The German-Speaking World: A Practical Introduction to Sociolinguistic Issues

by Patrick Stevenson, Kristine Horner, Nils Langer, Gertrud Reershemius

Overview

The German-Speaking World is an accessible textbook that offers students the opportunity to explore for themselves a wide range of sociolinguistic issues relating to the German language and its role in the world.

This new, second edition has been fully revised to reflect the many political and social changes of the last 20 years including the impact of technology on language change. It continues to combine text with practical exercises and discussion questions to stimulate readers to think for themselves and to tackle specific problems.

Key features of this book:

• Informative and comprehensive: covers a wide range of current issues
• Practical: contains a variety of graded exercises and tasks plus an index of terms
• Topical and contemporary: deals with current situations and provides up-to-date illustrative material
• Thought-provoking: encourages students to reflect and research for themselves

The German-Speaking World is the ideal textbook for undergraduate students who have a sound practical knowledge of German but who have little or no knowledge of linguistics or sociolinguistics.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781138858398
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	10/10/2017
Series:	Routledge Language in Society
Edition description:	Revised
Pages:	194
Product dimensions:	6.88(w) x 9.69(h) x (d)

About the Author

Patrick Stevenson is Professor of German and Linguistics at the University of Southampton, UK.Kristine Horner is Reader in Luxembourg Studies and Multilingualism at the University of Sheffield, UK.Nils Langer is Professor of North Frisian and Minority Research at the University of Flensburg, Germany.Gertrud Reershemius is Professor of Linguistics and Language Contact at Aston University, UK.

Table of Contents

Part one The Position of German in the World 1 German: language, people, place 2 Language and national identity3 German in the globalised world of the twenty-first century Part two Aspects of German in Use 4 Regional variation 5 Standard German 6 Patterns of variation and change in contemporary German 7 New styles of spoken German 8 Mediated language 9 Linguistic landscapes Part three Sociolinguistic Controversies 10 Linguistic purism 11 Language and education 12 Language and citizenship

Editorial Reviews

This new and completely updated edition of Patrick Stevenson's The German-Speaking World will be welcomed by all colleagues who teach courses on German sociolinguistics. The three new authors are experts in different fields and between them they cover a wide range of topics, all of them throwing light on the complex and fascinating relationship between language and society in the German-speaking world in the twenty-first century. The book will be a rich resource for lecturers and students, with its accessible style and layout and its well designed and imaginative tasks, which encourage reflection on and critical engagement with the topics.

Wini Davies, Aberystwyth University

This new edition presents a comprehensive view of German sociolinguistics, written in an accessible manner but containing a strong theoretical foundation. The material in this volume provides an excellent introduction for any student who wishes to understand how language contributes to the socio-political development of Europe, addressing issues of immigration, national identities, multilingualism and the role of media, and looking at both institutional practices and everyday conversation.

Janet Fuller, University of Groningen

A truly excellent resource for German sociolingui

stics. It offers a detailed, critical and scholarly account of contemporary German, with clear explanations, a rich variety of up-to-date examples, and a wealth of suggestions for in-class activities, reflective tasks and independent research projects. An ideal textbook for undergraduates, postgraduates, established scholars, and anyone with an interest in the German language today.

Geraldine Horan, University College London

This thoroughly updated and expanded second edition of the classic textbook makes it possible for those of us who teach in the area of German sociolinguistics to continue using the best book on the market without sacrificing attention to more recent world events and cutting-edge research in the field.

Jennifer Dailey-O'Cain, University of Alberta

From the Publisher