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This paper presents the investigation and analysis of speech accommodation effects in data obtained from Spanish learners of German with varying proficiency levels. The production data were recorded during a collaborative map task of the Spanish learners of German among each other and with a native speaker of German. The map task was designed to target words and phrases with specific segmental and suprasegmental characteristics. These characteristics were derived from contrastive analyses of Spanish and German. The main objectives of the paper were to investigate whether segmental and suprasegmental characteristics of the target language German are affected by phonetic accommodation to varying degrees and whether these differences depend on the proficiency level of the speaker or the interlocutor. The statistical analysis, using regression analyses, revealed inconsistent accommodation effects across learners of different proficiency levels as well as different linguistic phenomena. In line with previous findings the results can best be accounted for by an adaptation of a dynamic system approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Refugees' access to psychotherapeutic care is insufficient in Germany. One factor particularly contributing to hindering their access to adequate therapeutic care is a lack of provision of language mediation. This paper aims to explore the institutional system in which the financing of language mediation in the context of the medical treatment of asylum seekers in Germany is located. It examines why the language barrier problem resulting from a lack of financing is not being solved, even though it has been well known for years as a structural problem of day-patient health care to refugees and migrants in Germany. Design/methodology/approach: The financing of language mediation is analysed against the background of theories of the so-called "shunting yard", in which public responsibilities for the assumption of costs are shifted from one level and actor to the other, thus preventing sustainable solutions being achieved. A mix of qualitative methods including the evaluation of official documents, reports and secondary literature, and of 23 expert interviews was used. Findings: The financing of language mediation is a perfect example of the "shunting yard" phenomenon, with responsibilities being shifted between federal government, health insurance bodies and the municipalities in Germany. This paper argues that the specific financing structure in the German federal system can be viewed as a reason for the non-solution of the language barrier that hinders refugees' access to health care. Originality/value: The problem of the financing of language mediation in the context of health care has been rarely treated from a social sciences perspective. This paper contributes to addressing this gap. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to actively participate in a globalised and digitalised world, students must develop a wide range of competencies from a very early age onwards, among them, communicative competencies in the English language and digital skills. To this end, technology has become a strong ally for teachers, utilizing the strengths of smartboards and the like. Yet, the digital infrastructure in German schools is rather limited. Thus, digital reading pens have become popular, as their use does not require internet access. Whether those pens add any value to formal language learning processes, however, is a question TEFL research has just started to find an answer to. The study in this paper aims to discover the benefits of digital reading pens in a primary foreign language classroom in Germany. Two separate studies were conducted; the first focused on reading aloud competencies and the second focused on English vocabulary, pronunciation and spelling. Both study samples consisted of 3rd grade primary students, who were divided into a control group that worked with the teacher and an experimental group that worked with the reading pen. In both studies, both groups showed an increase in all aforementioned variables, regardless of the source of input, i.e. language model, they used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Computer‐based assessment allows for the monitoring of reader behaviour. The identification of patterns in this behaviour can provide insights that may be useful in informing educational interventions. Objectives: Our study aims to explore what different patterns of reading activity exist, and investigates their interpretation and consistency across different task sets (units), countries, and languages. Three patterns were expected: on‐task, exploring and disengaged. Methods: Using log data from the PISA 2012 digital reading assessment (9226 students from seven countries), we conducted hierarchical cluster analyses with typical process indicators of digital reading assessments. We identified different patterns and explored whether they remained consistent across different units. To validate the interpretation of the identified patterns, we examined their relationship to performance and student characteristics (gender, socio‐economic status, print reading skills). Results and Conclusions: The results indicate a small number of transnational clusters, with unit‐specific differences. Cluster interpretation is supported by associations with student characteristics—for example, students with low print reading skills were more likely to show a disengaged pattern than proficient readers. Exploring behaviour tended to be exhibited only once across the three units: It occurred in the first unit for proficient readers and in later units for less skilled readers. Major Takeaways: Behavioural patterns can be identified in digital reading tasks that may prove useful for educational monitoring and intervention. Although task situations are designed to evoke certain behaviours, the interpretation of observed behavioural patterns requires validation based on task requirements, assessment context and relationships to other available information. Lay Description: What is already known about the subject matter?: Students differ in how they read, comprehend and use digital information.Indicators from process data provide insight about how students engage with digital reading tasks. What does this paper add to the subject matter?: Based on multiple process indicators, a small number of clusters indicating different behavioural activity can be distinguished.These clusters can be described as on‐task, passive, hasty, exploring, disengaged, persistent and lost interest.A meaningful interpretation of the clusters must consider the requirements of the underlying tasks. Implications for practice and/or policy: Knowledge of how students engage with digital resources may provide useful feedback for teachers to guide students' learning or intervene when they struggle.Educational monitoring: The high comparability of country‐specific