Jugendsprache und Jugendliteratur
Youth language and youth literature
Contributor(s): Sanela Mešić (Editor), Anisa TRBONJA-OMANIĆ (Editor)
Subject(s): Foreign languages learning, Psycholinguistics, Sociolinguistics, Comparative Study of Literature, German Literature, Sociology of Culture, Theory of Literature, Stylistics, Sociology of Literature
Published by: Društvo germanista u Bosni i Hercegovini (DGuBiH) / Germanistenverband in Bosnien-Herzegowina (GViBH)
Keywords: German studies; international conference; youth language; youth literature; linguistics; foreign language didactics; literary studies; literature didactics; academic papers; Bosnia and Herzegovina;
Summary/Abstract: Der Germanistenverband in Bosnien-Herzegowina veranstaltete in Zusammenarbeit mit der Fakultät für Humanwissenschaften der Universität „Džemal Bijedić“ in Mostar vom 25. bis zum 27. September 2025 an der Fakultät für Humanwissenschaften der Universität „Džemal Bijedić“ in Mostar die 5. Internationale Germanistenkonferenz. Das Thema der Konferenz war „Jugendsprache und Jugendliteratur“. An dieser Konferenz haben 35 Vortragende aus Bosnien-Herzegowina, Deutschland, Kroatien, Österreich, Serbien, Slowenien und der Türkei teilgenommen. Der vorliegende Sammelband beinhaltet 13 Beiträge (neun originelle wissenschaftliche Arbeiten, einen wissenschaftlichen Übersichtsartikel und drei Fachartikel). Manche der Beiträge entstanden im Rahmen internationaler Projekte, manche sind das Ergebnis langjähriger Arbeit an Promotionsprojekten, andere entstanden in kürzerer Zeit und wurden vor allem durch unseren Call for paper inspiriert. Die Beiträge wurden im Sammelband nach den Forschungsfeldern (Sprachwissenschaft, Fremdsprachendidaktik, Literaturwissenschaft, Literaturdidaktik) und alphabethisch nach den Namen der Autor:innen angeordnet.
- E-ISBN-13: 978-9926-8705-2-2
- Print-ISBN-13: 978-9926-8705-2-2
- Page Count: 249
- Publication Year: 2026
- Language: English, German
Zu Übersetzungen von Phrasemkonstruktionen in Michael Endes Jugendroman Momo
Zu Übersetzungen von Phrasemkonstruktionen in Michael Endes Jugendroman Momo
(On the Translation of Phrasemic Constructions in Michael Ende’s Youth Novel Momo)
- Author(s):Ivana Jozić, Sanela Mešić, Meliha Hrustić
- Language:German
- Subject(s):German Literature, Theory of Literature, Sociology of Literature
- Page Range:13-29
- No. of Pages:17
- Keywords:phrasemic constructions; contrastive analysis; structural-semantic equivalence; youth novel;
- Summary/Abstract:This paper examines the translation of German phrasemic constructions from Michael Ende’s youth novel Momo (1973) into Bosnian (translation by Mira Đorđević, 2022). Based on the assumption that phrasemic constructions function as units realizing lexical meaning as a whole, the study adopts a contrastive approach and analyses their structural-semantic equivalence. Due to their clear and colloquial style, youth novels are particularly well suited for cross-linguistic analyses. The aim of the study is to identify translation strategies and to propose alternative solutions in the form of phrasemic constructions for selected examples. The paper contributes to a corpus-based language comparison and seeks to encourage further contrastive research in literary genres. It was conducted within the framework of the international research project COST Action CA 22115.
Der Präsident von Tyrus macht einen auf Superstar. Phrasemkonstruktionen in der Jugendsprache am Beispiel der Volxbibel
Der Präsident von Tyrus macht einen auf Superstar. Phrasemkonstruktionen in der Jugendsprache am Beispiel der Volxbibel
(The President of Tyre Acts Like a Superstar. Phraseme Constructions in Youth Language Using the Example of the Volxbibel)
- Author(s):Vladimir Karabalić, Sanela Mešić
- Language:German
- Subject(s):Psycholinguistics, Sociolinguistics, Theory of Literature, Stylistics, Sociology of Literature
- Page Range:30-50
- No. of Pages:21
- Keywords:phraseme constructions; youth language; Volxbibel; slot fillers; Bible translation;
- Summary/Abstract:The Volxbibel (2005; 2023), Martin Dreyer’s well-known German Bible adaptation for young people, proves to be a true treasure trove for the study of phraseme constructions (PhK). This is hardly surprising, given that we now know that PhC largely belong to colloquial or even informal registers — modes of expression that the Volxbibel itself uses to reach its intended audience. PhC, referred to in youth language research as phraseological construction patterns, are, in our view, a very skillfully chosen means of addressing a young target readership because phraseology is precisely one of the domains in which youth-language specific features become visible. Although many of these PhK are not exclusively part of youth vocabulary, the fillers of the open slots within these constructions may differ in youth language from those used in adult colloquial speech. In this contribution, developed within the framework of the COST Action CA22115 PhraConRep, the use of PhK in the Volxbibel is examined, with particular focus on the extent to which their use contributes to adapting the biblical text for a young target audience. This is achieved by comparing sentences containing PhK in the Volxbibel with corresponding sentences—generally without PhK—from various German Bible translations.
