Loosing cultural identity by loosing your language....

Denglish


How strange is it that a German is complaining about losing his cultural identity by losing a lot of his mother tongue by the English language invading the German language? Plus: it is written in English!

First: 
I really love the English language. Due to that I like to share this affection with other people. Maybe this is one of the reasons why I became a teacher of English at a German middle school.I deeply hope that I can give some of my sympathy to that specific language to my students. Furthermore I think that it is such an important tool to communicate even if both protagonists of a conversation do not have English as their first language.So it is a way to have a basis to exchange different views from the background of a different cultural and/ethnic background. So, it is not that I dislike another language apart my own, 

Second:
Today I had a discussion with a bunch of American and German students on the question: What do you like most about your country? (The United States) What jumped out to me, is that the Americans identify very much with their country. Not only their country in general, but also they have a strong feeling on "closer things" for example the school spirit.What I observe is that this is totally different compared to the attitude most Germans share on their country, county, town or school.

Third:
German is a nice language. It is so developed, you can express so much by using it and you can change the whole meaning of an utterance by changing just one little thing e.g. the word order (one is really free in the German language to do so in opposite to some other languages) or a word ending. It is not that this is impossible in other languages, but in my opinion you have an enormous number of opportunities to do this in the German language. To most foreigners I've been talking to, they judge German as a more male or strong language. (Take a look at that You-tube video here:   German compared to other languages  But please remember that example deals with a lot of stereotypes. Everybody uses them but not everybody is aware of the existence of them. If you are aware of them; well done!)

To come to the point I am aiming at:

The question is: Is it allowed for an average German to be proud of his mother country? 

What is connected to pride on "your" country in Germany? One could say it is a question of history. If you take a look at it from this point of view, you must come to the conclusion: NO it is not allowed! 
Or in other words you might put yourself into a corner you don't want to be put in
(ATTENTION: MY personal point of view!!)


Back to the initial point. 

Language.

If you want to express your hopes, wishes, fears or even the things that drive you mad you use ,for sure no question about that, your language. And all these things that move you the way they do move you are all part of your socialization. This leads to the fact that your socialization is connected to the country you grew up (or if you immigrated to a foreign country it is mostly connected to the country your parents grew up and were socialized)

Now over to that song I picked out. It is written and performed by a group of German muscians called the "Wise Guys". They are from Koln (well most of them, one is from Kiel, but never mind) and do exclusively perform  accapella music. Basically they sing about the relationship between women and men. But they also focus on topics besides love. So one of their songs focuses on the fact how we deal with our language. But, to point that out, it does not aim at the question of being proud to be a native speaker of that language. They have a more comedic way of bringing light on to that topic. Again, it is not the question of being proud to be a German, it is more the circumstance that you put some people out, if you use a lot of foreign language expressions.
And this is the question that kicked me as well when looking at the content of the lyrics of that song, q.e.d. the message that it contains.
If you did not have access to the possibility of learning English as L2 you are excluded and you may not be able to change anything about it.
In my opinion it is not worth changing a lot of German expressions and replacing them with the English equivalent. What is the aim of that? Being hip? Be more up to date? Or are we just losing some of our cultural identity? Can one say using your mother tongue is a part of cultural identity? Make up your own mind!
I'm very much interested in YOUR point of view on that topic. Are you proud to be the nationality you were raised in. Why? Why not? Is language a part of your cultural identity?

Finally, last but not least, the song. I picked out a version where you can only read the lyrics and not be distracted by any pictures that might influence you in your process of reception.

Wise Guys - Denglisch


 also added the lyrics at the end of this article, case you might want to read over it again.


 Wise Guys - Denglisch

Oh, Herr bitte gib meine Sprache zurück,
ich sehne mich nach Frieden und 'nem kleinen Stückchen Glück.
Lass uns noch ein Wort verstehen in dieser schweren Zeit,
öffne unsre Herzen, mach' die Hirne weit.

Ich bin zum Bahnhof gerannt und war a little bit too late
Auf meiner neuen Swatch war's schon kurz vor after eight.
Ich suchte die Toilette, doch ich fand nur ein "McClean",
ich brauchte noch Connection und ein Ticket nach Berlin.
Draußen saßen Kids und hatten Fun mit einem Joint.
Ich suchte eine Auskunft, doch es gab nur 'n Service Point.
Mein Zug war leider abgefahr'n - das Traveln konnt' ich knicken.
Da wollt ich Hähnchen essen, doch man gab mir nur McChicken.

