COMMUNICATION, BUSINESS AND CULTURE

German is spoken by more than 120 million people in Austria, Germany, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Switzerland, and in parts of Belgium, Northern Italy and Eastern France.

German is a key language in the European Union. The EU, made up of 27 nations, transcends Europe’s east-west divide and integrates emerging Eastern European countries in its economic, political and cultural system. Learning German improves your chances of success on the job market.

German is one of the most important cultural languages in the world. German was spoken and written by Goethe, Mozart, Beethoven, Freud, Klimt and Einstein, and numerous other great artists and scientists. Every 10th book published worldwide is written in German!

The language spoken in Austria is German. It is a correct and pure form of German, that is melodious and pleasant to the ear. At ActiLingua Academy you learn standard German according to a recognized curriculum. The course books you will work with are the same as those used in the best German schools.

The development of standard German:
With more than 120 million people speaking German in 8 countries, it is hardly surprising that the actual usage of German varies. Standard German as a language did not develop out of one regional dialect, but was created by poets, philosophers and scholars. In the 16th century Martin Luther translated ‘The Holy Bible’ into a certain style of the German language which was as devoid as possible of regional features by consciously merging dialects. He wanted as many people as possible to be able to understand the text of his German Bible. The 18th century with Goethe and Schiller at their zenith brought about a further standardization of the German language.

The German used in Austria strongly resembles the German used in Southern Germany. The differences are often exaggerated and are considerably fewer than the linguistic divergences in northern Germany. (See map)