Learning languages is enjoyable and interesting aside form being beneficial. Over the years many people have attested to the importance of learning languages and the role of languages in improving oneself. Many are interested in learning a language but wonder which among the many languages in the world should one learn? A lot of people are already learning English, Spanish, Chinese, Italian, Japanese, French, and Arabic and some are learning German.

German is not the usual first choice a language learner picks among a roster of languages. There are many reasons why one should choose to learn German and the main one is that there a lot of German speakers in different parts of the world not only in Germany, Australia and Switzerland! Why should you learn German? The following are some reasons why you should:

• Travel. Traveling has its various advantages and it will be more enjoyable if you speak the language of the place where you are going. Learning German will equip you as you wander in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria and also in countries in Europe where German is used as a second or third language. Knowing German for travel purposes will help you survive the places you visit by having the ability to communicate with the locals and knowing what the signs and directions mean.

• Culture. If you learn German you will have a better knowledge of the German culture. A rich cultural, artistic, and intellectual heritage awaits you once you know how to communicate in German. Some of the greatest works of art, music, literature, philosophy, engineering, architecture, film and research in the world were created and discovered by German language speakers. Beethoven, Freud, Einstein, Goethe were among the great people who walked the earth and produced significant works in German. Being able to access their works in the original language they are produced and not through translations will make you appreciate their culture more.

• Business. Germany is one of the leading exporters and most industrialized countries in the world. Most German businessmen have knowledge in several languages yet reaching out to them in the German language will give you a better advantage compared to those who cannot communicate in German. Learning German and transacting business with your potential partners or clients in their language will let them appreciate the effort you exert and make them realize that you are indeed serious with business.

• Tourism Industry. Having the ability to communicate in German is essential in the tourism industry. If you are looking forward to work in this industry and in countries where German is spoken, it is better that you learn German in order to have an edge over those who don’t speak the language. You can also serve as a local guide whenever there are German-speaking tourists traveling in your place since you will be able to communicate with them.

Those stated above are just few of the reasons why you should learn German. If you have your own personal reasons and you are interested to learn German in Germany or learn German in Austria, or learn German in Switzerland check out our site for great programs!

In the world today when being able to speak in more than one language matters a lot for various purposes, it is essential to keep up and never get left behind with the trend. A lot of people are learning the English language for many reasons: some want to learn the language for educational, recreational and professional reasons, while others want to learn simply just to allow themselves to communicate in another tongue. More and more people from various parts of the world are learning English; China and India are keeping up with the rest of them!

The British Council has released new research on the English markets of China and India and the results show that more people from these countries are learning the language. India and China are the fastest growing economies of the world and the estimates found by the research carried out by Ipsos MORI show that in India there are nearly two hundred fifty million learners while in China there are about three hundred million.

The latest research demonstrates that the United Kingdom must respond to the growing demand of learning English but in a way that looks to the future and lays the ground for long-term sustainable relationships in learning the language with other countries.

The Chief Executive of the British Council, Martin Davidson, has said that the demand for English language learning is huge and it continues to grow with an estimated five hundred fifty million learners in China and India alone. The research addressed some of the most important pressing questions the English language industry in the next decade including not only who wants to learn the English language but also what form of English language services will be required as their populations and economies continue to develop.

Maya Menon, the Teacher Foundation Director in Bangalore, India has said that India is complex and it is grappling with many challenges yet today it is also a land with many opportunities. Providing access to the English language is important in creating a level playing field and erasing the years of disparities that many Indians have faced in educational opportunities. One of the key challenges to achieve such is to improve the proficiency of the four million teachers of the English language in India.

Gu Yuego, a professor and Pro-Vice Chancellor of Beijing Foreign Studies University has said that English continues to provide a window to the outside world for Chinese language learners from all walks of life. The shortage of qualified English teachers in China has created a blockage in demand yet this provides a great opportunity for UK providers.

The highlights of the research show that in India, there is a large and growing market for English language services. English is taught in all schools however the latest findings reveal that the language may not be taught well, the emphasis may be on passing tests and not on real understanding.

In China, a strong and growing market of English language learners exists particularly in major cities and more developed coastal areas. The market is currently dominated by adult learners but there is a continued growth among young learners.

Now that there are more and more people in these countries who will be learning English, solutions must be formulated on how to meet the demands. In the future when people learn English in order to meet the changes in the world, it is beneficial that we start planning ahead on how to propagate the learning and teaching of languages and anticipate what happens in time.

There are so many tools on the web which you can use for free in helping you to develop your language skills. If you are learning a language, it is essential that you know the basic skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing. You will be able to communicate effectively if you already know these basic skills and it will be your challenge to achieve language proficiency through them.

Speaking is one of the four basic skills and it is the productive oral mode skill. Like the other language skills, speaking is more complicated than it seems at first and it involves more than just pronouncing words. Speaking involves micro skills in which the speaker has to use the correct forms of words, pronounce the distinctive sounds, use stress and rhythmic patterns and so on and so forth.

Constant practice helps hone a language learner’s speaking skills. Learning how to speak like a native requires more practice and may require the presence of a native speaker in order to perfect their pronunciation. Podcasts, online tutors, audio tools and tapes are also available for pronunciation lessons either for free or for a fee.

