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From: deb5@ellis.uchicago.edu (Daniel von Brighoff)
Subject: Re: Importance of German, etc. (Was: English: USA supreme court...)
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References: <4j9tmn$uva@news.ccit.arizona.edu> <KANZE.96Apr18211654@gabi.gabi-soft.fr> <Dq6tIL.90t@eskimo.com> <4le3pg$8pb@brachio.zrz.TU-Berlin.DE>
Date: Sun, 21 Apr 1996 22:35:18 GMT
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In article <4le3pg$8pb@brachio.zrz.TU-Berlin.DE>,
Wolfgang Schwanke <wolfaefg@w250zrz.zrz.TU-Berlin.DE> wrote:
>rickw@eskimo.com (Richard Wojcik) writes:
>
>>>Well, I've generally found German more useful than English in my travels
>>>in Europe, although I haven't had the occasion to try either in Paris or
>>>Rome...
>
>>Interesting comment.  I can understand why the importance of German is
>>increasing.  Germany dominates the European economy.
>
>I don't think that matters. Japan has a strong economy, but who speaks
>Japanese? 

The number of Japanese learners in the USA is still petty compared to 
number of Spanish or even German learners, but Japanese programs are
multiplying more rapidly than those for any other modern language.  I
don't think tourism is a major factor, since the Japanese tourists who
come to this country tend to do so in large groups with bilingual guides
and, if they must talk to non-Japanese local service providers (they 
tend to prefer to patronise Japanese-owned businesses), do so using the 
English which all were required to learn in school.

Among my friends, consumption of Japanese popular culture (manga, anime,
etc.) is the driving force behind their language learning.  I haven't seen
any scientific work on the subject, though, and wouldn't be surprised to 
learn that, statistically speaking, my friends are a bunch of mutants.
Based on stats I've seen that show that "curiosity" is the number one 
reason given by American students for learning Russian, I'd expect that
the exoticness of Japanese has much to do with its appeal.

>I believe that tourism is the major factor. Germans make the
>largest fraction of tourists in most areas in Europe, and therfore German
>will usually be understood in touristy places. But when you leave
>those areas, the knowledge of German decreases rapidly. (There are exceptions,
>e.g. Greece, where English is more widely understood, but still badly).

This is related to the fact that, with the entry of the former East, Austria,
and Switerland into the EC, German-speakers now make up the single largest
linguistic group.  Also, since reunification, Germany has been less shy
about promoting German as a second language (not that it has ever been a
shrinking violet in this respect, as the worldwide network of Goethe
Institutes attests.)

[snip]
>>Might this not have something to do with which
>>language *you* prefer to use?  Do you normally try to speak to people in
>>English? 
>
>You are asking this to James, but if I may answer:
>I usually begin by "Do you speak English", but in both the countries
>I mentioned, I quickly learnt that German is the better choice.
>Esp. in Czechoslovakia, you have much better success rate if you address
>people in German. [Sidenote: I find that the minimum of polightness is
>to ASK first "do you speak <whatever language>" before saying anything else.
>Many tourists are either too stubborn or too arrogant to do this though ....]

[Sidenote:  In the local language, if possible.  It took me a matter of
minutes to learn how to say "Mluvte n^emetsk/y?" and "Mluvte anglick/y?"
when I was in Prague and the payoff in goodwill was immeasurable; further-
more, Czech monolinguals were thereby enabled to direct me to German or
English speakers when I had requests, which they did quite gladly.]

The last time I was in Prague, I noticed a generational split in language
use.  That is, the older Czechs were more comfortable in German and the
younger Czechs in English.  Several of the German-speaking Czechs 
apologised for not knowing English or mentioned that they were learning
it--or would like to if they weren't already "too old."




-- 
	 Daniel "Da" von Brighoff    /\          Dilettanten
	(deb5@midway.uchicago.edu)  /__\         erhebt Euch
				   /____\      gegen die Kunst!
