Language and Identity

In her book on Russian-German dialects, Nina Berend, professor of German studies and director of the “Migration Linguistics” department at the Institute for German Language, portrays a fascinating language microcosm.More ...

German scientists and scholars are increasingly publishing their work in English. Some scientists now assume that English will eventually prevail as the lingua franca of European science.More ...

For years there have been heated discussions about the diminishing importance of German in the science world. But what are the disadvantages being debated?More ...

If you want to achieve anything in life you have to speak High German. That is at least the prevailing attitude these days. But it’s different on the arts and culture scene, where dialects are not just a sign of authenticity but also a source of comic relief.More ...

Young children love books. But according to a study, 42 per cent of all parents do not read to their preschool children. Many projects are intended to familiarise children with books.More ...

Germany’s official language is German. But it does not say so in the Basic Law. Some politicians would like to change that. We present the views of philologist Dr Holger Klatte and Edo Reents of the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.More ...

According to UNESCO, roughly half of the estimated 6,700 languages spoken worldwide are in danger of extinction. In addition to the dialects in German enclaves around the world, a number of minority languages within Germany are also in that list.More ...

Comparisons of babies a few days old show that even newborns cry in their mother tongue. The reason for this is presumably the different intonation patterns in the two languages, which are already perceived in the uterus.More ...

Researchers from the European University Viadrina in Frankfurt have taken a closer look at the transformation of language in the German enclave.More ...

Language barriers at public authorities, in schools and businesses often hamper the integration of immigrants. Researchers are now studying the phenomenon and are seeking solutions.More ...

While it is still a matter of debate as to whether German should be established by Constitutional Law as a national language, two exhibitions in Bonn and Berlin are occupied with the history of the German language. And: getting to know the history of the language is a good basis for discussion. An Interview with Dr. Jürgen Reiche, the Curator of the Bonn Exhibition entitled “One Speaks German”.More ...

Is science nowadays still multilingual, and what role does the German language play in science? We discussed this question with Felix Grigat, the editor in charge of the university and scientific journal Forschung & Lehre (i.e. Research & Teaching).More ...

The writer and journalist talks with Klaus Hübner about his linguistic homeland, multi-lingualism and ‘literary patchwork identity’.More ...

Words are the archives of life. To rely on words, to rely on the word, is always a posture towards the world, a becoming of the world, a creation. In words, even in the semi-colon that brings sentences into the flow of breathing, bounds them up with the living breathe, live memories. An essay by Marica BodrožićMore ...

German public bodies often cultivate a language that is hard to understand. Thus, it is not only Germans who have problems understanding what is being asked of them in official letters.More ...

The holidaymakers on Sylt are still asleep, but in the Danish kindergarten on the North Sea island everyone is already wide awake. In the kitchen three children are peeling potatoes for lunch – "Grønsagssuppe", vegetable soup, is on today's menu. The educator explains to them in Danish how to clean the vegetables.More ...

Secret languages have a thousand-years old history. Today encoding is a firmly fixed element of our everyday life: without encrypting, modern data communication would be unthinkable.More ...

The Archive for Spoken German in Mannheim boasts over 15,000 recordings so that future generations can hear how different German sounded in different regions and parts of the earth.More ...