Variation in German: A Critical Approach to German Sociolinguistics

Description

This book, which examines the interrelations of language and society in German-speaking countries, is the most detailed account of German sociolinguistics to appear in English. Topics covered include the history and development of the German language, German as a minority language, traditional dialects, the influence of English on German, and German in the East and West. It will appeal to undergraduates and postgraduates whose background is in German but who have little or no previous knowledge of linguistics, and it has also been designed to be accessible to students and researchers in linguistics who have little or no knowledge of German, since all examples are translated.

"I highly recommend it to anyone seeking a comprehensive, lucid, lively, and extremely readable account of regional variation in German or the German research tradition in this field." Language "...by far the most comprehensive text available in the field...The text will benefit a diverse audience. For instructors and researchers interested in the German language, the book is a must, since it presents important information nowhere else available in such a concise, up-to-date, and generally well-organized manner. For the sociolinguist, the book presents one of the few successful attempts to apply the tradition of sociolinguistics to a single language system." Helga H. DeLisle, Polylingua "...an excellent example of a way to extend the boundaries of what is considered relevant and significant for language study." Mary E. Wildner-Bassett, The Modern Language Journal "...bring[s] a valuable multidimensional approach on a diachronic palette to the study of linguistic variation in German...I rather expect that Barbour and Stevenson will establish themselves as a regular entry on many graduate program reading lists." Craig W. Nickisch, German Studies Review