German

As German leader Angela Merkel prepares to cut a deal with Nicolas Sarkozy to try and save the Eurozone, comes news that Brits and Germans have a common ancestry.

How ironic for the nation that envies the way the Germans get to the beach with their towels before us every summer. It seems even the little Englanders may have to swallow an uncomfortable truth. Research confirms that us Brits were once Germans. 

Biologists at University College London have discovered that a segment of DNA which appears in northern German men is also common today in Great Britain. 

And archaeological studies have found that a massive people migration must have crossed the North Sea before the 5th century, forcing the withdrawal of the legions of the ailing Roman Empire, and establishing Germanic roots in the UK. 
Dick Skellington 7 December 2011

Cartoon by Catherine Pain

Also, der Sommer ist jetzt vorbei. Ich hoffe alles mit den Ferien gut ging und, dass der Gedanke am kommenden Winter nicht zu besorgniserregend ist.

Die Website war während des Sommers größtenteils inaktiv und ich möchte sie wieder in Gang bringen. Um den Stein ins Rollen zu bringen habe ich zu Ihrer Unterhaltung ein kleines, charmantes Gedicht angehängt ( Bitte, folgen Sie dem Link:Freunde ). Ich hoffe es gefällt Ihnen. (editor's note - this takes time to load but is well worth the wait.)  

Since the success of the group is largely dependent on the participation of its members I would urge you all to contribute in whatever way you can. I have already received a number of really good suggestions for group activities from restaurant and theatre visits to cookery demonstrations. However I need your thoughts on what kind of activity you want to see on the site. As long as you have some working knowledge of the language it doesn’t matter what level of German you speak or write at so don’t worry about making mistakes (I still make the most awful howlers as you will have noticed). So please, let’s hear from you!

Despite the fact that the group is known as “ die Schottisch- Deutschen Sprach- und Kulturgruppe” members from outwith Scotland are most welcome although for obvious geographic reasons they may find it difficult to take part in meet- ups.

Hoffend, bald von Ihnen zu hören.

Val

The BBC has highlighted research which reveals the big divide between British and German conversational habits.

According to Professor Juliane House of Hamburg University, the British like to use lots of phrases like "how's things" and "lovely weather, isn't it?" which don't convey hard information but suggest empathy and make other people feel good. Linguists call this 'phatic' communication. But to the Germans, these empty words make the British sound insincere and devious.

Germans don't do small talk. They favour a more direct communication style – but by leaving out polite nothings such as "nice to meet you" and "could you do me a favour?", they come over as rude and abrupt to Britons.

The Germans also fail to understand the British habit of using understated phrases like "there seems to be a little bit of an issue with this" to describe serious problems, says Professor Derek Bousfield, the head of linguistics at the University of Central Lancashire.

When Germany company BMW bought British car firm Rover, the Germans initially failed to appreciate how serious Rover's problems were, because it took British managers' understatement at face value.

The moral of the story seems to be that neither nation's communication patterns are superior – but it pays for both sides to understand them before opening a dialogue. Read the full story here.

A recent position statement by the British Academy highlights the fact that Britain is becoming more and more mono-linguistic, and questions whether its lack of foreign language skills puts its competitiveness at risk both commercially and academically. But isn’t English the language of business, of technology, and the second language of most non-English speakers?

Perhaps, the paper argues, we should not rest so heavily on our laurels! It argues that 75% of the world’s population do not speak English and that within 20 years most pages on the internet will be in Chinese.

The proportion of internet usage conducted in English is already on the decline, falling from 51 to 29 per cent between 2000 and 2009.

Recently highlighted in the national press, and also pointed out in the position statement, there has been a staggering growth in research papers by Asian researchers, in particular the Chinese.

If China and India continue to rise as hot-beds for science and technology, and grow to become internationally renowned for their Universities and research, will English be usurped as the language of business and technology? Why not!?

Already the 2010 CBI Education and Skills Survey found that 71 per cent of employers are not satisfied with the foreign language skills of young people. Companies undertaking international business are already feeling the need for more language skills.

So how do we prepare ourselves for this possibility? The British Academy suggests re-establishing languages as core subjects within primary and secondary curriculum, but also that Universities in challenging times, need to continue to provide language provision.

They suggest all students should be encouraged to add an element of language acquisition into their qualifications, and ideally some time spent abroad. Perhaps the OU should insist that all science, technology, engineering, maths and business students should study at least one language module, perhaps Mandarin, or offer a new course in Hindi?

As an urgent precaution to bolster Britain’s research achievements, the report suggests the provision of intensive language courses for Masters and Doctoral students. This will foster stronger collaboration between British and the very best researchers from overseas.

But will learning Mandarin and Hindi, simply weaken the case for English to remain as the international language? Can Britain afford to take that risk? Or is the reality of the future that there will not be one international language? 

Useful links:

• British Academy Position Paper - Language Matters More and More
• Beginner’s Chinese
• Beginner’s German
• Beginner’s Spanish

Following the 1,320-km course of the Rhine from its source in Switzerland to the river's mouth in the North Sea, the most interesting section is without doubt the Middle Rhine and the Rhine Valley between Mainz and Bonn. This area where the Rhine cuts through the Slate Mountains between Bingen and Koblenz is also part of the Upper Middle Rhine Valley UNESCO world heritage site. With its many castles, it is the epitome of a romantic German landscape. Few other regions around the world are so densely packed with authentic historical attractions.

The Song of the Nibelungs, written in 1200, tells how the sinister Hagen, said to be from the Hunsrück region, sank the legendary Nibelungs' treasure in the Rhine. The narrowness of the valley, the untamed river waters and the mysterious echo all play their part in the myth of the Loreley, the blond siren on the rock who once lured sailors to their death, here where the Rhine is at its narrowest, with her beguiling song and mysterious beauty. The legend is as old as time itself. There is still a Loreley today, but she is not in the business of enticing people to their doom. Nowadays the Loreley open-air theatre hosts rock, pop and folklore events.

This region has been shaped by myths, sagas, legends and fairytales, not to mention historical and political events, medieval battles, religious Electoral feuds and spiritual and military conflicts. The knights brandishing their swords and clanking round the castles in their armour are long gone. Horses' hooves are no longer heard in the courtyards; the minnesingers' lutes are silent. However, the castles continue to dream and you secretly wish that their walls could tell a story.

The Rhine has more castles along its length than any other river in the world. Built to protect power and possessions, they were not only well-fortified residences and refuges, but also lucrative customs posts and hideouts for infamous robber barons.

Further downstream the densely wooded Siebengebirge hills - Germany's smallest nature reserve and a fabled landscape of cone-shaped hills and rounded peaks - mark the end of the Middle Rhine. Besides walking and cycling, a boat ride is one of the most delightful ways to discover the picturesque Rhine Valley.

The annual Rhine in Flames event is a wonderful illuminated spectacle that attracts visitors from all over the world. The dazzling firework displays can be enjoyed from the banks of the river or from the deck of a boat.

Content courtesy of The German Tourist Board