126-030 German in Academic Communication

Availability

Credit Points

Coordinator

Prerequisites

37.5 points of second/third-year subjects

Semester

Contact

Subject Description

German was until the middle of the century an important medium of international academic communication. In some disciplines it is still used internationally, while many other disciplines, such as the sciences, have more or less switched to English even at German universities. This course will trace the transformation of German over a few short generations in the 18th century into a precision tool of academic research. By analysing contemporary academic communication, linguistic and stylistic features common to academic texts and discourses in many disciplines will be appraised as well as features specific to particular disciplines. The different levels of specialisation as reflected in the language of academic communication will also be discussed as a sociolinguistic phenomenon, from the use of jargon in academic peer groups to problems of transfer (expert-layperson communication; interdisciplinary and intercultural communication). Text types and discourse forms of academic communication in German will be analysed and compared to their English equivalent.

Assessment

An assignment or classpaper of 1000 words, and written work totalling 4000 words.

Recommended Texts

• H L Kretzenbacher & H Weinrich (eds), Liguistik der Wissenschaftssprache. Walter de Gruyter 1995.