| The German language is spoken by over two million people as a native language, primarily in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. It is one of the most popular languages of study for Americans, as it is useful not only for travel but is also required by many advanced academic programs, particularly in the sciences. Germany also, despite, its small size, commands a formidable place in the world's economy, and a great many American and British business people find it advantageous to learn German as a language for business.
There are many regional dialects of German, and the pronunciation of colloquial German can differ sharply from place to place. Virtually all speakers of German, native and non-native, have been taught through education and the mass media the standardized "High German" (Hochdeutch), which is the official language of Germany. The native speakers on the Pimsleur tapes are giving a clearly=pronounced delivery of this German, and by modeling your pronunciation after theirs, you should be able to make yourself understood wherever you go in the German- speaking world.
If you are interested in learning a little of the German dialect spoken in Zurich, Switzerland, try Pimsleur's compact Swiss-German. |
