# Are Germans going to be speaking English exclusively soon?



## drei_lengua

Are Germans going to be speaking English exclusively soon?  More and more German articles contain English phrases that could easily be translated.  "Class of presidents"?  What is the reasoning behind using so many English phrases in German articles?  I understand that if a technology word in English is used it is because the technology's first language was English.  But I have seen words like "experience", "details", etc in German print.  

I do respect the French for holding onto their language.

http://www.spiegel.de/politik/ausland/0,1518,439571,00.html

*CLASH OF PRESIDENTS*

*Bush und Clinton streiten sich um Terror-Fehler</B>*

Offener Schlagabtausch zwischen Präsident Bush und seinem Vorgänger Clinton. Die beiden zanken sich, wer im Kampf gegen das Terrornetzwerk al-Qaida mehr Fehler gemacht hat. Auch Hillary Clinton zückt das Florett. Bush hat inzwischen Teile eines umstrittenen Geheimdienstberichts freigegeben. 

Drei


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## beclija

No way... First thing, the English phrase is used here only because it's the American presidents, and maybe as an eye-catcher as it sounds a bit like some film title (to our ears, an other indication that we haven't gone that far yet). I can not imagine that any German magazine would use "clash of presidents" to refer to Yeltsin and Putin, or any other pair of non-English speaking presidents.

Also, even though some people apparently think it's hip to put in some English phrases, many (I would say most) people do not speak English very well. An illustration: There is that Austrian weekly called "NEWS", and guess how many people refer to it? - [nefs]!

There is an ongoing influx of English phrases, but nowhere near to endangering the language's existence - though it is transforming it in a way I often find undesirable.


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## John-Paul

The English language is a bastard language and is therefor the lingua franca of the world - yes all Germans will be able to speak English in 2050, as a second language.


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## ireney

I understood 
1.CLASH OF PRESIDENTS
2. Bush und Clinton
3. Terror ( I assume I did)
4. Präsident Bush und .
5. Clinton. 
6. Hillary Clinton


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## Daddyo

How soon is soon enough? A hundred years from now? A thousand?
I would think the answer is: "Yes and No: Only some Germans are going to be speaking English exclusively soon (within a lifetime, maybe?), but most of them won't."


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## beclija

John-Paul said:


> The English language is a bastard language and is therefor the lingua franca of the world - yes all Germans will be able to speak English in 2050, as a second language.


As a second language, quite likely although I wouldn't bet on it, but not exclusively, not in 2050 nor anytime within the millenium.


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## Brioche

drei_lengua said:


> Are Germans going to be speaking English exclusively soon?


 
Let's ask the question again, sometime after the USA has abandoned English in favour of Spanish.


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## Hakro

Using English phrases is quite common not only in Germany but also in Finland and in Sweden, maybe in other countries, too. This doesn't concern serious newspapers, but especially in magazines for teenagers and in certain hobby magazines you often see English words and phrases that have no real reason to be in English.
Also the speakers of local radio stations in Finland tend to use English phrases every now and then.


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## Julito_Maraña

Hakro said:


> Using English phrases is quite common not only in Germany but also in Finland and in Sweden, maybe in other countries, too. This doesn't concern serious newspapers, but especially in magazines for teenagers and in certain hobby magazines you often see English words and phrases that have no real reason to be in English.
> Also the speakers of local radio stations in Finland tend to use English phrases every now and then.



I think there is a real reason (and a very good one) that some of those sentences are in English: they help sell the magazine.

I go to a _café _in New York City that serves _pommes frites_ instead of french fries. Why? Because snobs like _pommes frites_. French fries are for the fast-food crowd and are fattening. _Pommes frites_ are not. They are sophisticated. And how can something written in French be fattening? Look how very thin the French are!


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## Hakro

Julito_Maraña said:


> I think there is a real reason (and a very good one) that some of those sentences are in English: they help sell the magazine.
> 
> I go to a _café _in New York City that serves _pommes frites_ instead of french fries. Why? Because snobs like _pommes frites_. French fries are for the fast-food crowd and are fattening. _Pommes frites_ are not. They are sophisticated. And how can something written in French be fattening? Look how very thing the French are!


You are obviously right, but I'm not sure who is more snobbish, the customer or the seller/writer/speaker.


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## John-Paul

The English language right now is the dominant language in the world. The difference between English and Latin and French, the previous dominant languages, is that it's used by every social class and not just the elite. Will the whole world be speaking English one day? I think that depends on weahter the Anglo-American kapitalist model will hold up. When the whole world has been transformed in one giant single market all of us will be speaking English.


