As any native speaker of English in Germany will tell you, the average level of English spoken by Germans is quite high. Although it doesn’t quite equate to the age old British expectation that in Germany “everyone speaks English”, many do have a decent grasp of the language, enough at least to carry out a basic conversation. Language levels are frequently high enough that I sometimes find myself in the perplexing situation where, while I’m speaking German, my German counterpart will switch to my native tongue once they hear my accent. While this can be annoying, it does suggest that Germans, especially those in major cities, are comfortable enough to work and socialise in English.

It should come as no surprise then, that Germany featured in the top ten of the recent EF English Proficiency Index. Having fallen to number eleven in 2021, Germany regained its previous position, and also finished ninth out of 35 European nations. Out of the sixteen states of Germany, Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg came top, with the former achieving the highest ranked state, while the latter had the highest ranked city for English proficiency.

Clearly educators deserve a good share of the plaudits for this achievement. In my experience, German education puts a lot of effort into teaching children some level of proficiency in a European language. However, when it comes to English, there are other important factors in-play, the rise of various streaming services across the country being a massive example. Since the arrival of Netflix around a decade ago, children have been exposed to far more English, many from an early age. In addition, as they get older, children find English in the form of YouTube, Instagram, or TikTok videos. More practically, the world of online gaming has given German kids a comprehensive education in practical English usage. There are students that I meet who have a near native grasp of English, and when I ask them if they have a native-speaking parent, they say no but mention online games, in which they speak exclusively English with people all around the world,

There is obviously no better way to learn a language than by speaking it, but all this online language practice doesn’t necessarily mean a child will achieve high marks for their language skills in school. One of the curious aspects of German education is its laser-like focus on one particular type of English, specifically British English. Sometimes described as Oxford English by teachers, Standard English is considered the norm, meaning that phrasing, spelling, and accent are modelled on what British-English speakers would recognise as Received Pronunciation (RP). This can have a dramatic impact on even the most gifted online gamer, or Netflix aficionado, since much of the content of streaming platforms, and online conversations, are conducted in American English. For some educators, American English is considered a lesser beast when compared with majesty of the King’s English.

While this might tickle the petty island dweller that resides in every British person, the larger problem can be that an American accent, or penchant for spelling with a ‘z’ more than ’s’ may be considered incorrect. While the marks a student gets in school might not change, they may face criticism for not focusing on the “correct” type of English. This can lead students to become self conscious about their accents, or English level, which is unnecessary, given how English is used internationally. While the British may poke fun at the influence of American language norms, outside of the UK, there is little to no difference between American or British English. It’s certainly the case that most non-native speakers can happily converse in English, regardless of whether one was schooled in British and the other American. Equally, for many German companies, American English is considered the lingua franca.

The other major problem with focusing education towards British English is that not all English in Britain is the same. As I often point out to students, learning Oxford English is all well and good, but what happens when you need to go to Manchester, Glasgow, or Belfast? While Germany still has a rigid sense of Hochdeutsch or Standard German, Britain has embraced the range of accents and dialects, with national television welcoming Geordie, Scouse, Mancunian, Glaswegian, and a variety of Welsh accents into newsrooms and recording studios. This shift since the 1980s means that RP is less and less dominant. It doesn’t necessarily mean British people are more accepting of regional accents however, but it does mean that they are heard more often at a national level.

This change in acceptance of accents in the media is rarely recognised in German schools, with materials used in teaching still dominated by the fabled Oxford English. The issue is further compounded by the focus on the south of England when it comes to exchange trips, or language schools. For years, Cornwall, Kent, London, Bristol, Oxford, and Cambridge have been preferred destinations, which certainly gives a wide range of English accents, but misses vast swathes of the country. As a northerner in the south of Germany, I can’t count how many times I’ve spoken English with a German, only to see their shocked expression and uncertainty. My accent isn’t one that many have encountered, and my penchant for dropping Ts and turning ‘are’ into a simple ‘a’ sound can cause more confusion than if I’d simply spoken in German.

More often than not, when I speak English, It will be assumed that I’m Scottish, or Irish, my accent seems so alien to people that it couldn’t possibly be English. I fully appreciate how unknown Geordie is from the many interactions where someone has asked where I come from, and then looked mystified when I tell them Newcastle. I try and help orientate the people I meet by saying it’s near the Scottish border, which is enough for many to simply call me Scottish or introduce me as “coming from Scotland”.

As with the criticisms of American English, there is a serious downside for those children who through parenting, or through a concerted effort, have developed an accented English that doesn’t conform with the Oxford English expectation. For children like mine, who may develop some form of northern accent, they will also face negative feedback, especially if they choose to use their native language skills in education. Germany may have found itself back in the top ten for English proficiency, but it still has some ways to go when it comes to actually speaking English.

Proofreader: @ScandiTina

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