diff --git a/markdownify/__init__.py b/markdownify/__init__.py
index 82e7fbd..a9572c8 100644
--- a/markdownify/__init__.py
+++ b/markdownify/__init__.py
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ class MarkdownConverter(object):
         strong_em_symbol = ASTERISK
         sub_symbol = ''
         sup_symbol = ''
-        language = None
+        code_language = ''
 
     class Options(DefaultOptions):
         pass
@@ -325,10 +325,7 @@ class MarkdownConverter(object):
     def convert_pre(self, el, text, convert_as_inline):
         if not text:
             return ''
-        if not self.options['language']:
-            return '\n```\n%s\n```\n' % text
-        else:
-            return f'\n```{self.options["language"]}\n%s\n```\n' % text
+        return '\n```%s\n%s\n```\n' % (self.options['code_language'], text)
 
     convert_s = convert_del
 
diff --git a/tests/test_conversions.py b/tests/test_conversions.py
index fd97234..6cf39ac 100644
--- a/tests/test_conversions.py
+++ b/tests/test_conversions.py
@@ -213,5 +213,5 @@ def test_sup():
 
 
 def test_lang():
-    assert md('<pre>test\n    foo\nbar</pre>', language='python') == '\n```python\ntest\n    foo\nbar\n```\n'
-    assert md('<pre><code>test\n    foo\nbar</code></pre>', language='javascript') == '\n```javascript\ntest\n    foo\nbar\n```\n'
+    assert md('<pre>test\n    foo\nbar</pre>', code_language='python') == '\n```python\ntest\n    foo\nbar\n```\n'
+    assert md('<pre><code>test\n    foo\nbar</code></pre>', code_language='javascript') == '\n```javascript\ntest\n    foo\nbar\n```\n'