results suggests an invariant set of solution strategies in the digital reading assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper argues for a greater consideration of the role of register in the retention of heritage languages by analyzing data on adolescent heritage-language speakers in Germany. The study addresses the following question: Which language external factors have the greatest impact on heritage-language retention in the intimate vs formal registers? A questionnaire was filled out by 202 students (age 15–17) in an urban area in Germany, who are all heritage-language speakers of 42 different languages. The major finding of this study is that heritage-language retention is determined by different language-external factors in each register. The fact that different models of heritage-language retention can be postulated for different language registers emphasizes the need to describe the language competences of heritage-language speakers according to registers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines changes in the practice of street culture among non-violent young adult men. Many individuals who participate in street culture behave and talk in a pretty rough way among each other and act almost aggressively. This is done for establishing a certain reputation and self-image that relates to street culture rules and it is even widespread among non-violent players of this milieu. A comprehensive look on their behavior includes modifications of street culture practices in adult life. Another aspect of the fluid nature of street culture are crumbling ethnic barriers in this milieu in Germany. The latter contributes to further modifications, for instance, in social contacts and language use. The author provides supportive evidence from the existing literature and field work he has done in Germany. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present article introduces the Special Issue entitled "A Variational Pragmatic Approach to Regional Variation in Language", a collection of papers which celebrates the work of Klaus P. Schneider (Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms- Universität Bonn, Germany) on the occasion of his 60th birthday. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Though Germany has long provided education for children speaking a heritage language and received two recent waves of refugees, reliable assessment tools for diagnosis of language impairment or the progress in the acquisition of German as a second language (L2) by refugee children are still lacking. The few tools expressly targeting bilingual populations are normed for younger, early successive bilingual children. This study investigates 27 typically developing children with Arabic as first language (L1), comparing 15 school-age Syrian refugees (6;6–12;8), with 12 heritage speakers (6;0–12;9). We assess the L1 and L2 skills of these two groups with standardized tests, but crucially with an Arabic and a German sentence repetition (SRT) as well as a nonword (NWRT) repetition task (Grimm & Hübner, in press; Marinis & Armon-Lotem, 2015). Comparable scores emerged only for German LITMUS-NWRT and Arabic LITMUS-SRT. Refugee children had an advantage in L1 measures, for example, vocabulary and morphosyntactic production, whereas they performed poorly in the German LITMUS-SRT and other L2 tests involving morphosyntax and vocabulary even with 24 months of systematic exposure. This indicates that the acquisition of adequate vocabulary and complex syntax takes time. The paper explores factors influencing performance on the repetition tasks and relates the results to established diagnostic procedures and educational policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay analyses the use of the term "gender madness" and "lost manliness" in the discourse of the right-wing populist Alternative für Deutschland (AFD). It draws on analyses of public statements, policy papers, manifestos and public speeches. It argues that the "gender" theme constitutes a discoursive cluster that is used link otherwise eclectic policies. Furthermore, it is utilised to articulate certain folkish and ethno-nationalist ideas while at the same time helping to avoid open references to extremist language. By presenting itself as the custodian of traditional heterosexuality and family values the AFD creates yet another dimension of the populist dichotomy of "us" versus "them". This is underpinned by a sophisticated media strategy that seeks create an image of authenticity and immediacy between party and supporters. On the whole, the piece analyses and explains the central importance of "anti-genderism" in the discourse of the populist right in Germany. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Linguists are traditionally reluctant to contribute to public discussions around language, especially where politics is involved. With the exception of George Lakoff, this has also been true of cognitive linguists in particular. Only recently have some members of the cognitive linguistics community more actively participated in such discussions. In particular, Elisabeth Wehling and myself have, independently of each other, contributed to linguistic debates surrounding the linguistic representation of refugees in Germany during the so-called European refugee crisis beginning in 2015. In this paper, I take a closer look at these contributions and evaluate them in terms of their empirical foundations. Based on this evaluation, I then briefly discuss the goals of, and preconditions to a more systematic approach to a usage-based public commentary on (political) language. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Acta Linguistica Lithuanica is the property of Institute of the Lithuanian Language and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Language does not only play an active part in all processes of comprehension, recognition and learning, it is also essential for specific religious learning processes. Religious experiences and traditions have their own characteristic linguistic forms, and religious education has come to realise the necessity for an appropriate sensibility in religious language. Yet while linguistic features of religion or tradition have been widely discussed and developed, the use of religious language with regard to the learning subjects remains a significant, if not unknown, variable. What do we actually know about the religious language of students? How do we systematically assess their linguistic competence? By presenting selected results regarding the God-talk of German secondary school students, this paper shows how empirical research based on a corpus linguistic approach can provide access to the use of religious language. As such, the paper first aims to initiate a paradigm shift from looking at the linguistic features of content to exploring the language use of learners. Second, it aims to present a research framework that offers possibilities for further comparable and comparative research well beyond the original German speaking context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

