After generall discussion on the relation of language and communication, this seminar will focus on controversial present-day aspects of the modern German language. On the one hand the inherent multilingualism of the German language will be discussed: geographical, sociological, historical and situational language varieties are challenging native speakers as well as foreign learners.
Using the example of individual texts, aspects such as orality and literacy, dialect, colloquial and standard language as well as youth language, gender language and technical language will be debated. On the other hand contact linguistics and the controversy whether the use of Anglicisms endangers the German language or not will be examined.
This course is taught in German.