diff --git a/example/cdtext.c b/example/cdtext.c
index ec080f00..ab9b8f5f 100644
--- a/example/cdtext.c
+++ b/example/cdtext.c
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@
    libcdio.  See also corresponding C++ programs of similar names. */
 
 #define EXAMPLE_CUE_FILE "../test/data/cdtext.cue"
-#define EXAMPLE_PREF_LANG "German"
+#define EXAMPLE_PREF_LANG CDTEXT_LANGUAGE_GERMAN
 
 #ifdef HAVE_CONFIG_H
 #include "config.h"
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ print_disc_info(CdIo_t *p_cdio) {
 
     /* select language */
     if(cdtext_select_language(cdtext, EXAMPLE_PREF_LANG)) {
-        printf("%s selected.\n", EXAMPLE_PREF_LANG);
+        printf("%s selected.\n", cdtext_lang2str (EXAMPLE_PREF_LANG));
     } else {
         printf("'%s' is not available. Using '%s'\n", EXAMPLE_PREF_LANG,
                cdtext_lang2str (cdtext_get_language (cdtext)));
diff --git a/include/cdio++/cdtext.hpp b/include/cdio++/cdtext.hpp
index 263c2ac9..83edf7b9 100644
--- a/include/cdio++/cdtext.hpp
+++ b/include/cdio++/cdtext.hpp
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ cdtext_lang_t getLanguage()
 /*!
   selects a language
 */
-bool selectLanguage(const char *lang)
+bool selectLanguage(cdtext_lang_t lang)
 {
   return cdtext_select_language(p_cdtext, lang);
 }
diff --git a/include/cdio/cdtext.h b/include/cdio/cdtext.h
index 916eebc1..1fda0eaa 100644
--- a/include/cdio/cdtext.h
+++ b/include/cdio/cdtext.h
@@ -277,7 +277,7 @@ cdtext_lang_t cdtext_get_language (const cdtext_t *p_cdtext);
 
   @return true on success, false if language is not available
 */
-bool cdtext_select_language(cdtext_t *p_cdtext, const char *lang);
+bool cdtext_select_language(cdtext_t *p_cdtext, cdtext_lang_t lang);
 
 /*
   Returns a list of available languages or NULL.
diff --git a/lib/driver/cdtext.c b/lib/driver/cdtext.c
index 0986bd96..2584272a 100644
--- a/lib/driver/cdtext.c
+++ b/lib/driver/cdtext.c
@@ -342,24 +342,21 @@ cdtext_lang_t
   return false.
 
   @param p_cdtext the CD-TEXT object
-  @param language string representation of the language
+  @param language language identifier
 
   @return true on success, false if language is not available
 */
 bool
-cdtext_select_language(cdtext_t *p_cdtext, const char *language)
+cdtext_select_language(cdtext_t *p_cdtext, cdtext_lang_t language)
 {
-  cdtext_lang_t lang_id;
-  lang_id = cdtext_is_language(language);
-
   if(NULL == p_cdtext)
     return false;
 
-  if (CDTEXT_LANGUAGE_UNKNOWN != lang_id)
+  if (CDTEXT_LANGUAGE_UNKNOWN != language)
   {
     int i;
     for (i=0; i<CDTEXT_NUM_BLOCKS_MAX; i++) {
-      if (lang_id == p_cdtext->block[i].language_code) {
+      if (language == p_cdtext->block[i].language_code) {
         p_cdtext->block_i = i;
         return true;
       }
diff --git a/src/cd-info.c b/src/cd-info.c
index a120c8bd..f66cf98c 100644
--- a/src/cd-info.c
+++ b/src/cd-info.c
@@ -445,7 +445,7 @@ print_cdtext_info(CdIo_t *p_cdio, track_t i_tracks, track_t i_first_track) {
   languages = cdtext_list_languages(p_cdtext);
   for(i=0; i<8; i++)
     if ( CDTEXT_LANGUAGE_UNKNOWN != languages[i]
-         && cdtext_select_language(p_cdtext, cdtext_lang2str(languages[i])))
+         && cdtext_select_language(p_cdtext, languages[i]))
     {
       printf("\nLanguage %d '%s':\n", i, cdtext_lang2str(languages[i]));