Whether you decide to work someday for a commercial, not-for-profit, or government enterprise, the chances are greater every day that your work will bring you into contact with native speakers of German. Consider this: around 100 million Europeans - one fifth of the European Union's population - are native speakers of German.In fact, German is one of the ten most commonly spoken languages worldwide. Germany is the economic powerhouse of Europe: In 2017, this country (about the size of the state of Montana) claimed 8.2% of the world's export market - only China (12.8%) and the United States (8.7%) exported more. Proficiency in German can enhance your career opportunities in international business, foreign service, scholarship and teaching, publishing and journalism, and many other interesting and challenging careers.