ABSTRACT
Chapter 2 encompasses the status and role of English in Germany and describes the current multilingual learning environment in German secondary schools. Against this backdrop, it argues that the German context offers unique insights into L2 and L3 language acquisition and use because monolingual and bilingual learners of English attend the same classes and study this foreign language side by side. However, the current educational focus, both in Germany and other countries (and here the book offers some parallels from comparable contexts, such as Austria, the Scandinavian countries, and the Netherlands), is still characterized by a largely monolingual habitus, ignoring the potential language resources of heritage language students. This aligns with what is still a prevailing attitude, namely that Germany acknowledges only one national language and considers itself a monolingual country. However, when considering recent demographic developments, there is a discrepancy between perception and actual numbers. A close focus on Germany offers wider theoretical implications relevant to foreign language teaching and teacher education, and it provides approaches that are transferable to other (European) contexts.
