Globalization and the future of German : with a select bibliography ; [... conference ... held in 2002 at New York University

Is the world en route to becoming a linguistic colony of the United States? Or is this dramatic view an exaggeration, and there is no danger to linguistic diversity at all? The German language is at the center of an intensive debate on this issue. Its position in the world is under increasing pressure due to the growing importance of (American) English as the language of globalization. The articles in this volume deal with the national and international position of German in relation to English, language policies, the future of German as a language of science, German in the USA, and the intellectual and aesthetic dimensions of encountering a foreign language. They present critical assessments addressing the dangers for the future of languages other than English, as well as positions which perceive the growing importance of English as a challenge and resource rather than as a threat. Key features: reknown editors famous contributors, among them Wolfgang Thierse (president of the German Bundestag), Peter Eisenberg (involved in the German spelling reform), David Crystal (famous linguist), representatives of the Goethe institute current and politically controversial topic: how does globalization influence the diversity of languages Contents 5 Globalization – Threats and Opportunities 15 The Past, Present, and Future of World English 39 English as Threat or Resourcein Continental Europe 59 Global English – a New Lingua Franca or a New Imperial Culture? 77 English Rules the World. What Will Become of German? 97 Language Policies in East and West. National Language Policies as a Response to the Pressures of Globalization 111 German as an Endangered Language? 133 Does “Denglish” Dedifferentiate Our Perceptions of Nature? The View of a Nature Lover and Language “Fighter” 151 German as an International Language of the Sciences - Recent Past and Present 169 The Future of German and Other Non-English Languages of Academic Communication 185 The German Language and the Linguistic Diversity of Europe 199 Language and National Identity 209 Yiddish and German: An On-Again, Off-Again Relationship - and Some of the More Important Factors Determining the Future of Yiddish 225 The Past and Future of the Pennsylvania German Language: Many Ways of Speaking German; Many Ways of Being American 241 Language Policies of the Goethe-Institut 257 The Kulturpolitik of German-Speaking Countries in the USA 265 Self-inflicted Wounds? Why German Enrollments are Dropping 277 Meeting the Challenge: The Future of German Study in the United States 293 German in Wisconsin: Language Change and Loss 305 The Seductive Aesthetics of Globalization: Semiotic Implications of Anglicisms in German 319 Critically “Kanak”: A Reimagination of German Culture 331 Globalization: A Look at the Positive Side 353 Select Bibliography 361 Annotation "The articles in this volume deal with the national and international position of German in relation to English, language policies, the future of German as a language of science, German in the USA, and the intellectual and aesthetic dimensions of encountering a foreign language. They present critical assessments addressing the dangers for the future of languages other than English, as well as positions which perceive the growing importance of English as a challenge and resource rather than as a threat."--BOOK JACKET. Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved