This week on Plus Forty Nine, we’re kicking off August with a full lineup—rainy skies and all. In the news, we take a closer look at Germany’s education system, where PISA chief Andreas Schleicher warns that schools are failing migrant children and calls for better early language support and smarter funding structures. Meanwhile, the EU is rolling out its new digital border entry system, and Poland has announced an extension of its controls at the German border. In our culture segment, we’re decoding teen slang with the Top 10 contenders for Jugendwort des Jahres 2025. From “lowkey” to “tuff,” what do these words say about how young people express themselves today? And in our interview: Andreea Lungulescu from The Principal Recruiter joins us to talk about job hunting in Berlin, why gender still shapes career paths, and how to negotiate salary with confidence. Plus, this week’s Ask a German explores why it’s so hard to make local friends.
