diff --git a/.changeset/young-ghosts-wink.md b/.changeset/young-ghosts-wink.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a952d42
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/young-ghosts-wink.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+"@bicou/directus-extension-imagga": patch
+---
+
+use english as default language
diff --git a/src/index.ts b/src/index.ts
index 33d37e1..c7bb321 100644
--- a/src/index.ts
+++ b/src/index.ts
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ export default defineHook(({ action }, { services, logger }) => {
    * If you’d like to get a translation of the tags in other languages, you should use the language parameter.
    * Specify the languages you want to receive your results in, separated by comma.
    */
-  const IMAGGA_TAGS_LANGUAGE = environment['IMAGGA_TAGS_LANGUAGE'] as string
+  const IMAGGA_TAGS_LANGUAGE = environment['IMAGGA_TAGS_LANGUAGE'] as string ?? 'en'
 
   /**
    * Limits the number of tags in the result to the number you set.