Language Choice in Coffeeshops: A Sociolinguistic Case Study in Berlin, Germany

Research shows that culture, politics, and immigration affect languages (Ahmed, 2024; Francis & Ryan, 1998; Stein, 1989; Ben-Said, 2019; Gorter, Marten, & Van Mensel, 2013; Holm, 2013; Özcan, 2016; Papen, 2012). The international urban setting of Berlin, Germany is a hub for business, engineering, and academia, giving it a diverse community. This study examines the potential influence of lingua franca English (LFE) on the Berlin by analyzing public discourse in third wave coffeeshops, contextualized by neighborhood graffiti in the districts of Kreuzberg, Mitte, and Charlottenburg. Field observations recorded data on two different days per location; public discourse was subsequently transferred into digital notes on Microsoft Excel, capturing participant first language, participant second language, participant age, participant gender, significant utterances. Data analysis considered sociolinguistic factors such as code-switching, adjacency pairs, and politeness and ethnolinguistic factors such as demographics and public policy. Preliminary findings suggest that individuals typically respond in the language they are greeted with, regardless of their preferred language with companions. Additionally, the ratio of men to women mirrored the ratio of English to German speakers across all three districts. The results reflected a significant influence of LFE on Berlin as seen in a select public sphere.