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Papers by Heiko Wiggers
Modern Perspectives in Language, Literature and Education Vol. 4
The online encyclopedia Wikipedia has become one of the most influential Internet platforms on th... more The online encyclopedia Wikipedia has become one of the most influential Internet platforms on the World Wide Web and is currently the sixth-most visited website overall. For smaller languages, creating their own Wikipedia editions can constitute a tremendous boost to their general online presence. This paper investigates whether Wikipedia’s internal structure and culture is really inclusive in its treatment and representation of minority, endangered, regional, and non-Western languages. The paper argues that Wikipedia and, indeed, the Internet itself favor Western, mainstream languages and content and thus make it almost impossible for smaller languages to achieve a meaningful online presence.
Advances in Language and Literary Studies, 2017
This paper investigates the online presence of Low German, a minority language spoken in northern... more This paper investigates the online presence of Low German, a minority language spoken in northern Germany, as well as several other European regional and minority languages. In particular, this article presents the results of two experiments, one involving Wikipedia and one involving Twitter , that assess whether and to which extent minority languages are used on these websites. The article argues that minority and regional languages are not only underrepresented online due to a combination of historical, linguistic, sociological, and demographic reasons, but that the overall architecture of the World Wide Web and its most visited websites is such that smaller languages do not stand a chance to gain a meaningful online presence.
Over the last years, Germany has seen a lively debate about the lack of women in full time positi... more Over the last years, Germany has seen a lively debate about the lack of women in full time positions and particularly in management positions compared to other industrialized countries. This significant problem has gone relatively unnoticed in both the political arena and the private sector since the fall of the Berlin Wall, but has in the past few years reached the surface of political debate and within individual companies. This article aims to examine the scope of the problem and the origins of the current inequality. It also discusses various possible solutions that are being offered by different economic and political camps; and it explores what the present employment disparity between men and women means for Germany’s future as the economic powerhouse of the EU.
Page 1. Copyright by Heiko Wiggers 2006 Page 2. The Dissertation Committee for Heiko Wiggers cert... more Page 1. Copyright by Heiko Wiggers 2006 Page 2. The Dissertation Committee for Heiko Wiggers certifies that this is the approved version of the following dissertation: Reevaluating Diglossia: Data from Low German Committee ...
This paper discusses the increasing use of English as a Business Lingua Franca (BELF). In particu... more This paper discusses the increasing use of English as a Business Lingua Franca (BELF). In particular, this paper examines case studies from several companies located in diverse countries (Japan, Germany, and Finland), where English has been implemented as an internal lingua franca. The case studies show that most employees at these companies adjusted to BELF in a very pragmatic manner, while others considered the employment of BELF to be an intrusive course of action. This paper also investigates how BELF is viewed by native speakers of English and argues that attitudes towards foreign language learning by native speakers of English may constitute an impediment to efficient communication between speakers of different native languages and backgrounds. Finally, this papers shows that the acceptance of BELF, at least to a certain degree, is dependent on attitudes towards the global spread of English.
Low German (Plattdeutsch or just Platt), a West-Germanic language spoken in northern Germany ... more Low German (Plattdeutsch or just Platt), a West-Germanic language spoken in northern Germany and parts of the Netherlands, was once the dominant language in northern Germany. During the Middle Ages, Low German was spoken as a lingua franca in northern Europe, particularly during the prime of the Hanseatic League (Stellmacher 1990). However, since the middle of the 20th century, Low German has been experiencing erosion on such a vast scale that in 1998 the European Union added it to its list of Endangered Languages in Europe. Experts (Möller 2008) estimate that the current number of active Low German speakers in northern Germany is approximately at 1.1 – 1.2 million. This number, although it might sound impressive, will barely guarantee a viable future for the language. Indeed, most Low German linguists describe the status of Low German in the 21st century as moribund to a high degree (e.g. Wirrer 1998). It is commonly assumed that Low German nowadays fulfills the functions of ...
Page 1. Copyright by Heiko Wiggers 2006 Page 2. The Dissertation Committee for Heiko Wiggers cert... more Page 1. Copyright by Heiko Wiggers 2006 Page 2. The Dissertation Committee for Heiko Wiggers certifies that this is the approved version of the following dissertation: Reevaluating Diglossia: Data from Low German Committee ...
The Modern Language Journal, 2000
The Modern Language Journal, 2000
Journal of Germanic Linguistics, 2012
Based on two sociolinguistic field studies from 2003 and 2009, this paper discusses the language ... more Based on two sociolinguistic field studies from 2003 and 2009, this paper discusses the language attitudes of High German speakers (H-speakers) toward Low German (the L-variety) in the county of Bentheim, a diglossic speech community in northwestern Germany. While language attitudinal studies are largely absent from the sociolin-guistic corpus in Germany and from Low German research altogether, diglossic studies largely focus on the L-variety and its speakers and evolution. This paper is one of the first attempts to analyze the H-speakers’ perceptions and evaluations of the L-variety over a longer period of time within the fields of diglossia and Low German.
