Working group on German as a scientific language
The Arbeitskreis Deutsch als Wissenschaftsssprache eV (ADAWIS for short) is an association based in Berlin for the purpose of promoting science, research and education through the maintenance and further development of the German scientific language and the linguistic diversity in science, research and teaching. ADAWIS was founded in September 2007.
Foundation of the association
In 2007, seven scientists from various disciplines founded the association out of concern about how quickly German is losing ground as a scientific language in Germany. The aim was to maintain and further develop the German scientific language in Germany. The group wanted to take action on the basis of theses that have since been signed by over 200 people. The association fears that the increasing use of English in the science sector is slowly leading to the loss of German's scientific suitability.
Objectives of the working group
ADAWIS states the following goals on its website:
- As a rule, university teaching must take place in German - with exceptions, of course, such as B. in foreign language philologies.
- Foreign students, lecturers and visiting scholars - apart from short stays - have to learn the German language. Otherwise they will hardly appear later as multipliers for our country. For this purpose, mandatory modules are to be integrated into the courses. Conversely, German students and academics who want to stay abroad for a longer period of time have to learn the respective national language.
- For short stays, receptive multilingualism should be aimed for. The use of foreign languages other than English should also be encouraged.
- With a few exceptions, theses must be submitted in German, possibly with an English summary.
- In order for the publication of originally German-language textbooks and monographs to remain attractive, the publishers must be supported in their translation from German into English.
- At national conferences in Germany, German is to be permitted as the lecture language, with simultaneous translation into English if necessary.
- German science organizations must also receive funding applications, results reports, etc. in German.
- The professional societies have to deal with questions of German terminology.
- Scientific performance may not only be measured on the basis of the publication of original articles in selected English-language journals, but also on the basis of monographs, non-English-language original and review articles, and public relations work. For this purpose, a European publications database must be created.
- In view of the massive deficits in the native language of today's schoolchildren and students, the German language must always be cultivated in the natural and social science classes in schools.
The association is also committed to:
- the dialogue between science and society,
- the interdisciplinary dialogue,
- dealing with epistemological and epistemological, historical, ethical and social aspects in the natural sciences,
- the promotion of empirical studies on the importance of language in the scientific knowledge process, in scientific communication and in teaching.
Work of the association
In order to achieve the above-mentioned goals, ADAWIS drafts petitions and does lobby work in universities, science organizations and ministries. Successes of the association were u. a. that the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation and the University Rectors' Conference committed themselves to increasing efforts to promote German. Klaus-Dieter Lehmann, President of the Goethe Institute, warned that "the less science is spoken, the less society will speak about science."
organization
The current chairman of the ADAWIS is Ralph Mocikat , his deputies are the biochemist and toxicologist Hermann H. Dieter and Kurt Reinschke.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ^ German as a scientific language - Kampf dem Globalesisch from December 5, 2012 on tagesspiegel.de