Section 2

In the Margins: German Language Varieties in L2 German Textbooks

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Abstract

This study investigates how German as a second language (L2) textbooks construct the German language through images, layout, written and spoken language. Multimodal discourse analysis (Kress & van Leeuwen, 2006) and critical discourse analysis (van Dijk, 1993) serve to uncover underlying ideologies and power relations in two L2 German textbook series: studio d and DaF kompakt neu.

Findings show the hidden curriculum reflecting patterns of marginalization and German hegemony: Although textbooks advertise themselves as introductions to life in German-speaking countries, Germany is featured as the default setting, whereas other German-speaking countries are often confined to chapters with special spotlight on them. The “German language” is understood as German Standard German, the existence of other German national standards downplayed, and languages other than German erased. Such patterns of German hegemony are more pronounced in the older textbook series, but not absent in the newer. Considering the clear efforts to broaden the definition of German according to recommendations to teach German as a pluricentric language, underlying ideologies in L2 German teaching need to be examined and discussed before they can be overcome. This paper will be of interest to scholars in applied linguistics as well as textbook authors and instructors.

Keywords: multimodal discourse analysis, textbooks, language ideology, language learning, German, pluricentricity, language variation

How to Cite:

Feddersen, R., (2024) “In the Margins: German Language Varieties in L2 German Textbooks”, Critical Multilingualism Studies 11(2), 164-192.