Fremdwörter in der deutschen und bosnischen Jugendsprache auf Online-Plattformen und in sozialen Netzwerken
Fremdwörter in der deutschen und bosnischen Jugendsprache auf Online-Plattformen und in sozialen Netzwerken
(Foreign Words in German and Bosnian Youth Language on Online Platforms and Social Media)
- Author(s):Amra Kurešepi
- Language:German
- Subject(s):Media studies, Sociolinguistics, South Slavic Languages, Stylistics, Sociology of Literature
- Page Range:51-69
- No. of Pages:19
- Keywords:youth; youth language; foreign words; Anglicisms;
- Summary/Abstract:Youth language serves both as a means of social distinction and as a marker of identity within peer groups. Due to digital connectivity, linguistic influences have become particularly visible, which is also reflected in the use of foreign words. This study examines the use of foreign words in Bosnian and German youth language on the Internet by analysing two written corpora. The analysis shows that both youth languages employ comparable foreign lexical items, although their frequency varies, despite clear parallels in the everyday lives and interests of the adolescents. Particular attention is given to the dominance of Anglicisms, whose strong presence is closely linked to the role of English in digital communication. The findings confirm that Anglicisms shape both youth languages most persistently and surpass other sources of loanwords by far. Since the investigation is based exclusively on written data, it opens opportunities for further research on the relationship between written and spoken youth language practices.
Code-Switching in der digitalen Jugendsprache: Eine kontaktlinguistische Analyse mehrsprachiger Mischformen auf TikTok
Code-Switching in der digitalen Jugendsprache: Eine kontaktlinguistische Analyse mehrsprachiger Mischformen auf TikTok
(Code-Switching in Digital Youth Language: A Contact Linguistic Analysis of Multilingual Mixed Forms on TikTok)
- Author(s):Nedim Livnjak
- Language:German
- Subject(s):Media studies, Psycholinguistics, Sociolinguistics, Stylistics
- Page Range:70-87
- No. of Pages:18
- Keywords:code-switching; digital youth language; TikTok;
- Summary/Abstract:This article examines how code-switching manifests in the digital youth language on TikTok and which communicative functions it fulfills. The analysis is based on a language-contact framework in which code-switching is understood as a communicatively motivated shift between languages or varieties. Particular attention is given to a TikTokspecific form of code-switching that arises from the combination of German-language captions with pre-existing foreign-language sounds. These sounds are receptively recontextualized and assigned new communicative functions by the adolescents who use them. The data consist of a corpus of 100 examples (40 videos, 60 comments) from 2025, created by teenagers living in Germany. The findings show that expressive and phatic functions predominate, meaning that code-switching is used primarily to intensify emotions and to signal social affiliation. In addition, cases of referential, poetic-creative, and directive functions are also attested. Overall, code-switching on TikTok emerges as a strategic, performative practice of meaning-making within globally networked youth discourse communities.
Kurzwörter in jugendorientierter Online-Werbung
Kurzwörter in jugendorientierter Online-Werbung
(Abbreviated Forms in Youth-Oriented Online Advertising)
- Author(s):Ajla Memović
- Language:German
- Subject(s):Psycholinguistics, Sociolinguistics, Marketing / Advertising, Stylistics
- Page Range:88-100
- No. of Pages:13
- Keywords:advertising language; abbreviations; online advertising; youth-related communication; linguistic economy;
- Summary/Abstract:This paper examines the use of abbreviated forms (Kurzwörter) in youth-related German online advertising texts. The analysis focuses exclusively on textual elements of advertisements, particularly headlines, slogans and short promotional texts, while visual and multimodal components are not systematically considered. The study is based on a qualitative analysis of a corpus of 20 publicly accessible German-language online advertising texts collected in the period 2020–2025. The abbreviated forms identified in the corpus are classified according to their formal types (clipped forms, syllabic shortenings and initialisms) and analysed with regard to their textual position and communicative function. Within the analysed material, abbreviated forms occur primarily in highly condensed text segments such as headlines and short promotional statements. They can be interpreted as contributing to linguistic economy and stylistic condensation. The study provides a descriptive overview of abbreviation usage in youth-related online advertising texts and outlines methodological limitations as well as directions for further research.
