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Neither in Spain nor in Germany do we want an Europe which speaks only English
The Direction of Goethe Institut speaks out on the linguistic policies in both countries.

La Razón, January 18, 2005

Germans have selected "the nicest word" in their language, in a contest boosted by Goethe Institut which aims to (re)discover the German language in an entertaining fashion. The winning word was "habseligkeiten" (belongings). Goethe Institut highest representatives have visited Madrid to sign an agreement with their Spanish counterpart, Instituto Cervantes, and hold talks on the chalenges of the German language and its relation with the Spanish language, of their own "Spanglish" ("Denglish"), and... the ugliest words.

Madrid.- With five floors and 1,600 squared meters, the see that will be shared in Stockholm by the Goethe Institut and Instituto Cervantes will open in two months time. Although there is yet not plan over the table, both members joke about the good relationship among them which has created "a matrimony". In Avenida de América, Andreas Schlüter, General Secretary of Goethe Institut says that he wants his coffee "también con leche" (also with milk). Next to him, Wolfgang Bader (Attachee General Director) is also present in this interview.

-The numbers of students of Spanish language in France has increased whereas those of German have decreased. Isn't it a problem that two institutions in charge of promoting the two languages will share offices?
-Bader: It can be seen in two ways: on the one hand we are competing. People who learn Spanish don't learn German. But there is also a common ground, which is the multilinguistic vision of Europe. Germans and Spaniards are "partners", supporters of the same policy because we want an Europe with two obligatory languages. We don't want an Europe which speaks only English.

-There is a new phenomenon in Germany, "Denglish", similar to our "Spanglish". How does this affect your language?
-Bader: It is the same phenomenon in all languages. The media is plagued with anglicisms. It is an issue which is much debated: in Spain it is thought to damage the language, but we don't share this view. We believe that it is a task of all languages to digest outside influences: there is no single language which originates of only one source. And this is a phenomenon which adds creativity: for example, in Germany the moblie phone is called with an English word, "handy", which is a German creation.

-And yet, not that long ago a hamburguer manufacturing company was forced to change its publicity in Germany because it was in English...
-Bader: The reason behind it is that the publicity strategists have realized that it didn't work well and then they have returned to using German. Not because anglicisms are considered a threat, but because excess of English usage excludes to some layers of the population.

-Does the enlargement of the EU favour the weight of German language in Europe?
-Schlüter: Of course. Before the fall of the former USSR, the first language learned in Eastern Europe was Russian or German. There are many people who have gone through the scholar system learning German and who want to continue learning it. And we must not forget that Germany is the most important partner of many of these countries, like Poland and the Czech and Slovakian Republics.

-What's the incentive for someone who decides to study German? German Literarture? Philosophy?
-Schlüter: In addition to the economical and commercial reasons, German continues being the predominant language in many academic disciplines, like Music, Philosophy, Theology, Law Sciences, ...
-Bader: Other people want to travel. Or, more recently, come to Germany to watch the Football World Championship (laughs).

-About the presence of German language in Spain, you would say...
-Bader: ... Spain is a very peculiar country, but not in a positive sense. Only 0.7% of students in Spain learn German. But the need that the Spanish society has of learning German is huge: think about the existing German tourism.

-Must the State play an interventionist role in the expansion of the German language? Does this affect Goethe Institut?
-Bader: We have a system in which the Government coordinates, finances and defends some basic political lines to follow, and the practical work is carried out by Goethe Institut. And that division of the work works pretty well.