PODCAST: Should foreigners in Germany make more of an effort to speak German?

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In the first episiode of the new season of our Germany in Focus podcast, host Rachel Loxton is joined by panelists Imogen Goodman and Aaron Burnett. Our sound engineer is Rhys Edwards.

We start off by recapping on the weirdest story of the summer about an escaped lioness in Berlin. 

• How did a wild boar sighting in Berlin turn into a two-day lion hunt?

We talk about the developments on immigration and citizenship laws.

• German government approves citizenship reform
• TIMELINE - when will Germany push through the dual citizenship laws?
• German Bundestag passes sweeping immigration reforms bill

We get into why the German Chancellor is posting pictures of himself in an eye patch, and discuss why a Bavarian deputy state premier is under fire. 

• German Chancellor sparks pirate memes with eye patch photo
• Why a high profile Bavarian politician is embroiled in an anti-Semitic row

The German government is making it easier for people to change their legal gender. We explain what the changes are, and hear from Kalle Hümpfner, a spokesperson from the Bundesverband Trans advocacy group. 

• Germany proposes plans to ease legal gender change

Lastly, are foreigners 'arrogant' if they don’t speak German in Germany? We get into this controversial topic and hear what readers of The Local have said about it.

READ ALSO: Is it 'arrogant' to speak in Germany and not learn German?