Phraseologismen in der Jugendsprache und ihr Einsatz im DaF-Unterricht
Phraseologismen in der Jugendsprache und ihr Einsatz im DaF-Unterricht
(Phraseologisms in Youth Language and Their Use in Teaching German as a Foreign Language)
- Author(s):Magdalena Ramljak, Lara Hedžić
- Language:German
- Subject(s):Foreign languages learning, Psycholinguistics, Sociolinguistics, Stylistics
- Page Range:103-122
- No. of Pages:20
- Keywords:Youth Language; Phraseologisms; German as a Foreign Language;
- Summary/Abstract:Phraseologisms play a central role in youth language and clearly illustrate how flexible and adaptable fixed linguistic patterns become in digital discourse. This article examines, on the basis of a Reddit corpus, how traditional proverbs are creatively modified through processes such as substitution, contamination, permutation, and inversion. The analysis shows that these transformations generate humorous and ironic effects and enable group-specific communicative positioning. Based on these findings, the article formulates didactic suggestions demonstrating how the creative use of youth-language phraseologisms can be incorporated into motivating and reflective learning activities in the context of teaching German as a foreign language.
Jugendsprache im DaF-Unterricht am Beispiel von TikTok: Einsatz- und Didaktisierungsvorschläge
Jugendsprache im DaF-Unterricht am Beispiel von TikTok: Einsatz- und Didaktisierungsvorschläge
(Youth Language in German as a Foreign Language (GFL) Teaching Using the Example of TikTok: Implementation and Didacticization Proposals)
- Author(s):Aldina Šerifović, Mubina Ahmetović
- Language:German
- Subject(s):Foreign languages learning, Language acquisition, Sociolinguistics, Stylistics
- Page Range:123-142
- No. of Pages:20
- Keywords:youth language; TikTok expressions; German as a Foreign Language; didactic implementation;
- Summary/Abstract:The use of youth language in TikTok videos is evident in social and cultural contexts that differ significantly from standard language and are often not understandable in standard-language settings. This raises the question of how youth language shaped by TikTok can be meaningfully integrated and taught in the German as a Foreign Language (DaF) classroom. The social and cultural functions of youth language and their relevance must not be overlooked. The hypothesis of this study is that the targeted use of TikTok expressions in the DaF classroom not only enhances learners’ language comprehension but also increases their motivation and encourages them to engage actively with the German language. By introducing TikTok-related expressions into instruction, learners can understand the language not merely as an isolated system but also in relation to current social phenomena. Learners should be able to distinguish between formal and informal registers in order to communicate appropriately in different contexts. The TikTok content is analyzed with regard to its linguistic features, and concrete didactic proposals are developed to enable learners to acquire youth language and apply it in practice. Expected outcomes of this investigation include the identification of relevant linguistic features suitable for DaF instruction, as well as practice-oriented suggestions for the didactic implementation of TikTok content that foster both linguistic and cultural competencies. The advantages of integrating youth language—such as increased authenticity, motivation, and language comprehension— are discussed, along with potential challenges.
Wie viele Seelen passen in den Himmel? Der Umgang mit Tod, Trauer und Trost in der modernen Kinder- und Jugendliteratur am Beispiel von Amelie Frieds und Jacky Gleichs Hat Opa einen Anzug an?
Wie viele Seelen passen in den Himmel? Der Umgang mit Tod, Trauer und Trost in der modernen Kinder- und Jugendliteratur am Beispiel von Amelie Frieds und Jacky Gleichs Hat Opa einen Anzug an?
(How Many Souls Fit in Heaven? Dealing with Death, Grief and Consolation in Modern Children's and Young Adult Literature, Using the Example of Amelie Fried and Jacky Gleich's Is Grandpa Wearing a Suit?)
