In this course, we engage with issues of societal multilingualism from different angles. The sociolinguistic point of view questions the interrelation of language and power such as in the dichotomy between minority languages versus majority languages in European-type nation states. We will have a look at different forms of multilingualism, language policies and language engineering in different countries around the world and also touch upon the topics of language endangerment and linguistic human rights. Furthermore, we will learn how multilingualism comes about at the individual level, that is in multilingual language acquisition. The phenomenon of ‘heritage languages’ is a recent topic with the aim of understanding how typical forms of multilingualism arise in Western societies in speakers with different home languages as opposed to the country’s official language, such as for example Turkish or Russian in Germany. Finally, when different languages are used by the same speakers, there will be inevitably contact between the languages. If the coexistence of bilingual speakers expands over a larger geographical area for some time, particular features of language contact and convergence can develop. We will shed light on the most common structural outcomes of language contact.
- Moderator/in: Petra Lande-Haustermann
- Moderator/in: Laurentia Schreiber
Semester: 2024/25 Wintersemester