Milbenkäse is a unique type of goat cheese ripened in wooden boxes infested with millions of tiny cheese mites and enjoyed together with the tiny critters for added taste. For those unfamiliar with the cheese, the “strange” aspect is the rind, which isn’t a rind at all, but 50,000 or so live mites who were […]
Would you eat this kind of cheese, even if it’s made in Germany? The Random Times has a article about this weird kind of cheese that is only for the cheese lovers. 🧀🐭
Five human skeletons – all missing their hands and feet – have been discovered at Nazi leader Adolf Hitler’s eastern front military headquarters in present-day Poland, buried inside the villa of Luftwaffe commander Hermann Goering. The bodies of three adults, a baby and an older child were discovered by a group called the Latebra Foundation, […]
Berlin’s government is offering to give away a villa once owned by Adolf Hitler’s propaganda minister, Joseph Goebbels, hoping to end a decades-long debate on whether to repurpose or bulldoze the sprawling, disused site in the countryside north of the German capital. Berlin has repeatedly tried to hand off the site to the federal government or other authorities rather than continue to pay for maintenance and security at the complex, which has become overgrown and fallen into disrepair.
POLITICO reports that a leading Socialist member of the European Parliament was left ‘seriously injured’ and in need of surgery after being attacked by a group of four young men in the eastern German city of Dresden, according to a press release issued by the party. Matthias Ecke, 41, was assaulted on Friday evening while putting up […]
Political violence has gone to a new level after this incident last night. After reports of intimidation and poster theft, we now have assault and attempted murder.
The number of births and weddings in Germany last year fell to its lowest level in years, according to preliminary figures released by the Federal Statistics Office, known as Destatis. Around 693,000 children were born in Germany in 2023, the lowest level since 2013, according to the figures. The number fell by 6.2% compared to […]
Somber news from Germany. After a brief baby boom is the birth rate at an all-time low. The causes and the implications can be found in this CDE News summary.
The blogger Dan in Deutschland wrote this piece in 2016 and it features a set of false friends that he had heard of during his stay in Germany. Here are some he has heard that are still typical today.
Note: The answer to last week’s quiz on Schwarzes Brett you can find here.
After presenting you with the question about the English meaning of the German term, Schwarzes Brett, here are the answers. You were supposed to complete the two exercises below. Let’s check them out: 🙂
It’s a word that one will normally find at university or at the workplace, especially in Germany and other European countries. The question is what does it mean in English?
Choose the correct picture in Part 1 and the correct translation in Part 2.
Part 1:
Option AOption BOption COption D
Answer: Option E
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Part 2
Find the English Meaning for Schwarzes Brett:
A. White Board
B. Notice Board
C. Bulletin Board
D. Pin Board
E. Black Board
F. Chalkboard
G. Map Board
Answers: B & C
Hope this information helps. 🙂
Check out the other False Friends Facts and Activities by clicking on the window below. Other English activities can be found in the Language Corner.
“Oh! fragrant is the breath of May In tranquil garden closes, And soft yet regal is her sway Among the springtide roses.” —William Hamilton Hayne, American poet (1856–1929) Celebrate the beautiful month of May! The sun is warming, the birds are chirping, the flowers are blooming, and the garden is growing. Find out what this […]
This past March, we had our first ever AKS Workshop at all of the participating universities and colleges in Germany. AKS stands for Arbeitskreis der Sprachzentren in German; translated into English, it would stand for the Task Force of German University Language Institutes. Headquartered in Bochum in North Rhine-Westphalia, AKS was established in 1970, and as many as 150 university language institutes in Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Italy and China are part of the association, which work together to improve the quality of foreign language learning at the universities.
AKS developed the UniCert test system for languages, which is highly recognized internationally, on par with other exams, such as TOEIC/ TOEFL, Cambridge and TELC. It also has the FOBICERT, a certificate for qualifications collected by the teacher for future use. Each year in the fall, we have a UniCert conference at a host university, but this past spring was the first time we had an AKS Workshop, which was held in hybrid- classes were held online and at the host universities.