If learning materials are presented in either a conversational or formal language style, people will process them differently. This study reports an experiment in which 64 high school students watched an educational video in a massive open online course scenario in which the instructions were phrased either conversationally or formally. The video demonstrated and explained the psychological McGurk effect. After watching the video, participants performed a transfer task. Learning outcomes were assessed and answers were analysed by using Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count. Results showed better learning outcomes for participants in the conversational (vs. formal) condition. Participants in the formal (vs. conversational) condition referred more to others in their answers. Implications for the design of massive open online courses are discussed. Lay Description: What is currently known about the subject matter: Language styles can affect individual dealing with learning materials.Addressing learners directly in the learning material can support transfer performance.Massive open online courses (MOOCs) have become the most prominent form of online learning in higher education.High school students (future students) are a new group of MOOC users. What this paper adds: MOOCs contain a social dimension, which might be crucial for individual learning.Most MOOCs do not ask for transferring knowledge of just learned materials.Conversational language in the instruction led to better transfer performance and more self‐directedness.Instructional language styles affect individual dealing with learning materials in a MOOC scenario. Implications of study findings for practitioners: MOOCs should apply conversational language style instructions for deeper learning.Conversational language style instructions and transfer tasks are easy to implement in already existing MOOCs.Being personally addressed in a MOOC might be a key for enhancing learners' involvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper deals with the construction of race from the perspective of cognitive sociolinguistics. The focus is upon the perception of mixed-race people of black and white heritage in Poland and Germany compared to the USA, and its reflection in language use. The study clarifies in how far a socially marked perception of biracial people applies in these countries with very small population of black ancestry. Among other things, the first presidential campaign of Barack Obama is used to investigate the occurrence in both countries of mental colouring of biracial people. The paper also reflects the language debate on political correctness of the press language, sparked off by the presidential campaign and its media coverage. It presents claims and arguments by proponents of various solutions regarding referring to biracial people, and paradoxes showing up in the relationship between language use and ideological positions when the race issue is at stake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

. A central question regarding the syntax-semantics interface is the extent to which semantic primitives correspond one-to-one with syntactic primitives. proposed that all possession structures can be derived from an underlying locative structure, extending the work of . This paper argues that such a unified approach is untenable, as there are possession expressions in Icelandic that cannot be derived from locative structures. The Icelandic vera með construction, translated as 'is with', provides important insight into the nature of have verbs. It is argued, along the lines of and , that have is derived from nonlocative prepositions like English with as in the man with blue eyes. A microcomparative investigation within Germanic supports an analysis whereby the variation in incorporation is correlated with variations in p heads. This analysis allows for a more natural account of the differences between have and be languages beyond Germanic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ideology plays a very important role in the development of policies related to language and naturalization. Drawing on notions proposed by Piller (2001) of identity and ideology and their influence in the development of citizenship legislation, this paper takes a close look at the case of Germany. By tracing the roots of prevailing language ideologies in Germany, such as the as ‘one nation-one language’ belief, and the related belief of language as intrinsic to Germanness, this paper will illustrate how ideologies affect both policies, such as the 2000 Immigration Reform Act and its imposition of new language tests, and certain issues of identity related to nationhood and citizenship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Revised Hierarchical Model (RHM) proposed by Kroll and Stewart has been one of the most influential models of late multilingual language processing. While the model has provided valuable insights into language processing mechanisms, the role of contextual factors for the RHM has not been investigated to date. Such contextual effects could be manifold, including individual speakers' language profiles (such as age of acquisition, proficiency, and immersion experiences), experimental factors (such as different instruction languages), and environmental factors (such as societal language(s)). Additionally, it also appears promising to investigate the applicability of the RHM to non-native multilingual speakers from diverse backgrounds. To investigate whether some of the mentioned contextual factors affect non-native language processing, we designed three online experiments requiring answers in German and English, but tested speakers whose first language was neither German nor English. They performed a series of translation, picture-naming, and recall tasks based on Kroll and Stewart, as well as providing detailed information on their proficiencies, profiles of language use, and exposure. Experiment 1, conducted with speakers living in Germany, established the paradigm and investigated the role of individual differences in linguistic background. While Experiment 2 focused on the short-term effects of the experimental context by varying whether instructions were provided in German or in English, Experiment 3 examined the longer-term role of the current language environment by comparing individuals living in German-speaking countries with speakers living in societies where neither experimental language is spoken regularly. As in Kroll and Stewart, both the response language and the list type constituted key variables affecting response times and accuracy, known as language asymmetry and category interference. Importantly, the strength of this asymmetry was affected by participants' immersion experiences, suggesting a certain dynamic development in multilingual language processing. In addition, context also seemed to play a role for