The Status of the German Language in Modern Germany: a Brief Description of the Language Policy in the Federal Republic of Germany

Abstract

Introduction. This article is devoted to the modern language policy in Germany. An analysis of intra- and extra-linguistic factors that influence the steps taken by the state in relation to the languages spoken on the territory of the country makes it possible to characterize the position and status of the language of the titular nation in Germany. Consideration of the current situation can help to draw a conclusion about the effectiveness of the implemented language policy, suggest further ways of the development of the German language, and also understand the underlying causes of the evolution of the language and its current state.Methodology and sources. The article is based on the results of the analysis of modern studies of the role, status and specifics of the German language by such linguists and philologists as Yu.V. Kobenko, S.A. Zhilyuk, V.I. Kozhevnikova, A. Kirkness, W. Hendelmeier, as well as the analysis of the main laws and legal acts in Germany regulating its language policy. For a more complete description of the studied phenomenon, the classic works of N.B. Vakhtin, E.V. Golovko, A.D. Schweitzer, L.B. Nikolskiy devoted to language policy, were considered.Results and discussion. Language policy is a powerful tool of social control. Due to the specifics of the formation of a unified German state, it is possible to talk about a systematically implemented language policy only from the end of the 19th century - the moment the German Empire was founded. The current position of the German language in Germany is determined by many extralinguistic factors, both diachronically (primarily by the role and position of the Third Reich in world history) and synchronically (the trend towards intensive cultural dialogue, openness of borders, priority support for the rights of linguistic minorities).Conclusion. At the moment, the German language is affected by the values of multiculturalism and pluralism cultivated in Europe and the actively ongoing process of globalization. Recognizing the importance of the German language in the process of the formation of German cultural identity, the German government is forced to focus primarily on supporting other languages and dialects common in the country. The question of supporting and securing the German language as a state language at the legislative level is still to be discussed.