Oh, Herr bitte gib meine Sprache zurück,
ich sehne mich nach Frieden und 'nem kleinen Stückchen Glück.
Lass uns noch ein Wort verstehen in dieser schweren Zeit,
öffne unsre Herzen, mach' die Hirne weit.

Du versuchst mich upzudaten, doch mein Feedback turned dich ab.
Du sagst, dass ich ein Wellness-Weekend dringend nötig hab.
Du sagst, ich käm' mit good Vibrations wieder in den Flow.
Du sagst, ich brauche Energy. Und ich denk: "Das sagst du so..."
Statt Nachrichten bekomme ich den Infotainment-Flash.
Ich sehne mich nach Bargeld, doch man gibt mir nicht mal Cash.
Ich fühl' mich beim Communicating unsicher wie nie –
da nützt mir auch kein Bodyguard. Ich brauch Security!

Oh, Lord, bitte gib mir meine Language zurück,
ich sehne mich nach Peace und 'nem kleinen Stückchen Glück,
Lass uns noch ein Wort verstehn in dieser schweren Zeit,
öffne unsre Herzen, mach' die Hirne weit.

Ich will, dass beim Coffee-Shop "Kaffeehaus" oben draufsteht,
oder dass beim Auto-Crash die "Lufttasche" aufgeht,
und schön wär's, wenn wir Bodybuilder "Muskel-Mäster" nennen
und wenn nur noch "Nordisch Geher" durch die Landschaft rennen...

Oh, Lord, please help, denn meine Language macht mir Stress,
ich sehne mich nach Peace und a bit of Happiness.
Hilf uns, dass wir understand in dieser schweren Zeit,
open unsre hearts und make die Hirne weit.

Oh, Lord, please gib mir meine Language back,
ich krieg hier bald die crisis, man, it has doch keinen Zweck.
Let us noch a word verstehen, it goes me on the Geist,
und gib, dass "Microsoft" bald wieder "Kleinweich" heißt.


English Translation of “Denglisch”

Wise Guys Lyrics
Oh, Lord, please give me my language back,
I long for Frieden [peace] and a little bit of Glück [happiness].
Let us understand a word in this difficult time,
open our hearts, expand the brain.

I ran to the train station and was "a little bit too late"
on my new Swatch it was already just before "after eight."
I looked for a toilet, but only found a "McClean,"
I still needed "Connection" and a "Ticket" to Berlin.
Outside sat "Kids" and had "Fun" with a "Joint."
I looked for information, but there was only a "Service Point."
My train was gone - "Traveln" I could do without.
Then I wanted to eat "Hähnchen" [chicken], but there was only "McChicken."

Oh, Lord, please give me my language back,
I long for Frieden [peace] and a little bit of Glück [happiness].
Let us understand a word in this difficult time,
open our hearts, expand the brain.

You try to "update" me, but my "Feedback turned" you off.
You say I really need a "Wellness-Weekend."
You say with "good Vibrations" I'd get back in the "Flow."
You say I need "Energy." And I think: "So you say..."
Instead of "Nachrichten" I get the "Infotainment-Flash."
I'm longing for Bargeld [cash], but they don't even give me "Cash."
When "Communicating," I feel insecure as never before –
a "Bodyguard" is no use. I need "Security"!

Oh, "Lord," please give me my "Language" back,
I'm longing for "Peace" and a little bit of Glück [happiness].
Let us understand a word in this difficult time,
open our hearts, expand the brain.

For "Coffee-Shop" I want to see "Kaffeehaus" written up there,
or that in an "Auto-Crash" the "Lufttasche" (airbag) goes off,
and it would be nice, if we called "Bodybuilder" "Muskel-Mäster"
and if only "Nordisch Geher" would run across the landscape...

"Oh, Lord, please help," because my "Language" causes me "Stress,"
I long for "Peace" and "a bit of Happiness."
Help us, so we "understand" in this difficult time,
"open" our "hearts" and "make" the brain wide.

"Oh, Lord, please" give me my "Language back,"
I soon here in "crisis, man, it has" no point.
"Let us" still "a word" understand, "it goes me on the" Geist,*
and let "Microsoft" soon be known as "Kleinweich" [small soft].