- Author(s):Nico Elste
- Language:German
- Subject(s):Sociolinguistics, Behaviorism, Theory of Literature, Sociology of Religion, Sociology of Literature
- Page Range:145-166
- No. of Pages:22
- Keywords:death; grief; dying; loss; picture book;
- Summary/Abstract:In our modern society, the subject of dying and death – contrary to how it was previously taken for granted – is often only addressed in the media, but rarely on an individual level. Particularly with regard to children, their vulnerability and sensitivity, death and dying are often tabooed and removed from individual experience or banished to hospitals, nursing homes, and cemeteries. Although death and mortality are omnipresent in our media-driven society, death has become culturally and socially invisible and is no longer part of family experience. In contrast, since the paradigm shift of the 1970s and the turn of children's and young adult literature toward the actual social conditions of children and childhood, topics such as death and dying have also found their way into children's and young adult literature. The picture book genre in particular has been productive in this regard and has addressed the topos of death and dying in a variety of ways. Aesthetically, however, to quote Jens Thiele, the genre should be understood more as “pedagogically and psychologically based [...] functional art.” This makes modern picture books such as Amelie Fried and Jacky Gleich's “Hat Opa einen Anzug an” (1997) all the more exciting, as they address the themes of death and dying, grief and loss in an educational and critical manner, while at the same time exploiting the aesthetic potential of the picture book medium to the full. In addition to an analysis of images and text, this article will therefore also discuss the question of educational added value in view of the paradox of death, which to this day remains difficult for humans to articulate linguistically.
Adoleszenzroman und Selbstfindung – Jugend zwischen Rebellion und Identitätssuche in Benjamin Leberts Roman Crazy
Adoleszenzroman und Selbstfindung – Jugend zwischen Rebellion und Identitätssuche in Benjamin Leberts Roman Crazy
(Adolescent Novel and Self-Discovery – Youth Between Rebellion and the Search for Identity in Benjamin Lebert’s Novel Crazy)
- Author(s):Adisa Kadić
- Language:German
- Subject(s):German Literature, Theory of Literature, Sociology of Literature
- Page Range:167-177
- No. of Pages:11
- Keywords:Adolescence; Identity Development; Role Confusion; Self-Discovery; Young Adult Novel; Benjamin Lebert; Crazy;
- Summary/Abstract:Youth and adolescence represent an extremely dynamic stage of life, characterized by profound physical, psychological, and social transformations. These processes influence not only the formation of an individual identity, but they are also shaped by social structures and have even contributed to the emergence of new literary genres. Within this context, the adolescent novel addresses the intense transitions that develop on the threshold between youth and adulthood. Benjamin Lebert’s novel Crazy can be understood as a paradigmatic example of this genre, as it depicts the experiences of a young protagonist as a process of self-discovery situated between social adaptation and rebellion. The narrator presents an authentic portrayal of adolescent crises and selfdoubt, of tensions between individual autonomy and social expectations, and between the desire for belonging and the need for distance. In his novel, Lebert reflects on central topics of adolescence such as identity construction, social roles, and the interplay between freedom and responsibility. The analysis demonstrates that the novel can be read not only as a contemporary example of the adolescent novel but must also be situated within a broader literary and cultural context as an expression of the forming the adolescent identity.
Literarische Spielwelten Puppengeschichten in der deutschsprachigen Mädchenliteratur des 19. und 20. Jahrhunderts
Literarische Spielwelten Puppengeschichten in der deutschsprachigen Mädchenliteratur des 19. und 20. Jahrhunderts
(Literary Play worlds Doll Stories in German Girls' Literature of the 19th and 20th Centuries)
- Author(s):Anja Orozović
- Language:German
- Subject(s):Cultural history, Social history, German Literature, 19th Century, Theory of Literature, Sociology of Literature
- Page Range:178-194
- No. of Pages:17
- Keywords:girls' literature; dolls; doll stories; upbringing; women's emancipation;
- Summary/Abstract:Gaining insight into the evolution of children's and young adult literature reveals a wide array of literary genres that have endured in various forms up to the present day. Doll stories are among these forms, and they are also present in German literature, particularly in girls' literature, from the first half of the 19th century onward. The term doll story refers to a literary text in which dolls are either protagonists or supporting characters. The dolls are frequently animated, which is why some doll stories include fairy tale elements. The objective of this article is to provide a glimpse into this literary field. Certain content-related and development-specific characteristics of this text genre will be presented using selected examples from the 19th and 20th centuries. The chronological presentation will feature different versions of doll stories written by prominent contemporary authors, like Antonie von Cosmar, Anna Blum-Erhard, and Else Ury. The analysis will concentrate on how the main aspect of puppetry is handled, which serves a didactic purpose in these stories, while also covering other aspects of girls' childhood.