experimental performance, especially the language environment examined in Experiment 3. Hence, speakers' individual linguistic backgrounds and experience with the experimental languages, as well as additional contextual factors, need to be considered when conducting multilingual experiments and drawing conclusions about multilinguistic processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: According to most models of spoken word recognition, listeners probabilistically activate a set of lexical candidates, which is incrementally updated as the speech signal unfolds. Speech carries segmental (speech sound) as well as suprasegmental (prosodic) information. The role of the latter in spoken word recognition is less clear. We investigated how suprasegments (tone and voice quality) in three North Germanic language varieties affected lexical access by scrutinizing temporally fine-grained neurophysiological effects of lexical uncertainty and information gain. Method: Three event-related potential (ERP) studies were reanalyzed. In all varieties investigated, suprasegments are associated with specific word endings. Swedish has two lexical “word accents” realized as pitch falls with different timings across dialects. In Danish, the distinction is in voice quality. We combined pronunciation lexica and frequency lists to calculate estimates of lexical uncertainty about an unfolding word and information gain upon hearing a suprasegmental cue and the segment upon which it manifests. We used single-trial mixed-effects regression models run every 4 ms. Results: Only lexical uncertainty showed solid results: a frontal effect at 150-400 ms after suprasegmental cue onset and a later posterior effect after 200 ms. While a model including only segmental information mostly performed better, it was outperformed by the suprasegmental model at 200-330 ms at frontal sites. Conclusions: The study points to suprasegmental cues contributing to lexical access over and beyond segments after around 200 ms in the North Germanic varieties investigated. Furthermore, the findings indicate that a previously reported “pre-activation negativity” predominantly reflects forward-looking processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim This paper explores the experiences of older German Australians, with a focus on their support needs and preferences in later life. Methods Data were collected through qualitative semi-structured interviews. Data analysis incorporated a systematic concept matrix approach to content analysis. Results The findings of the study indicate that older German Australians have adapted well to the Australian way of life. Their high English language proficiency allowed them to source services without the barrier of language often reported in studies of older migrants. They did not show high interest in ethno-specific services. Conclusion Few studies have been conducted on older German Australians, and none focuses specifically on their experience of ageing in Australia. This study contributes to the body of knowledge on older migrants and, specifically, on those for whom language is not necessarily a major obstacle to obtaining aged care information or services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the structure and emergence of a new construction in German, the wie-X- ist-das-denn! exclamative (roughly corresponding to 'How X is that!'), usually with X being an evaluative adjective. A quantitative and qualitative investigation based on the DeReKo (German reference corpus) shows that the construction is spreading also in written German. It also reveals a clear prototype with little variation (the latter affecting the placement and use of the modal question particle denn, the use of other pronouns than das, and the use of non-evaluative adjectives in the X position). On the basis of a discussion of the construction's relationship to various neighbouring constructions it is shown that it strongly resembles the German leading question construction, but differs from the latter above all in invariably placing the nuclear accent on the demonstrative das. It is argued that the most plausible origin of the new construction therefore is a blend of the leading question construction with the prosodic exclamative construction, which has led to the cancellation of the implicature inherent in leading questions. While in leading questions, the implicature is that the proposition contained in it is wrong, the new exclamative construction has a direct semantic-pragmatic reading which can be paraphrased as an expression of the speaker's surprise about the degree to which the property expressed in the X-position applies to the referent of das. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of European Journal of Social Work is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper explores how internationalization is understood and experienced in German academic libraries. Its main purpose is to move the discussion of internationalization in academic libraries beyond the boundaries of English-speaking North America by investigating a European perspective. Its secondary purpose is to investigate the role of English in German academic libraries. An online survey and a series of in-person interviews conducted in Germany in April 2015 provided the data for this study. What emerged are a series of stated differences and similarities between North America and Germany informed by the two overarching themes of implicit internationalization and plurilingualism, the ability to switch from one language to another as required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, I present new data from several German dialects concerning the order of pronominal subjects and objects. The data are taken from three sources (Wenker survey, Bavarian Linguistic Atlas, Syntax of Hessian Dialects) and cover a time span of nearly 150 years, thus providing a very robust empirical basis. Although the canonical order in all German varieties is subject before object and this serialization holds for pronominal as well as for non-pronominal arguments, a certain proportiom of reverse orders for pronouns is attested in all three data sources. That is, there are speakers of various dialectal varieties who prefer object before subject as the unmarked order of pronouns (e.g., haben dir sie geholfen lit. 