I have stumbled upon a webpage which offers an animated speaking avatar that pronounces words with accents and intonations. I came across SitePal, which is developed by Oddcast, a company that is committed to creating a wide range of innovative avatars. SitePal was introduced in 2003 as an easy-to use and affordable speaking avatar solution that enables small businesses to enhance their web presence and improve business results with virtual speaking characters.

SitePal’s avatars are not really used for language learning but as interactive avatars which guide and inform website visitors about useful website content. There are several users on the internet who have said that the demo avatar is very useful in helping them develop their speaking skills while they are learning a foreign language.

The SitePal demo has a text box where the user can type a word; a language box where the user can choose which among the many languages the word is in; a voice box where the user can choose the avatar’s speaking voice;

In 2003, the company introduced SitePal, an easy-to-use and affordable speaking avatar solution that enables small businesses to enhance their web presence and improve business results with virtual speaking characters. With its ability to engage site visitors and reinforce a call to action, SitePal has been proven to increase site traffic, conversions, loyalty and sales. SitePal was named as one of the Deloitte & Touche Fast 50 companies and a 2006 Product to Watch by Small Business Technology Magazine. SitePal has also been covered by numerous media outlets, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and Inc.com.

Foreign language learning is nothing new to most people; most think of it is part of personal improvement and it is what most people invest their time, effort and money in, in order to achieve the ability to communicate with more people. There are so many ways to learn foreign languages some are traditional while the others are more up to date with the latest technological tools. Language learning through language schools, through online courses and software, and through other practical tools are just some of the many ways to learn a foreign language.

Learning languages online happens to be the most practical nowadays especially for people who spend a lot of their time in front of their computers. Most language courses and lessons online are free and are easy to understand. Aside from websites and software, are you aware that there are some people who are learning foreign languages through Twitter?

Twitter is one of the leading free social networking and microblogging sitesin the world today and it has millions of users. The service enables users to send and read other users’ one hundred forty-character updates which are also known as tweets. Twitter is being used not only to post updates but also to follow updates by other users.

Now how is it possible to learn a foreign language through Twitter? Search for users which offer language learning tutorials and tips! There are Twitter users who offer their language learning tutorials for free and there are some who promote their language learning personal websites, blogs, and services through their tweets.

How are you going to search for Twitter users who promote the learning of foreign languages? One of the helpful tools to search for users is to visit TweetGrid and type in what you want to search for example, “learn English” or other similar terms. A list of users and their respective tweets with the keywords you are searching for will show up and give you and idea on who you should check out or follow, and who gives the best lessons or services in language learning.

So is it really possible to learn languages on Twitter? Yes and no. The disadvantage with language learning on Twitter is that it is not recommended for total beginners. If you are new to language learning, don’t expect that you will automatically understand everything about the language. Some users will discuss vocabulary and grammar but you might have a hard time understanding it since the allowable one hundred forty character tweet is quite limited. You will be lucky though if there is a link to a site which explains the lessons further.

If you are one of those who already have a basic knowledge of the language you are learning, Twitter helps you enhance what you already know. Following the updates of users in your target language will help you exercise you comprehension skills of the language. If you have a hard time understanding words and phrases, you can send direct messages to the users you are following and kindly ask them to explain to you.

Twitter is the “in” thing nowadays, and maybe you should try out learning languages through it. If you have tried it out already, please share your experiences with us.

Learning foreign languages can produce various benefits for language learners and most of these advantages include something for personal gain. Foreign language learning must be sweeping the world like a storm-even beggars in India are learning foreign languages too!

A recent report has stated that beggars in India are preparing for the Commonwealth Games next year by learning new languages. Thousands of homeless people in New Delhi are aspiring for better business from foreign tourists if they can speak their languages.

Majority of the citizens of the Commonwealth nations speak English yet the beggars of Delhi are teaching themselves other languages such as Spanish and French.

The thousands of beggars who go with their trade at the streets of Delhi currently read from a set script. They are taught to speak in different tongues in order to beg effectively from thousands of tourists. Some of the gangsters who control the beggars, think that those who can communicate with the tourists will be able to beg more from money from them.

In a poor slum in the west of Delhi are beggar children with dirty and bare feet, torn shirts and matted hair learn new phrases in other languages at night so that they can tell heart-melting stories to tourists who are not expecting that the children are part of the vast organized crime network of the city.

Most of the beggars have had little or no formal schooling yet they are now learning how to say “I am an orphan, I have not eaten for days, I am ill and I don’t have money for medicine, please help me in the name of God.”

One of the beggars said that the trend to ask foreign tourists for money in their own money added a more personal touch to begging. Aside from that, beggars are also given training to identify the difference between currency notes to recognize their values.

Beggars are posted in different areas of the city such as famous tourist spots, traffic lights, and shopping centers. Once a Croatian visitor has said that he was shocked when a man dressed in rags approached him and asked him in English if he was French or German and then started saying “please give him money” in different languages.

The Commonwealth Games will be held in October in India next year. If you will be part of the said event, don’t be too surprised when somebody taps your shoulder and asks for money in at least three languages!