April 2001 - Nr. 4
In Brief
TWIG - So many English words are making their way into German these days that there is talk in Berlin of protecting the language from further incursion by law. In the view of the German Linguistics Society, though, the best way to keep the language healthy and alive is to improve German instruction in schools. During a conference in Leipzig early this month, society president Angelika Redder called on state cultural ministers to focus on education, rather than legislation, to ensure the future of German. "I find such language-purifying measures inappropriate," said Redder of the idea that German should be protected from outside influences. But abandoning German for English would also be a mistake, she said, noting that some universities have considered adopting English as the official language of the lecture hall. If English becomes the leading language in Europe, she warned, other languages will be reduced to dialects.
While it still faces stiff competition in the west, German seems to be giving English a run for the money in eastern Europe. "In certain countries German even enjoys a slight edge over English," Karl Freller of Bavaria’s Culture Ministry told the state parliament Tuesday (March 6), suggesting Germany should work harder to strengthen its eastern ties. German is no longer just spoken by the older generation in the east - young people are learning it too, Freller emphasized. Germans are also growing more interested in their eastern neighbours. The Czech Republic ranks third among countries that maintain school partnerships with Germany. With 212 partner programs, it outstrips the United States, which boasts 166. ( Culture )