Modern Perspectives in Language, Literature and Education Vol. 4
The online encyclopedia Wikipedia has become one of the most influential Internet platforms on th... more The online encyclopedia Wikipedia has become one of the most influential Internet platforms on the World Wide Web and is currently the sixth-most visited website overall. For smaller languages, creating their own Wikipedia editions can constitute a tremendous boost to their general online presence. This paper investigates whether Wikipedia’s internal structure and culture is really inclusive in its treatment and representation of minority, endangered, regional, and non-Western languages. The paper argues that Wikipedia and, indeed, the Internet itself favor Western, mainstream languages and content and thus make it almost impossible for smaller languages to achieve a meaningful online presence.
Advances in Language and Literary Studies, 2017
This paper investigates the online presence of Low German, a minority language spoken in northern... more This paper investigates the online presence of Low German, a minority language spoken in northern Germany, as well as several other European regional and minority languages. In particular, this article presents the results of two experiments, one involving Wikipedia and one involving Twitter , that assess whether and to which extent minority languages are used on these websites. The article argues that minority and regional languages are not only underrepresented online due to a combination of historical, linguistic, sociological, and demographic reasons, but that the overall architecture of the World Wide Web and its most visited websites is such that smaller languages do not stand a chance to gain a meaningful online presence.
Over the last years, Germany has seen a lively debate about the lack of women in full time positi... more Over the last years, Germany has seen a lively debate about the lack of women in full time positions and particularly in management positions compared to other industrialized countries. This significant problem has gone relatively unnoticed in both the political arena and the private sector since the fall of the Berlin Wall, but has in the past few years reached the surface of political debate and within individual companies. This article aims to examine the scope of the problem and the origins of the current inequality. It also discusses various possible solutions that are being offered by different economic and political camps; and it explores what the present employment disparity between men and women means for Germany’s future as the economic powerhouse of the EU.
Page 1. Copyright by Heiko Wiggers 2006 Page 2. The Dissertation Committee for Heiko Wiggers cert... more Page 1. Copyright by Heiko Wiggers 2006 Page 2. The Dissertation Committee for Heiko Wiggers certifies that this is the approved version of the following dissertation: Reevaluating Diglossia: Data from Low German Committee ...
This paper discusses the increasing use of English as a Business Lingua Franca (BELF). In particu... more This paper discusses the increasing use of English as a Business Lingua Franca (BELF). In particular, this paper examines case studies from several companies located in diverse countries (Japan, Germany, and Finland), where English has been implemented as an internal lingua franca. The case studies show that most employees at these companies adjusted to BELF in a very pragmatic manner, while others considered the employment of BELF to be an intrusive course of action. This paper also investigates how BELF is viewed by native speakers of English and argues that attitudes towards foreign language learning by native speakers of English may constitute an impediment to efficient communication between speakers of different native languages and backgrounds. Finally, this papers shows that the acceptance of BELF, at least to a certain degree, is dependent on attitudes towards the global spread of English.
Low German (Plattdeutsch or just Platt), a West-Germanic language spoken in northern Germany ... more Low German (Plattdeutsch or just Platt), a West-Germanic language spoken in northern Germany and parts of the Netherlands, was once the dominant language in northern Germany. During the Middle Ages, Low German was spoken as a lingua franca in northern Europe, particularly during the prime of the Hanseatic League (Stellmacher 1990). However, since the middle of the 20th century, Low German has been experiencing erosion on such a vast scale that in 1998 the European Union added it to its list of Endangered Languages in Europe. Experts (Möller 2008) estimate that the current number of active Low German speakers in northern Germany is approximately at 1.1 – 1.2 million. This number, although it might sound impressive, will barely guarantee a viable future for the language. Indeed, most Low German linguists describe the status of Low German in the 21st century as moribund to a high degree (e.g. Wirrer 1998). It is commonly assumed that Low German nowadays fulfills the functions of ...
Page 1. Copyright by Heiko Wiggers 2006 Page 2. The Dissertation Committee for Heiko Wiggers cert... more Page 1. Copyright by Heiko Wiggers 2006 Page 2. The Dissertation Committee for Heiko Wiggers certifies that this is the approved version of the following dissertation: Reevaluating Diglossia: Data from Low German Committee ...
The Modern Language Journal, 2000
The Modern Language Journal, 2000
Journal of Germanic Linguistics, 2012
Based on two sociolinguistic field studies from 2003 and 2009, this paper discusses the language ... more Based on two sociolinguistic field studies from 2003 and 2009, this paper discusses the language attitudes of High German speakers (H-speakers) toward Low German (the L-variety) in the county of Bentheim, a diglossic speech community in northwestern Germany. While language attitudinal studies are largely absent from the sociolin-guistic corpus in Germany and from Low German research altogether, diglossic studies largely focus on the L-variety and its speakers and evolution. This paper is one of the first attempts to analyze the H-speakers’ perceptions and evaluations of the L-variety over a longer period of time within the fields of diglossia and Low German.