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## drei_lengua

John-Paul said:


> The English language right now is the dominant language in the world. The difference between English and Latin and French, the previous dominant languages, is that it's used by every social class and not just the elite. Will the whole world be speaking English one day? I think that depends on weahter the Anglo-American kapitalist model will hold up. When the whole world has been transformed in one giant single market all of us will be speaking English.


 
That will indeed be a sad day.  Not only is English written everywhere but who wants to go abroad and see a Walmart or another chain?  I went to Kraków Poland recently and saw a McDonald's right in the old town.  I don't see how McDonald's and medieval-style buildings match very well.  I have also seen such examples in other European cities.

I am glad Germany rejected Walmart at least.  I can't even stand to see that ugly thing in America.   

Drei


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## Etcetera

Hakro said:


> Using English phrases is quite common not only in Germany but also in Finland and in Sweden, maybe in other countries, too. This doesn't concern serious newspapers, but especially in magazines for teenagers and in certain hobby magazines you often see English words and phrases that have no real reason to be in English.
> Also the speakers of local radio stations in Finland tend to use English phrases every now and then.


Absolutely the same in Russia. 
But what makes the situation even worse (in my opinion) is that these Englis words are usually transliterated, so even for me it's really hard to guess what's meant by мерчандайзинг or сайдинг. Let alone that such words look really ugly!


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## Outsider

drei_lengua said:


> *CLASH OF PRESIDENTS*
> 
> *Bush und Clinton streiten sich um Terror-Fehler</B>*
> 
> Offener Schlagabtausch zwischen Präsident Bush und seinem Vorgänger Clinton. Die beiden zanken sich, wer im Kampf gegen das Terrornetzwerk al-Qaida mehr Fehler gemacht hat. Auch Hillary Clinton zückt das Florett. Bush hat inzwischen Teile eines umstrittenen Geheimdienstberichts freigegeben.
> 
> Drei


Oh, come on! The actual text is firmly rooted in German. The proof, as Irene aptly noted too, is that I can't understand a word of it.


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## gwrthgymdeithasol

drei_lengua said:


> Are Germans going to be speaking English exclusively soon?



If yes, please could they get teachers to teach them accents that don't make you grind your teeth ;-)


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## maxiogee

gwrthgymdeithasol said:


> If yes, please could they get teachers to teach them accents that don't make you grind your teeth ;-)



…says the Welsh person  .


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## Brioche

Etcetera said:


> Absolutely the same in Russia.
> But what makes the situation even worse (in my opinion) is that these Englis words are usually transliterated, so even for me it's really hard to guess what's meant by мерчандайзинг or сайдинг. Let alone that such words look really ugly!


 
I suppose мерчандайзинг is merchandisin-g,

but what is  сайдинг saidin-g?? supposed to be?


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## cyanista

Brioche said:


> I suppose мерчандайзинг is merchandisin-g,
> 
> but what is  сайдинг saidin-g?? supposed to be?



You're right about merchandising. сайдинг is how 'siding' would be transliterated, but I must confess I haven't the foggiest idea what Etcetera could have meant by that.


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## Alxmrphi

maxiogee said:


> …says the Welsh person  .



Haaaaaaaaaaa~!!!!!!


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## gwrthgymdeithasol

maxiogee said:


> …says the Welsh person  .





Alex_Murphy said:


> Haaaaaaaaaaa~!!!!!!



Ha ha, touché. But actually I was born and grew up in England and I have an immaculate RP accent


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## Alxmrphi

What is an RP accent? I can't think of any county or explanation for what RP means? Unless it's a "really proud" accent, lol.
Or "regionally punctuated", ok I am making these up now, tell me


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## gwrthgymdeithasol

cyanista said:


> You're right about merchandising. сайдинг is how 'siding' would be transliterated, but I must confess I haven't the foggiest idea what Etcetera could have meant by that.



Presumably it refers to railway track. I believe railways are still popular and affordable in Russia.


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## maxiogee

Alex_Murphy said:


> What is an RP accent?



This thread should give you an introduction to the concept of RP


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## Alxmrphi

Ah so it means "Really Posh!" hahahahahaha, I see now.


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## gwrthgymdeithasol

Alex_Murphy said:


> Ah so it means "Really Posh!" hahahahahaha, I see now.



Actually, it means 'Right Proper' ;-p


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## Alxmrphi

I know, "really posh" was a joke, after I saw it was refering to the "BBC" accent.


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