Sprachenwahl im internationalen Tourismus. Die Situation in Tschechien und in Prag

Abstract

Abstract This paper deals with the mechanisms underlying language choices which are carried out by foreign tourists in the capital of the Czech Republic. This research draws upon the ethnographic approach. The data come from participant observations conducted in restaurants and cafés as well as from interactions with tourist agencies in the center of Prague. Additionally, short interviews with foreign tourists and employees of these tourist facilities were conducted. The results show that most of the foreign tourists and the Czech personnel expect English as a lingua franca to fulfill the basic communicative function in mutual interactions. Apart from that, various electronic tools are often used. They help to solve manifold language problems on the written basis.