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Why take German?
Here are just a few fun reasons.

•More than 140 million people worldwide speak German as their first language, and another 60 million are learning it along with you (though not all here at ECU!).

•German is the most commonly spoken language in the European Union, more prevalent even than English or Spanish!

• Almost 20% of the world's books are published in German.

• Goethe, Nietzsche, Kafka, Mozart, Bach, Beethoven, Freud, Hesse, and Einstein all spoke German, just to name a few.

•Learning German provides deeper insights into central Europe's intellectual and economic life and its cultural history.

•Germany is the U.S.’s largest European trading partner and the world’s third largest economy.

•More than 240 German-owned companies call North Carolina home, and North Carolina’s top 5 exports to Germany exceeded $350 million in 2002. With auto giants such as BMW, Mercedes and Porsche all possessing factories or distribution centers here in the Southeast, German is the logical choice for business and East Carolina is a great place to study it.

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Need more persuasion?
How about the following testimonials from ECU students?

"The German program here is one of the best programs ever; the professors and program itself are amazing. I feel like this Oktoberfest gives people who would have never thought of anything outside of their own culture a way to broaden their cultural horizons."--Student Patricia Musileck on ECU's Oktoberfest, sponsored by the Student Activities Board. Source: The East Carolinian, 3 November 2009.

"My boyfriend is a German major, so he always brings me to the German club events. I was skeptical at first [ . . .]. But after meeting the professors, I immediately felt comfortable. [. . .] One time, he brought me to the Laternenfest, which is a celebration of St. Martin, a military man who gave a poor man part of his cloak during a cold night. The tradition is to make lanterns and walk around lighting up the night, which looks breathtaking. I had a great time getting all crafty and learning all about the traditions. Being more culturally aware is definitely a good feeling."--Leila Falls, The East Carolinian, 27 October 2009.