The Goethe Institute is the culture institute of the Federal Republic of Germany. As such, it promotes the study of the German language as well as the cultural understanding between Germany and other countries. From visual arts to literature, from television and radio to theater and dance, the Goethe Institute runs the gamut in its promotion of the culture of the homeland of Beethoven, Goethe and Schiller.
The Institute’s three principle objectives are:
- to promote the study of the German language abroad
- to encourage international cultural cooperation
- to convey an all-round image of Germany by providing information on its culture, society and politics
In addition to cultural events for students and teachers, the Goethe institute offers courses and exams — providing German-language certification accepted worldwide. Begin your foray into the language of Weimar and the father of world literature with the Institute bearing his namesake: the Goethe Institute.
http://www.goethe.de/enindex.htm
News
3/15/2012 Fervor to Learn German in Southern Europe
According to several sources, people from Spain, Portugal, and other countries suffering economically in the European Union are flocking to learn German. It is their hope that learning the language will help them find jobs in Europe’s economic stronghold. Germany’s economy grew by three percent last year and recorded its lowest rate of unemployment in almost twenty years.
The Goethe Institute, which promotes and teaches German worldwide, has seen an increase in enrollments at various international teaching centers. Globally, there has been a steady incline, with the number of German language students rising by 7.5 percent. The number of Spaniards taking German at the Goethe Institute rose by 35 percent in 2011. Similarly, in nearby Portugal, the organization saw a 20 percent increase in registration.
Over the last year, more than 36,000 people traveled to Germany to study at the thirteen different centers of the Goethe Institute.
“Indeed, there is a strong trend among younger people from countries hit hard by the dept crisis to come to Germany to learn the German language and seek employment opportunities in Europe’s strongest and most stable economy,” commented Dr. Rainer Epbinder of the Goethe Instiute. “Most of them are coming from Spain which due to that is now the top market No. 1 for the 13 Goethe Institutes in Germany. So one could argue that the crisis in other economic sectors had a very good influence on the German language school market. Apart from that we see a strong increase of language students coming from Russia and Ukraine as well. We expect that boom to go on in 2012.”
