Working Languages

With respect to the working languages, the Summer School intends to cross borders as well. In fact, the tendencies towards a more and more monolingual culture of science are countered here by esteem and respect for European multilingualism and the variety of European knowledge cultures.

A European Summer School obviously needs to adopt a working language. English being the first foreign language taught in schools in most European countries, English will serve as a lingua franca. Knowledge of English is thus a prerequisite for the participation at the Summer School. Depending on the knowledge of languages participants and instructors possess, also other languages can be used.

Presenters of projects, furthermore, are expected to do bilingual presentations / posters. This is to ensure that not only the functions of the lingua franca as a means of overarching communication, but also the functions of the mother tongue as a culturally-bound means for the expression of thoughts, ideas and concepts can be realised.

In the case of participants whose mother tongue is identical with the lingua franca, this request aims at a sensibilisation for the differences of knowledge cultures and the enormous achievement which the communication of contents in a foreign language represents.