Multilingualism and Mixed-Mode Communication

Sociolinguistic Insights into the German-Namibian Diaspora

Henning Radke

Like other disciplines, the field of sociolinguistics is not a homogenous one. It rather comes in three “loosely connected waves” (Eckert 2012) with each wave applying specific sets of methods. How can we use methodological triangulation and combine these methods, both quantitative and qualitative in nature, to integrate the three waves of sociolinguistics? This dissertation focusses on this question through five case studies concerning the German-Namibian diaspora, i.e., German-speaking Namibians who migrated to Germany. Their multilingual repertoire (Standard German, Namdeutsch [Namibian German], English, and Afrikaans) is the main research object. The studies presented in this book use correlational analysis, participant observation and semi-structured interviews to unveil the interplay between extralinguistic variables (e.g., gender, mode, place of origin), individual styles and linguistic variation in both, face-to-face interaction and computer-mediated communication (CMC). In doing so, the dissertation adds the notion of translocalisation to the field of German Sprachinselforschung (research on German-language exclaves). I argue that this notion complements existing perspectives on local and regional dynamics and thus leads to a more holistic view on Sprachinseln. Therefore, this dissertation shows how methodological triangulation offers an opportunity to add new perspectives to already established constructs.

Eckert, Penelope. 2012. “Three Waves of Variation Study: The Emergence of meaning in the study of sociolinguistic variation.” Annual Review of Anthropology 41(1): 87–100. DOI: 10.1146/annurev-anthro-092611-145828.