Andreas Gardt, Bernd Hüppauf, "Globalization and the Future of German"
Andreas Gardt, Bernd Hüppauf, "Globalization and the Future of German"
Publisher: De Gruyter | 2004 | ISBN: 3110179180 | English | PDF | 387 pages | 2.68 Mb
Publisher: De Gruyter | 2004 | ISBN: 3110179180 | English | PDF | 387 pages | 2.68 Mb
It seems justified to say that in Europe language has never before been the subject of heated, or even public, debate, as was the case in the decades around the year 2000. It had by this time become obvious that English was now the dominant language world-wide. The implications, as well as possible responses to the continuing rise of English differ greatly between languages and nations. It is no surprise that the language debate was particularly heated in Europe since European languages are losing their traditional position and societies are concerned about the reduction of their national language to a ‘small language.’
Is the world en route to becoming a linguistic colony of the United States? Or is this dramatic view an exaggeration, and there is no danger to linguistic diversity at all? The German language is at the center of an intensive debate on this issue. Its position in the world is under increasing pressure due to the growing importance of (American) English as the language of globalization. The articles in this volume deal with the national and international position of German in relation to English, language policies, the future of German as a language of science, German in the USA, and the intellectual and aesthetic dimensions of encountering a foreign language. They present critical assessments addressing the dangers for the future of languages other than English, as well as positions which perceive the growing importance of English as a challenge and resource rather than as a threat. Key features: reknown editors famous contributors, among them Wolfgang Thierse (president of the German Bundestag), Peter Eisenberg (involved in the German spelling reform), David Crystal (famous linguist), representatives of the Goethe institute current and politically controversial topic: how does globalization influence the diversity of languages.
About the Authors
Andreas Gardt is Professor of German Studies at the University of Kassel, Germany. Bernd Huppauf is Professor of German Studies at New York University, USA.
Andreas Gardt, Bernd Hüppauf, "Globalization and the Future of German"