'have you they helped'). I will try to explain the emergence of the reverse order adopting the null subject cycle (NSC) proposed by Fuß and Wratil () as a point of departure and modifying it into a more general pronoun cycle (PC): The PC implies the development of reduced pronouns out of full ones, which then replace clitic or null pronouns (depending on the person and number combination). The reverse order comprises the steps in the cycle where a clitic or a null subject pronoun is replaced with a reduced subject pronoun out of which eventually a clitic pronoun evolves. The reduced subject pronoun follows the object clitic as the clitic subject does as well for a short period of time before it is placed again before the object clitic. In the concluding section I discuss the observable mismatch between morphological paradigms and the syntactic level, in that syntax requires a tripartite distinction for which morphology mostly provides only two distinct forms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Through a comparison of France and Germany, this article investigates why the overall conception of multilingualism promoted by the education systems of the two countries favours the teaching of ‘useful’ European standard languages over that of minority and migrant languages that are conceived in merely cultural terms. Adopting a theoretical framework of historical institutionalism, I will argue that the tension between the utilitarian and the cultural dimension characterizing contemporary multilingual education policies in France and Germany results from the separate institutionalization of general foreign language education policies on the one hand and language-of-origin, regional and minority language courses on the other hand. The demonstration builds on an analysis of policy documents, press archives and interviews conducted with education officials, policy-makers, language teachers’ associations and parental organizations. The paper will show that despite trends towards their incorporation and unification of these two sectors of language education after the diffusion of the paradigm of multilingualism since the beginning of the 1990s in Europe, it is the historically more deeply entrenched utilitarian logic of the sector of general language education that remains prevalent in the conception of contemporary multilingual education policies in France and Germany. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The collocations of the multi-word combinations are typically classified according to several criteria. The objective of this paper is to analyze the legal verbal-noun combinations excerpted from the first edition of the German civil law, in terms of their collocational status. Our methods are based on and extend the concept of the micro- and macrostructure of collocations, due to Irsula Peña (1994). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports on the prosody of rhetorical questions (RQs) and information-seeking questions (ISQs) in German for two question types—polar questions and constituent questions (henceforth " wh -questions"). The results are as follows: Phonologically, polar RQs were mainly realized with H-% (high plateau), while polar ISQs mostly ended in H-^H% (high-rise). Wh -RQs almost exclusively terminated in a low edge tone, whereas wh -ISQs allowed for more tonal variation (L-%, L-H%, H-^H%). Irrespective of question type, RQs were mainly produced with L*+H accents. Phonetically, RQs were more often realized with breathy voice quality than ISQs, in particular in the beginning of the interrogative. Furthermore, they were produced with longer constituent durations than ISQs, in particular at the end of the interrogative. While the difference between RQs and ISQs is reflected in the intonational terminus of the utterance, this does not happen in the way suggested in the semantic literature, and in addition, accent type and phonetic parameters also play a role. Crucially, a simple distinction between rising and falling intonation is insufficient to capture the realization of the different illocution types (RQs, ISQs), against frequent claims in the semantic and pragmatic literature. We suggest alternative ways to interpret the findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This survey study aimed to establish current clinical practices of German-speaking speech-language pathologists (SLPs) regarding their assessment and treatment of communication disorders in children with neurological conditions, with a particular focus on the management of childhood dysarthria. Method: A 23-question cross-sectional online survey was disseminated to practicing SLPs in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland via relevant professional bodies. SLPs were invited to provide information on their current assessment and treatment practices. Demographic data including case load and clinical settings were also gathered to contextualize practices. Results: One hundred two SLPs responded to the survey, of which 68 valid responses were analyzed. German-speaking SLPs comprehensively assess and treat various aspects of overall communication, language, and swallowing functions in children with neurological conditions. Speech motor aspects did not represent a main intervention focus. In cases where the dysarthric component was targeted, specific approaches for childhood dysarthria were rarely used. Instead, SLPs reported using approaches developed for speech disorders other than dysarthria. Conclusions: German-speaking SLPs working with children with neurological conditions use various assessment and treatment methods to support children's communication. However, dysarthria-specific approaches were not an established part of clinical practice. Results of the survey highlight the need for access to relevant developments in German and for evaluation of current curricula for speech-language pathology students and continuing education opportunities for practicing clinicians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, I discuss three small observations that I have made in the course of my years of working with English-speaking patients in Berlin. First, I will show how the experience of moving from one country to another tends to increase the likelihood of the use of primitive defence mechanisms as a protection against the difficulties of everyday life and in relationships in the new country. Second, I suggest that moving around the world has become a significant component of modern living in a globalised world. The danger of this social development is an increase in the use of splitting and in the use of ‘psychic retreats’ [Steiner, J. (1993).Psychic retreats. London: Routledge] in an attempt to uphold an idealised inner and outer world without pain or conflict. Third, I would like to underline the importance in psychoanalysis of helping the patient to mourn the losses he has experienced (the loss of his home country but also inner losses), and accepting the ‘facts of life’ [Money-Kyrle, R. (1971). The aim of psychoanalysis.International Journal of Psychoanalysis, 52, 103–106] which he had previously denied, with the aim of integrating past and present, inner fantasy and outer reality, and the various experiences of self that he has made in his various countries. