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
Subject(s): Foreign languages learning, Language acquisition, Sociolinguistics, Stylistics
Published by: Društvo germanista u Bosni i Hercegovini (DGuBiH) / Germanistenverband in Bosnien-Herzegowina (GViBH)
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.

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