The control panel preferences menu allows you to select a language and a background.
Language: To change the language setting, select your preferred language in the "Language" field, and click "Apply."
Background: To change your background color, click the color wheel. Select a colored square from the pop-up chooser, and click "Apply." Be sure that your background image is set to "(none)." To change your background image, select the name of the image from the "Image" drop-down menu and click "Apply." If a background image is selected, your background color will not be visible.
Please note that these settings will differ in case where the control panel has ben customized.