Into the future with German 3.0

How much potential does the German language have? How can it develop? And what role can - and should - it play in the future? These are the questions for which the Global Goethe Institute, in cooperation with the editorial team of the Duden German dictionary, the institute for the German language and the foundation for German science have been searching for answers over the last year.

The initiative, entitled "German 3.0," was launched in January together with highly diverse promoters in the areas of society, culture, business and science. With 60 events at home and abroad they have initiated continually new dialogues about the German language since the launch of the program.

Events to suit all tastes

The new power of programmers was discussed for example at an event in Munich as well as the question of whether one's unique, autonomous view of the world is endangered if individual suggestions are replaced unquestioned with those of search engine algorithms. In the Institute for Cultural Studies in Essen it was judged that language is not only used for communication, but is also shaped by culture - ultimately carrying its own views of reality within itself. It was deemed at the end of the event that a little more "tower of Babel," with its language confusion, is incredibly good for science.

School classes philosophized over the multicultural dimensions of their everyday language, symposiums grappled with German studies in Budapest and with German as a scientific language. The Academy of Sciences in Berlin discussed the future of dictionaries. And in Munich, youths considered new media's stark influences on their language, resulting in an entertaining short audio collage.

The task of the Goethe Institute is to promote knowledge of the German language worldwide, according to Klaus-Dieter Lehmann, who was president during the final event of the "German 3.0" initiative in Berlin. It was agreed upon however that the promotion of the German language must begin at home since how native speakers handle their language will be taken very seriously abroad. "It motivates or also demotivates the learning of German," Lehmann said.

The increasing mobility of people, worldwide globalization and digitalization not only shapes our language, it changes it as well. In order to successfully shape the future of a language, one must know it very precisely. Therefore there is great interest in the "German 3.0" project and this new platform for cultural and linguistic debates both online, and during "German 3.0" events.

Key aspects

"Project writer" documented the debates about "German 3.0" over the course of the year. According to Goethe Institute Secretary General Johannes Ebert, the discussion of the project made it clear how important multilingualism is in modern Europe - particularly in an immigration country like Germany. "In order to be well received in Germany, in order to integrate, one must speak the language," Ebert emphasized. Conversely, global companies profit - and the German middle class is strengthened - by having a multilingual workforce. Languages have long since become an economic benefit. Whoever can converse with a business partner in his or her native tongue often has the better cards - and later potentially more orders.

The need for language courses and training on intercultural competence will also continue to grow, a thesis of "German 3.0," concluded. The German language is the key to the professional and social integration of a foreign workforce. The same also applies to higher education. Currently, 15 percent of those studying in German universities come from a foreign country. In the coming years that number is expected to grow to 25 percent, says Volker Meyer-Guckel, deputy secretary general of the Foundation for the German Economy.

Over 70 percent of those who have finished their studies would also like to stay in Germany, but only a fourth manage to do so. The most common reason for this is inadequate knowledge of German, which is not immediately apparent in university work conducted increasingly in English. "German 3.0" has introduced a number of university projects that break new ground in promoting multilingualism and urgently needed skilled workers in the country. The summary of the entire project is that the German language now more than ever is the key to social, cultural and economic development in Germany.