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
Subject(s): Psycholinguistics, Sociolinguistics, German Literature, Theory of Literature, Stylistics, Sociology of Literature
Published by: Društvo germanista u Bosni i Hercegovini (DGuBiH) / Germanistenverband in Bosnien-Herzegowina (GViBH)
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.

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