The German language today

The German Language Today describes in detail the main linguistic features of the language and the wide variety of speech forms and vocabulary existing within the German-speaking community. This clear and accessible text provides a complete introduction to basic linguistic terms and descriptions of language structures and to socio-linguistic and linguistic topics as they relate to the German language, and illustrates them widely with examples and texts. The German Language Today describes the sounds, inflectional processes, syntactic structures, competing forms and different layers of words in the language. Topics covered include the distribution of German and its dialects; the linguistic consequences of German reunification; language change and the adoption of new vocabulary; and the application of modern linguistic concepts to German, incorporating the findings of the latest German linguistic research. The book has been written with the specific needs of students in mind. It will be invaluable to students of modern German linguistics or modern German society, as well as other language courses, and will be a useful reference resource for postgraduates and teachers of German.