all of those mentioned above. Well, Germany is the one that checks all the boxes mentioned above. German public universities offer free or low-cost tuition fees at public universities, even for international students. The academic reputation of Germany in fields like, engineering, computer science, and business makes it one of the top attractive study destinations in Europe.

To top it off, German universities provide a wide range of English-taught programs, especially at the postgraduate level. All of these are some of the reasons why studying in Germany was one of the top choices in the survey. Despite all of these, aspirants learn German language to:

• Integrate better into the local culture

• Access more academic resources

• Work part-time while studying

It is safe to say that learning German language is an investment for academic success and future employability, especially for those who plan to stay back after their graduation or post-graduation.

🏢For Job Opportunities in a German-speaking country

Instagram: 38%

YouTube: 50%

Germany is considered to be the largest economy of Europe, and the German language is one of the most-spoken languages in the EU. Therefore, it’s only natural that the respondents selected this option in the survey, as they were thinking about the long-term potentiality of Germany. Due to the economic growth and wide usage of the language, aspirants can secure their future with career advancement, financial growth, and international exposure.

Similar to Germany, Austria and Switzerland are economic powerhouses with a growing demand for skilled workers. Therefore, German aspirants can even consider these countries as their future destinations. The professional career in Germany – engineering, IT, healthcare, and manufacturing – often require German proficiency for a better communication process. MNCs with headquarters in Germany – BMW, Siemens, SAP – prefer bilingual employees due to them having branches spread across the globe.

Therefore, learning the German language can help you in getting a job, a good salary, and a global competition exposure for you to leverage and build your career.

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🎵Personal Interests or Cultural Reasons

Instagram: 17%

YouTube: 8%

A small portion of the respondents let their passion dominate in the motivation for learning the German language. It is pretty common to be culturally drawn to a country, especially in this generation. We’ve got teenagers wanting to go to South Korea due to the K-dramas and K-pop, and another sect who wants to visit Japan due to the popularity of anime and manga.

Here are some of the common cultural aspects that draws aspirants to learn the German language:

• Philosophy and literature (Goethe, Nietzsche, Kafka)

• Music and arts (Beethoven, Bach, German cinema)

• History and architecture

• Family roots or ancestry

• Travel or relationships with German speakers

Learning the German language for fulfilment of personal passion leads to a satisfaction and achievement which transcends passing an exam or meeting a visa requirement. It becomes more of a way of experiencing in a different perspective.

Migration or Visa Requirement

YouTube: 4%

This option was the least selected one out of all the options across both the platforms. The majority of the respondents consider learning German for academic and career purposes. However, learning the language for migration or visa requirement is no simple or meagre thing either. The small percentage of respondents who learned it for this migration have valid reasons for doing so.

The German language proficiency is a requirement for permanent residency (PR), family reunification, and applications for citizenship. Germany, along with Austria and Switzerland, have already rolled out structured integration programs that include mandatory language training. This is one of the reasons why newcomers are required to pass a recognised German language test (like the Goethe-Institut exams) as part of their immigration and admission process.

For such learners, the language isn’t a personal choice, it becomes a legal and practical necessity as it plays a crucial role in:

• Accessing healthcare and housing

• Participating in community life

• Finding employment

• Ensuring children succeed in school

Thus, within this context, language turns into a bridge that provides stability to support the process of belonging in a new country.

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Conclusion: Revelation Achieved

The diversity in the responses proves that language learning can never be generic. It is always subjective. With that in mind, we can say that:

• Students are planning for their future through academics.
• Professionals are seeking better job prospects with better perks and benefits.
• Culture lovers are expanding their boundaries to welcome different experiences.
• Migrants are building their new lives by plucking and re-planting themselves in a new country.

One common factor that connects all these statements is that the German language is seen as a gateway to make them achievable. Despite the grammar rules, long compound noun, and umlauts, learners are willing to take up the challenge to open up the doors to education, opportunity, culture, or security.

This survey helped us to understand the reasons for learning the German language. It showcased the possibilities that the modern language learners view. Knowing your motivation can definitely give you clarity, persistence, and pride in your journey towards a better future. If you feel like needing a support for your German language learning, enrol now in Entri’s German language course. With expert mentors and a supportive team, you are bound to speak fluently like a native.

Enrol now and secure your future. Tschüss!

What about You?

💬 What motivated you to learn German?
Share your story in the comments, or DM us on Instagram or YouTube.

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