ABSTRACT
The economic power of the German-speaking community is fundamental to the role of German in international business communication. Guaranteeing the communicative advantage for business negotiations generally requires even greater politeness. The “correspondence languages” are particularly important for business contacts, alongside country-specific language regulations for marking goods, guarantee certificates and texts on packaging. Foreign relationships in the business economy of the German-speaking countries are mediated to a considerable extent by the German Chambers of Commerce Abroad. In Norway, there are indications of an economic demand for German skills at the same time as a declining interest in learning German. Communication difficulties with German business partners are often ascribed to their inadequate knowledge of English. For China, Jun HE reported a lack of “studies with secure and wide-ranging data” on foreign-language demand in business.