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The Importance of English
While Artificial Intelligence was one of the top themes at our workshop, the biggest of them all was the question of the Importance of English and the Empowerment of other Foreign Languages, such as French, Spanish and Chinese, but also languages of regions in Europe.
In the past 30+ years, English has become the second language to learn aside from learning the mother tongue- in this case, German. Known in Latin as the Lingua Franca, English is the language of universal communication, being used at conferences, in classrooms at schools and other educational institutions, in international politics, for travelling and business, and lastly for sciences. If one cannot find the right literary sources for a topic in one’s own language, English is considered a fall back, as the language has touched each and every single topic. 80% of all films originate from an English-speaking country. When it comes to sports tournaments, international policing or even a simple conversation between people from different cultures, English is the medium of communication.
And rightfully so, which is why between 70 and 75% of the German population speak and write in English, just like the rest of Europe. Further north and west, as well as in Switzerland and Austria, is the rate much higher. English is everywhere.
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The Question of the Importance of English
Despite its dominance as the second language of communication, the changes in the current environment have put the question of English to the test. Apart from the rise of influence from Russia and China, especially the former because of the war in Ukraine, there has been a rise of nationalism in many parts of Europe (also in Germany) and with that, the strive to push foreign languages out of the classrooms and the introduction of nativist culture, including language. A foreigner living in Germany would lie if there was no encounter with someone of German descent during one’s stay, who frowned at someone talking in another language along the street and was greeted with the words: “Amtssprache Deutsch!” (EN: Speak in German!”)
If you have experienced it, not to worry for I had that share of excitement in that department, especially in rural areas in the eastern part.
At the same time, there have been some attempts to make lesser known foreign languages more attractive to learn, especially as they are useful for the same purposes as with English. They are equally important for business, travel and if living abroad, for some interesting small talk. While English has been established as its second language, a push to make other foreign languages equally important will lead to some questions as to which direction is English going to, for 2024 is indeed the year at the crossroads for many reasons that also go beyond the classroom.
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Arguments about the Importance of English
We had a debate about the importance of English during one of the sessions of the workshop to determine which direction will English go in the next 30 years. The results in the small group discussion was mixed ranging from English remaining on top in the coming years to the language losing some of its influence. Speaking from personal experience, there are two opposing arguments:
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English is not important
I have heard this argument while teaching at a Berufs- or Fachschule (Vocational School) before quitting to take a teaching job elsewhere. Speaking with colleagues from other universities, they have also witnessed either something similar or know someone who had that same experiences as I had. Those who claim that English is not important have to do with the question of use in praxis. Even if students were to learn the terminologies and practice using it in certain settings, one will be greeted with arguments saying one of the following:
“There are languages that are more important than English, such as Russian, Arabic and even the border languages.”
“There are more important things to learn apart from English.”
“English is the language of the West. “
“There are apps which can translate between languages.”
“The official language of Germany is German. If you want English, you must get an interpreter.”
The last one is perhaps my favorite of all the excuses, as it has been mentioned enough times by those who fail to understand the arguments about the importance of English, which I have heard and even gotten support:
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English is important
English has been considered a well-established language as it has been used for academic and non-academic purposes. Business transactions, conferences, publications, international policing, international sports events and also concerts are communicated primarily in this language. The language is everywhere and has served as a useful guide for people who are in a foreign country as visitors, where the language serves as a bridge between the native tongue of the people living in the country and the person living in that country. For immigration, English is very important to deal with the bureaucracy and paperwork. Therefore one cannot see English fading away in 30 years.
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Questionnaire about the Future and Importance of English
The discussion about its importance in the future led me to conduct an experiment which requires your assistance. It has to do with the question of the role of English in the future: will it fade, or will it remain the same? I’ve divided the questionnaire up into two parts: one for the teachers and one for the public. It’s a hybrid questionnaire consisting of multiple choice and open-ended question, the latter you can answer in the comment section
Deadline for the questionnaire is August 4th, after which the results will be calculated and presented for use. Please feel free to encourage others to vote. Best of luck! 😊
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For Educators:
In which educational institution in Germany are you a teacher (at present)?
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