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special/news: John Bohannon AUSTRIA: 'Can't Have a Career... Without English' Science 2007; 317: 73 [Summary] [Full text] [PDF]

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The Linguistically Handicapped Scientist

Lukas A. Holzer   (28 August 2007)

The Linguistically Handicapped Scientist 28 August 2007
Lukas A. Holzer, medical student Medical University of Vienna Respond to this E-Letter: Re: The Linguistically Handicapped Scientist	The German language as used by Goethe or Schiller can almost be seen as a superlative example of linguistic brilliance. In science, however, the prominence of German is increasingly diminishing. This is sad, especially for German native-speaking people who want to be part of an international scientific community that is now dominated by Anglophile countries. Countries like Germany and Austria need to rethink their ideals and turn them into a more open-minded and liberal philosophy. Lectures and courses are still held in German, as is the literature we are using. Germany, especially, has to admit that it has lost its lead in science and therefore should turn its attention to leading nations like the United States. Too many German scientists and institutions still publish in German journals, and their efforts are therefore internationally neglected. We would need to develop new and unified curricula throughout Europe using English as the main language, just as Latin used to be. This action might help more German-speaking countries and their scientists to position their thoughts in the global network. Lukas A. Holzer Medical University of Vienna