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Copyright of Jezikoslovlje is the property of University of Osijek, Faculty of Philosophy and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The paper describes a research project into heritage education. Taking an interdisciplinary perspective from within the field of Humanities and Language Education, it presents a project on language and culture. It aims to expose students to a selection of German memorial places in Penang, Malaysia that introduces German as well as Malaysian history from the early 19th century up to the Second World War into the DaF-classroom (DaF - German-as-a-Foreign-Language). The study of German personalities in Penang acts as a stimulus to change the perceptions of Malaysian students towards their own Malaysian history and towards Germany. The main focus is a didactic-methodical processing of some examples of class activities for the purpose of self-directed learning [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Discourse: Journal of Childhood & Adolescense Research / Diskurs Kindheits- und Jugendforschung is the property of Verlag Barbara Budrich GmbH and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper explores connections between identity and language use in lingua franca contexts by investigating identity construction among Finnish users of English as revealed in interviews conducted both before and after a period spent in Germany. The focus is on the users' own stories of their language use and learning, and on the discursive construction of identities. The study draws on poststructuralist theories of identity construction, combining them with research that focuses on language learners' identity construction or on identity issues in contexts with English as a lingua franca. This paper illustrates how language users actively draw on different discourses in constructing their identities as foreign language users. Artikkelissa tarkastellaan identiteetin ja kielen käytön suhdetta tilanteissa, joissa englantia käytetään lingua francana. Identiteetin rakentumista tutkitaan haastattelemalla suomalaisia englannin kielen käyttäjiä sekä ennen heidän muutaman kuukauden mittaista oleskeluaan Saksassa että sen jälkeen. Tavoitteena on tarkastella kielenkäyttäjien omia käsityksiä kielenkäytöstä ja kielen oppimisesta sekä diskursiivista identiteettien rakentumista. Tutkimus pohjautuu poststrukturalistisiin teorioihin identiteettien rakentumisesta. Niitä yhdistetään tutkimuksiin, joissa käsitellään kielenoppijoiden identiteettityötä tai englannin kieltä lingua francana. Artikkeli osoittaa, että kielen käyttäjät ammentavat aktiivisesti erilaisista diskursseista rakentaessaan identiteettejään vieraan kielen käyttäjinä. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global economy exchanges goods, services, and information through technological and commercial networks that transcend national borders, while traditional ideas of cultural identity and language are challenged by global migration. Personal identity and cultural affiliation come to the foreground in this new environment. Translation has new consequence, and the meaning of culturally specific representations embedded within it is key. This paper outlines ideas of "embodied translation." Embodied translation may be contrasted with technical or direct translation of one language to another by an emphasis on identity construction, the performative qualities of language, and the consequence of emotional identification and affect by the reader with the subject matter. In a larger sense, the use of story schemas may also augment a critical evaluation of the differences between histories and beliefs embedded in specific cultures. Case studies are cited that help illustrate the use of "embodied translation." These projects use the physical context of a gallery while combining audiences at a distance simultaneously online, presenting issues of immigration and identity construction, in the site specific environments of Tokyo, Prague, Berlin, the USA, and other cultural contexts. The projects are digitally interactive, allowing different audiences to respond to the content and have their answers shown in collective visualizations in real time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines a specific group of English users in Germany: students studying English at the Freie Universität Berlin. The first section outlines the various domains in which these students encounter English in their daily lives, both within and outside university, as they make and maintain intercultural connections. This analysis suggests that, at least among these university students, English-German bilingualism seems to be the norm. The second section of this paper shows how students' proficiency in English plays a role in their creation, or re-creation, of local, national, European and global identities. What is more, in this small community of students, it seems that the ability to use English is intricately tied in with the (re)definition of what it means to be German, or at least an educated, urban German. Although they constitute a small community, these students' uses of and attitudes towards English highlight some general trends of globalization and provide some insights into the evolving role of English in Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper examines one of the major metalinguistic debates in post-war Germany: the debate about the influence of English on German, an issue which was raised in the 1990s in the German media and has dominated media discussions on language ever since. The analysis demonstrates that the debate is deeply embedded in current socio-political discourses as well as in long-term discursive traditions concerning, on the one hand, the socio-political changes following German reunification in 1989/90, which involved a revision of the concepts of nation and nationalism, and, on the other, the genesis of the concept of nation, which is closely bound up with the history of the educated bourgeoisie and the process of standardisation as well as linguistic purism. It is argued that the debate on Anglicisms, as is the case in many other metalinguistic debates, cannot be regarded in isolation from the socio-political environment and the context of historical usage within which it is embedded. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

INTERFACES IN MULTILINGUALISM.Conxita Lleó (Ed.). Amsterdam: Benjamins, 2006. Pp. vii + 283. $90.00 cloth.This volume includes papers from two bilingualism and multilingualism colloquia held at the Research Center on Multilingualism at the University of Hamburg. All of the papers discuss the interface of diverse areas of linguistics that are usually discussed and debated independently. As Lleó mentions in the foreword, although these phenomena are indeed interesting when studied separately, the results are even more fascinating when the interactions between the subgroups are examined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Language & Intercultural Communication is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Presents a calendar of events for January-September 2006. Topics to be discuss at the 10th Taiwan Symposium on Translation and Interpretation Training in Taipei; Theme of the Dialect Convergence and Standardization workshop in Germany; Information on the Workshop on Phonetics and Conversation in Great Britain.

