English in Academia

In times of political and economic globalisation proficiency in the English language has developed into a key competence. The supremacy of English has also manifested itself in academic communication; research and teaching across all disciplines are becoming more and more anglophone. Consequently, academia and the English language as a medium of academic discourse are faced with new challenges and opportunities. On the one hand, the spread of English entails the risk of Anglo-American dominance in cultural and scientific realms leading to disadvantages for non-native speakers of English. On the other hand, English as a common lingua franca is able to function as a catalyst for international cooperation in research and teaching. The articles in this bilingual (German/English) anthology focus on discussing the advantages and disadvantages of an increasing anglophony in academia.