German-Speaking World

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.

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 UniversityThis 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 GroningenA truly excellent resource for German sociolinguistics. 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 LondonThis 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

• 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