The aim of the study is to argue for multilingualism in science and to show the advantages and characteristics of German as a scientific language in the academic field. The paper takes a critical approach to the so-called Global English which is used worldwide in sciences. Although English is the dominant language in the academic field, students in German-speaking countries have to write their bachelor and master thesis in German. Especially the teaching of writing in German as a foreign language is challenging. These students are in a multilingual situation between their native language, German as a second language and English. Therefore, the article gives an overview of the main characteristics of German as an academic language because the German scientific communication is associated with certain idiomatic terms. European academic writing is still connected to the traditions which were established at the universities in the last centuries. Nevertheless, or precisely because of this, it is worth to use and teach German as a scientific language. The article points out that each academic tradition is influenced by the language used in the writing culture and led to unique academic cultures.

Keywords: Academic writing, German as a foreign language, Higher education, Writing cultures, Linguistics