This paper explores the translation of sociolinguistic variation by examining the ways that African American English(AAE) is dubbed into German. In discussing this ubiquitous yet poorly studied area of language use, I show that ideas about language as an index to social groupings are transferable to the degree that the ideas overlap in the cultures in question. In the case of German, if the character being dubbed is young, male and tied to the street cultures of the urban inner city, then AAE is dubbed using a form of German that has links to the urban youth cultures of north-central Germany. The transferability of sociolinguistic variation is important to issues related to cross-cultural communication and the ideologies that may play a role in the outcomes of that communication as well as to linguistic creativity and language style more generally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper approaches the linguistic setting of a European inner-city, an area with a long history of migration from a sociological and linguistic perspective. After a qualitative-heuristical research and (ethnomethodological) conversation analysis, we are able to present a description of sociolingual conditions and the process of their transformation. In the first part we focus on the relationship between language, culture, identity and social structure. We argue that old structures are breaking up, and that new patterns of speech-communities are developing. We shall come out against common ideas about lingual transformation in the Federal Republic of Germany: against the 'assimilatonist view' (the language of origin disappears with the third generation of migrants) and the 'view of difference', this is connected with the concept of 'ethnic revival' and observes the revitalisation of the languages of origin). Our argument will be put forward in an exploration of phenomenon of 'mixed language' (that's what the interviewees called their way of speaking) in the world of inner-city juveniles. By embedding these linguistic practices in the ethnographical concept of 'liminality', we tried to understand the loosening process of the relationship between linguistic practices, identity through nationality and social structure. The usage of language appears as a means of constructing their social position among adolescents in the location of research where social structure is embodied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes a construction from (spoken) German that will be called INTEGRATED VERB SECOND (IV2). This term refers to V2 clauses that look like relative clauses except that they must contain a weak demonstrative in initial position and have to be extraposed. Their syntactic behavior will be accounted for by a paratactic analysis. IV2 can only modify wide scope indefinites inside what looks like the matrix clause. This is captured at the level of DRS construction. Since the matrix clause alone doesn't constitute a complete informational unit, IV2 can be introduced as a condition into the matrix DRS before evaluation. The weak demonstrative of IV2 establishes the relative link by copying a top-level discourse marker. In addition, the assertional nature of IV2 prevents it from modifying definite descriptions. Reference is made to the close relatedness of demonstrative and relative pronouns in Indo-European. Dutch, Swedish, and Zurich German provide the comparative horizon of this study. My answer to the question in the title is negative from the syntactic perspective but positive with reference to interpretation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper investigates the phenomenon of ‘inflected complementizers’ seen in many Continental West Germanic dialects. The proposal developed takes as its point of departure the commonality of linear distribution between inflected complementizers and finite verbs that exhibit the same kind of special morphology. This commonality manifests itself in implicational relationships, which strongly suggest that the behavior of complementizers is an analogical extension of morphological mergers involving finite verbs in the same linear position. Under this analysis, the occurrence of inflectional markings on wh-phrases in embedded complementizer-less questions and relative clauses can be seen as a straightforward extension of the same mechanism. We further propose a concrete implementation of this proposal in Head-Driven Phrase Structure Grammar, which builds on Zwicky's distinction between morphological FORM and SHAPE. Finally, we argue that the approach based on analogical extensions of shape alternations is better suited to motivate the emergence of the phenomenon than current proposals that assume a universal agreement relationship between complementizers and subjects, regardless of whether that agreement relations is overtly manifested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To produce a culturally adapted translation of the Rapid Assessment of Physical Activity (RAPA) questionnaire for German speaking Austrians and to conduct a linguistic validation of the new language version. Methods: The original English RAPA questionnaire was translated into German for Austria and underwent an independent forward and back translation, followed by cognitive debriefing interviews with older adults aged 55 to 78 years with and without health conditions (n = 13), for linguistic validation. Results: Several distinct choices were made in the translation of the RAPA questionnaire to German, including the use of colloquial terms for 'physical activity' and 'intensity'; and the decision to keep to the original examples and images of different physical activities for illustrating the intensity levels (light, moderate, vigorous) of physical activity. In cognitive debriefing, interviewees commented that some example activities for the respective intensity levels could – depending on the individual – also represent a higher or lower intensity level; and that the wording of RAPA items 4 and 5, which describe the category 'under-active regular' aerobic activity, was difficult to understand. Both issues were addressed and resolved through minor iterative modifications made during the cognitive debriefing process. Conclusions: A new version of the RAPA questionnaire in German for Austria has been produced by forward and back translation and linguistic validation. The questionnaire may now undergo psychometric evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Membrane-bound angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor acts as the entry point for the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2. Polymorphisms in the ACE2 gene may alter viral binding, regulate the expression of ACE2, and thus, affect disease severity. In this study, 