Monday, November 28, 2011
For tourists
Visiting Prague over the weekend, I noticed how differently English was used there than it is in Berlin. I noticed that I felt very different, walking through Prague and seeing English, than I feel in Berlin. In Prague, the English on signs and menus was very clearly targeted to tourists. This probably has to do with the fact that Prague is a more touristy city than Berlin is, and that far more people learn German as a second language than learn Czech. All of these photos are from Berlin, and they show English in the places you might not find it in Prague. In Prague English was visible on menus, on tourist t-shirts, on "open" signs and the innumerable money exchanges. "FitnessFirst for ladies", though, is the kind of thing that is clearly targeted to locals--most people don't go to the gym while they're on vacation--so why is it in English? If the English in Berlin isn't for tourists, who is it for? As always, Berlin is more complicated. All I know is that I felt very different navigating Prague and its English than I do interacting with the English in Berlin.
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