diff --git a/src/main/java/org/owasp/webgoat/session/WebgoatContext.java b/src/main/java/org/owasp/webgoat/session/WebgoatContext.java
index fae41da05..c0e0ebbea 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/owasp/webgoat/session/WebgoatContext.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/owasp/webgoat/session/WebgoatContext.java
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ public class WebgoatContext {
         showRequest = "true".equals(getParameter(servlet, SHOWREQUEST));
         isDebug = "true".equals(getParameter(servlet, DEBUG));
         servletName = servlet.getServletName();
-        defaultLanguage = getParameter(servlet, DEFAULTLANGUAGE) != null ? new String(getParameter(servlet, DEFAULTLANGUAGE)) : new String("English");
+        defaultLanguage = getParameter(servlet, DEFAULTLANGUAGE) != null ? new String(getParameter(servlet, DEFAULTLANGUAGE)) : new String("en");
 
         webgoati18n = new WebGoatI18N(this);
 
diff --git a/src/main/webapp/WEB-INF/web.xml b/src/main/webapp/WEB-INF/web.xml
index 9a2869c79..4612dd975 100644
--- a/src/main/webapp/WEB-INF/web.xml
+++ b/src/main/webapp/WEB-INF/web.xml
@@ -162,6 +162,10 @@
              -->
             <param-value>jdbc:hsqldb:mem:${USER}</param-value>
         </init-param>
+        <init-param>
+            <param-name>DefaultLanguage</param-name>
+            <param-value>en</param-value>
+        </init-param>
         <!-- Load this servlet at server startup time -->
         <load-on-startup>5</load-on-startup>
     </servlet>