68 COVID-19 patients with varying degrees of severity and 40 healthy controls were enrolled. The genetic landscape of the ACE2 gene was explored by whole exome sequencing of 29 individuals, and specific regions of ACE2 were analyzed for the rest of the participants via PCR, followed by barcode-tagged sequencing. The mean soluble ACE2 level in the plasma of healthy controls and patients did not vary significantly but was higher in the patient group (3.77 ± 1.55 ng/mL vs. 3.94 ± 1.42 ng/mL). Analysis of exon 1, exon 2, and exon 8 of the ACE2 gene revealed that these regions are highly conserved in our population. Investigation of exon 11 and its flanking intronic region revealed that deletions in a stretch of 18T nucleotides in the noncoding region significantly decrease ACE2 levels in plasma, as individuals harboring wild-type variants had higher plasma ACE2 levels compared to those harboring T1del, T2del, and T3del variants. However, the intronic variants were not found to be significantly associated with disease severity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the development of behavioral and mental health issues among adolescents, particularly those from immigrant families, is a key area of concern. Many prior studies have focused on the role of societal (country-of-destination) language skills, but we know less about the role played by the use of the heritage language in families. We examined this latter relationship with a focus on changes in heritage language use and internalizing and externalizing problems, and how family relations moderate this relationship. We used the first two waves (2010/2011 and 2011/2012) of the Children of Immigrants Longitudinal Survey in Four European Countries (CILS4EU) data collected from Germany (n = 1614; Mage = 14.8 years, 50% female), the Netherlands (n = 1203; Mage = 14.7 years, 54% female), Sweden (n = 1794; Mage = 14.2 years, 53% female), and England (n = 1359; Mage = 14.6 years, 50% female). Our results suggest that increased use of heritage language is associated with fewer externalizing problems only in families with greater family cohesion and parental warmth (in Germany and the U.K.) and with fewer internalizing problems only in families with higher parental monitoring (in the Netherlands and Sweden). Good family relations are thus an important precondition for increased heritage language use to lead to improved behavioral and mental health for children of immigrants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Textbook Research is the property of National Academy for Educational Research and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Purpose: This study aims to give an integrative answer on which speech stereotypes exist toward German gay and straight men, whether and how acoustic correlates of actual and perceived sexual orientation are connected, and how this relates to masculinity/femininity. Hence, it tests speech stereotype accuracy in the context of sexual orientation. Method: Twenty-five gay and 26 straight German speakers provided data for a fine-grained psychological selfassessment (e.g., masculinity/femininity) and explicit speech stereotypes. They were recorded for an extensive set of read and spontaneous speech samples using microphones and nasometry. Recordings were analyzed for a variety of acoustic parameters (e.g., fundamental frequency and nasalance). Seventy-four listeners categorized speakers as gay or straight on the basis of the same sentence. Results: Most relevant explicitly expressed speech stereotypes encompass voice pitch, nasality, chromaticity, and smoothness. Demonstrating implicit stereotypes, speakers were perceived as sounding straighter, the lower their median f0, center of gravity in /s/, and mean F2. However, based on actual sexual orientation, straight men only showed lower mean F1 than gay men. Additionally, we found evidence that actual masculinity/femininity and the degree of sexual orientation were reflected in gay and straight men's speech. Conclusion: Implicit and explicit speech stereotypes about gay and straight men do not contain a kernel of truth, and differences within groups are more important than differences between them. Supplemental Material: https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.6484001 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent research on immigrants in the FRG and the USA suggests that their amount of education, the country in which they obtained it, and their labour force experience both before and after migrating all have important effects on theft skills in the language of the host country. This paper explores these influences on the English language proficiency of four groups of immigrants to Australia: those from North-Western Europe, Eastern Europe, the Mediterranean basin, and the Third World. The data are drawn from the one per cent public use sample of the 1981 Australian Census. The models are flexible OLS specifications that permit a variety of curvilinear and interaction effects. The results generally parallel those for the FRG and the USA. One important difference from the results for the USA is that the harmful effect of foreign labour force experience is greater than the beneficial effect of labour force experience in the host country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined German‐speaking Twitter users' reckoning with racism in response to the right‐wing extremist shootings that targeted ethnic minorities in Hanau, Germany. We employed a mixed‐methods analysis combining Structural Topic Modelling (STM) and discourse analysis. We used STM to identify broad topic patterns and focused on the topics involving the racialized commentary the German‐speaking public offered in the aftermath of Hanau. The STM analysis resulted in 50 topics; among these conversations, racism in German society and racism: threats and fears were among the top 10 topics. In total, 36.8% of the 50 topics in the first month of the shootings were racism‐related discussions but the majority of these discussions did not describe the Hanau shootings as racially motivated. We conducted a discourse analysis to capture a more fine‐grained understanding of the users' racialized conversations, focusing specifically on the discursive contexts in which racially suppressive discourses were used and taking place. We identified three racially suppressive discourses, including the explanation that the shootings/shooter was mentally ill, might be racially motivated, and a product of extremist groups. This study uncovered multifaceted public conversations in the aftermath of Hanau and offered interpretations of large‐scale conversations that reckoned with racism on German‐speaking Twitter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]