Language contact, convergence, and attitudes: The case of English in Germany

Although there is extensive research on Anglicisms in German (cf. for example Carstensen 1965; Carstensen et al 1993--96; Fink 1970, 1980, 1995), few studies look beyond the level of lexical borrowing to consider other aspects and dimensions of English-German contact. In summarizing past research on the influence of English, Clyne (1995: 202) underlines this fact by explicitly identifying the "need for macrosociolinguistic studies on the use of functions of (spoken and written) English in the German-language countries, both internally and in communication with people from other countries.";This qualitative study addresses Clyne's desideratum in part by examining the role of English in the Federal Republic of Germany. Using Kachru's (1990) world Englishes model as a theoretical framework, the dissertation presents a macrosociolinguistic profile of the English language, its users and uses within the German context. Incorporating perspectives from research in the sociology of language, language contact, language variation, and discourse analysis, the study addresses the following aspects for an assessment of the impact of English: (a) the history of contact; (b) the functional range and domains of use (e.g. business, politics, the media, advertising, science and academic research); and (c) the attitudes and identities associated with English as a foreign/second language.;The primary objectives of the dissertation are to examine the nativization and acculturation of English to the German situation of context, while also considering the simultaneous Englishization of German as a result of language contact and convergence. Aside from providing a more comprehensive assessment of the influence of English, the study also has relevance for other research areas, such as multilingualism in Germany and language use within the context of the European Union.