Why German is unpopular

Farandula   Thu Dec 18, 2008 10:14 pm GMT
German is unpopular because of the Germans' militant love for speaking English. Even if you put a gun to their head they will still blabber away in English. No person would ever want to learn German if its principle speakers are a bunch of English fanatics. Is it part of the German post WWII 'self-hate' syndrome or do they believe non-Aryans shouldn't speak German? What could the reason be? I suppose it is similar with the Dutch and Scandinavians, but Germany is the largest economy in Europe and German is the most widely spoken language in Europe! How cna it be possible?

What do you think?
Wise being   Thu Dec 18, 2008 11:19 pm GMT
I don't think it has anything to do with 'self-hate'. Germans recognize that English is the language everyone else speaks/is learning so why shouldn't they use it as well? Also, English is a cousin language, and easy for Germans to learn because of it's genetic closeness.
hungry horse   Fri Dec 19, 2008 12:22 am GMT
German is far too difficult to be popular, given that Germany is just a nation of medium importance nowadays.

Before WWI and WWII, Germany was the great center of science and technology. Despite the immense difficulties, people had to learn German to get access to many of the important scientific papers of the day.
K. T.   Fri Dec 19, 2008 12:26 am GMT
I don't think German is unpopular for the reason you stated, but it may make people think,"Why bother learning German, if I'll never get a chance to use it?"

It may be that the rule of the language Jungle is this: He who speaks best will win. If the German speaks better English than the person who is using German, then the German will speak English.
greg   Fri Dec 19, 2008 12:45 am GMT
hungry horse : « German is far too difficult to be popular, given that Germany is just a nation of medium importance nowadays. »

Archifaux. L'allemand a connu au cours des siècles un succès impressionnant en Europe centrale et orientale : l'allemand d'alors n'était pourtant pas moins "dur" que l'allemand contemporain.



hungry horse : « Before WWI and WWII, Germany was the great center of science and technology. Despite the immense difficulties, people had to learn German to get access to many of the important scientific papers of the day. »

Tu contredis donc ta première affirmation. Et assènes en prime une contrevérité manifeste : l'Allemagne est toujours un cœur de technoscience.





Farandula : « [...] Germany is the largest economy in Europe and German is the most widely spoken language in Europe! How cna it be possible? What do you think? ».

L'Allemagne est certes un colosse économique, qui surclasse bien des pays (dont les États-Unis) en termes d'exportations rapportées à la population ou au PIB. Mais ce géant industriel et commercial est longtemps resté un nain politique, et en tout cas un discret vassal des États-Unis. Cette inféodation politico-culturelle était admise, voire désirée, par toutes les élites capitalistes allemandes — des "rhénans" traditionnels à la f(r)ange ultralibérale. Mais avec l'affaissement politique, militaire, culturel et financier des États-Unis, la situation pourrait changer rapidement. Surtout quand la Russie reprend sa place en Europe.
12345   Fri Dec 19, 2008 1:10 am GMT
Germans always speak German here. Never heard a German tourist speaking English.

In Germany I've only seen Germans speaking English in touristic areas and cities.
Xie   Fri Dec 19, 2008 2:04 am GMT
>>I don't think it has anything to do with 'self-hate'. Germans recognize that English is the language everyone else speaks/is learning so why shouldn't they use it as well? Also, English is a cousin language, and easy for Germans to learn because of it's genetic closeness.

>>I don't think German is unpopular for the reason you stated, but it may make people think,"Why bother learning German, if I'll never get a chance to use it?"

It may be that the rule of the language Jungle is this: He who speaks best will win. If the German speaks better English than the person who is using German, then the German will speak English.<<

Then I'm also like a German and a German speaker, though I'm not.
K. T.   Fri Dec 19, 2008 2:08 am GMT
"Even if you put a gun to their head they will still blabber away in English"

This strikes me as extreme and raises a number of questions in my mind.

a. Why do you go to such desperate measures to learn German?
b. Are you sure that every person who blabbers in English in Germany IS German? It could be an Englishman or a Dutch guy.
c. Perhaps he thinks that you will understand the plea for his life better in English.
__________________________

If you are learning German and get the "English" treatment, maybe you could try, "I'm sorry. I thought you were German. I'm trying to learn to speak it. I guess I'll put my gun away now."

