[Scientific communication in the age of globalization. Trends, challenges and initial solutions for dentistry in German-speaking countries].

In a world which is shrinking at a dramatic pace the need for international communication is constantly rising. In this global setting, the English language has increasingly become the "lingua franca" in which most scientific exchange takes place among professionals worldwide. The present paper investigates the impact of the all-pervasive role of English on the language of medicine and dentistry in the German-speaking countries as well as recent efforts to overcome some of the major obstacles associated with international communication. Possible approaches how non-anglophone dental communities can participate in scientific communication worldwide without starving their own language are assessed. The authors demonstrate that there is no alternative to bilingual competence in professional contexts and emphasize the need for strategies to promote bilingualism in scientific communication. Integrating bilingual language training at dental schools and in continuing education seems indispensable. A survey of bilingual models at medical and dental schools in other countries reveals significant deficits at German-speaking universities in this field. Promising new bilingual approaches in dental journals, lexicography, and other terminology resources are discussed, particularly the so-called KWiC-Web concept, a new semi-bilingual language guide to dental English, which helps German-speaking dental professionals to acquire and master the relevant language skills.