Aufwachsen im Zwischenraum: Adoleszenz und Migration in der deutschsprachigen Gegenwartsprosa
Aufwachsen im Zwischenraum: Adoleszenz und Migration in der deutschsprachigen Gegenwartsprosa
(Growing Up in the In-Between: Adolescence and Migration in Contemporary German-Language Prose)
- Author(s):Ivica Petrović
- Language:German
- Subject(s):Sociolinguistics, German Literature, Theory of Literature, Stylistics, Sociology of Literature
- Page Range:195-207
- No. of Pages:13
- Keywords:adolescence; migration; identity; in-between space; German-language literature;
- Summary/Abstract:This paper examines the representation of adolescence in the context of migration in three contemporary German-language novels: Außer sich by Sasha Marianna Salzmann, Dazwischen: Ich by Julya Rabinowich, and Die Brücke vom Goldenen Horn by Emine Sevgi Özdamar. Focusing on female protagonists who negotiate various identity crises and challenges while growing up between cultural, political, and social expectations, the article uses narrative strategies and comparative analysis to show how processes of identity formation in the in-between (the “third space”) are staged in literary terms. The focus is on narrative strategies, multilingualism, spatial semantics, and sexuality.
Vom Mausekönig zum Gurkenkönig – Fantastische Kinder- und Jugendliteratur bei E. T. A. Hoffmann und Christine Nöstlinger
Vom Mausekönig zum Gurkenkönig – Fantastische Kinder- und Jugendliteratur bei E. T. A. Hoffmann und Christine Nöstlinger
(From the Mouse King to the Cucumber King – Fantastic Children’s and Young Adult Literature in E. T. A. Hoffmann and Christine Nöstlinger)
- Author(s):Mersiha Škrgić
- Language:German
- Subject(s):Comparative Study of Literature, German Literature, Theory of Literature, Sociology of Literature
- Page Range:208-222
- No. of Pages:15
- Keywords:children’s and young adult literature; fantasy; education; social criticism;
- Summary/Abstract:Fantasy has a long tradition in children’s and young adult literature and, in a literaryhistorical context, is initially associated primarily with the literary fairy tales of Romanticism. While the 1960s and 1970s saw an increasing tendency toward fantastic novels with an anti-authoritarian stance, the 1990s and 2000s witnessed a veritable boom in socalled fantasy literature. This article focuses in particular on the significance of imagination for the intellectual development of the child and its role in processes of emancipation. It is assumed that fantastic worlds provide children with a form of refuge from the adult world while simultaneously supporting their development toward independence and critical thinking. A comparative analysis of E. T. A. Hoffmann’s literary fairy tale The Nutcracker and the Mouse King from the nineteenth century and Christine Nöstlinger’s socially critical children’s novel We Don’t Care about the Cucumber King (1972) aims to highlight the different functions of the fantastic in distinct literary and socio-historical contexts. Despite belonging to different epochs, both texts are regarded as classics of children’s and young adult literature. The temporal distance between the two works makes them particularly revealing examples of the development of fantastic children’s literature as well as of changing attitudes toward authoritarian educational models and the child’s potential to critically question existing worldviews and social orders.
Ich bin „tiefbegabt“! – Sprachreflexion und Jugendsprache im Literaturunterricht am Beispiel von Steinhöfels Rico, Oskar und die Tieferschatten
Ich bin „tiefbegabt“! – Sprachreflexion und Jugendsprache im Literaturunterricht am Beispiel von Steinhöfels Rico, Oskar und die Tieferschatten
(Ich bin „tiefbegabt“! – Language Reflection and Youth Slang in Literature Classes, Using the Example of Steinhöfel’s Rico, Oskar und die Tieferschatten)
- Author(s):Uta Großmann
- Language:German
- Subject(s):Psycholinguistics, Sociolinguistics, German Literature, Theory of Literature, Stylistics, Sociology of Literature
- Page Range:225-248
- No. of Pages:24
- Keywords:youth language; CYA literature didactics; reading motivation; literary learning; action- and product-oriented teaching;
- Summary/Abstract:"Youth language" is characterized by high linguistic creativity and a deliberate distancing from the adult world. In children's and young adult literature (CYA), however, this form of language rarely functions as a mere reflection of reality; rather, it serves as a consciously constructed stylistic device that supports the authenticity and psychological depth of characterization. Using Andreas Steinhöfel's novel Rico, Oskar und die Tieferschatten as an example, this article examines how youth language phenomena can be profitably addressed in 5th-grade German lessons. Central to this is the didactic opportunity of a role reversal: students act as linguistic experts, while teachers assume the position of learners. This inversion of the knowledge hierarchy is identified as a primary driver for reading motivation and literary identification. The aim of this article is to demonstrate that engaging with youth language phenomena offers significant potential for literary learning and contributes substantially to a motivating, student-oriented classroom design.
Angaben zu den Autor:innen
Angaben zu den Autor:innen
(Information about the authors)
- Author(s):Author Not Specified
- Language:German
- Subject(s):German Literature, Theory of Literature, Sociology of Literature
- Page Range:249-249
- No. of Pages:1
- Summary/Abstract:Information about the authors.