Actually, just strike the last sentence. It may work.
J.C.   Fri Dec 19, 2008 5:00 am GMT
"German is unpopular because of the Germans' militant love for speaking English."

Dude, I guess you should meet more Germans if you want to make sure this is true. Most Germans I've met didn't have so much passion for English and, even if they had, that wasn't reflected in their English.

"Even if you put a gun to their head they will still blabber away in English."
No German has ever spoken to me in English after I say the first sentence in German and, trust me, they aren't so nice saying "your German is good" if they don't mean it. Only the Japanese say "you speak Japanese very well" after you say "arigatou". :D
The only German that didn't talk to me in German was a guy who studied at graduate school with me in Japan and preferred to speak in Japanese because his German was way too "kaputt" :)

"No person would ever want to learn German if its principle speakers are a bunch of English fanatics."
I have already talked in German to people from Europe (have already talked to Danish, Czech, Finnish, Swedish and Spanish people) ina ddition to many Japanese when I studied in Goethe Institut in Osaka and Tokyo.

I could also add that not only the Germans but other native speakers of German(Swiss, Austrians and even people from Luxemburg) were glad that I speak their language and replied me nicely, never trying to speak in English. By the way, German is the second favorite foreign language in Brazil right after Spanish (Which I doubt that people will spea fluently).

"Also, English is a cousin language, and easy for Germans to learn because of it's genetic closeness. "
That doesn't mean much because there are languages that are much closer than German and English (For instance Portuguese and Spanish) and that doesn't mean that they will speak the counterpart language well. As for Portuguese speakers trying to speak Spanish, most of the times they are actually speaking a mixture of both and that's quite annoying...
Taking other germanic languages that are closer such as Dutch and German still that doesn't mean that Germans learn Dutch easily (It's easy to understand) or the other way around.

Cheers!!
K. T.   Fri Dec 19, 2008 6:28 am GMT
Ah, my jokes were missed...

Seriously, having the natives reply in English seems to be a common complaint-and not one just made about German speakers. Something similar happened to me once when I was a teenager, but it hasn't been common for me since then.

I usually say "Excuse me" or "Pardon me" in the target language before asking a question if I'm in their country. This gets good results.

In the US, I say, "You can speak in German if you like." In both cases I get some authentic listening and speaking practice for "free".

Maybe you can come up with some approaches that work for you. No, I never lie and say that my native language is Icelandic or something. Occasionally I have met the same people in different places or countries, if you lie once, will you remember that you told Sasha that you were Danish and her friend Adamari that you were Dutch the next time you meet them?
Farandula   Fri Dec 19, 2008 6:37 am GMT
J.C., it obviously doesn't apply for you if you're not a native speaker of English. If your Japanese, they're obviously not going to assume you're fluent in English. It's as soon as they hear that distinctive English/American accent that their evil intentions become clear.
J.C.   Fri Dec 19, 2008 6:50 am GMT
"Ah, my jokes were missed... "

Where are they? I really would like to laugh about them!!!hehehe


"I usually say "Excuse me" or "Pardon me" in the target language before asking a question if I'm in their country. This gets good results. "

That's a good approach which I'll try to use when I go to China or Korea again!!


"Maybe you can come up with some approaches that work for you. No, I never lie and say that my native language is Icelandic or something. "
Too bad I can't say I'm from Iceland but I had a problem last week when an old-man in Japan tried to use me as a "free English conversation tool". I told him not all foreigners speak English or like it but didn't want to disclosure my nationality when he asked me.
K.T: Have you ever been in the position when you don't want to be used just like a "conversational machine"? If so, what do you do? I'm sick of people in Asia thinking I'm American and trying to get a piece of me...

Cheers!!
eastlander   Fri Dec 19, 2008 8:30 am GMT
Germany is the largest economy in Europe and second in the world,but German language is unofficial in UN organization.Maybe it is one of the reasons why German is unpopular .Discrimination of German language in UN is misunderstanding.
Chinese   Fri Dec 19, 2008 8:38 am GMT
eastlander:
(Germany is the largest economy in Europe and second in the world,but German language is unofficial in UN organization.Maybe it is one of the reasons why German is unpopular .Discrimination of German language in UN is misunderstanding.)


Yes, I agree with you.
Ken   Fri Dec 19, 2008 9:11 am GMT
This thread should be in the languages forum.