As with many other languages, German has adopted some English words into its own, and this is becoming more frequent and more normal. With the increase in social media, this trend was inevitable as communication between countries has become easier and cultural terminology has been spreading.

Duden, the German dictionary equivalent to the Oxford English Dictionary, recently updated its 26th edition and added nearly 5,000 English words to it in the process. Although this isn’t the first time that English words have been added to the dictionary, this particular edition has caused outrage among the more old school German linguists. An organization which sets about protecting the German language, known as the German Language Society, were furious when the new edition went to print and have labelled the editors of Duden as the ‘language adulterers of the year’.

Not all Germans, however, share the German Language Society’s views. Most people in their 20s and 30s speak a good level of English and have adopted the English changes into their own language quite naturally. They flit quite happily between the two languages, often choosing the easiest words from either language mid-sentence. Others are more reserved in this linguistic takeover, believing that internationalization is creeping up too quickly and they are being forced to change by globalization.

The learning of languages should be looked upon as a bridge between countries, and as an opportunity to expand our horizons, both socially and in the workplace. Do you agree with the integration of another language into your own one, or do you feel that languages should be independent of each other, strictly upholding their own national identity?