German

Who says Britain is a country that is not interested in foreign languages and where many people simply shout louder in English if their interlocuters don't understand them? Quite a lot of people actually — and they are right.

When people talk about intercultural communication the focus is often on national cultures. I’ve tried to redress the balance in this blog by looking into the role of gender and age as well as professional culture. Another factor can be just as, if not more important, than national differences: regional ones.

Three reasons are often put forward for not using English terms in German: they are ugly; they are unnecessary; and they are often incomprehensible. But now English is guilty of a much more serious offence: causing the economic crisis.

Many people have a very emotional reaction to English words in German. Me, too — but that doesn’t mean I’m right .