Address in some western European languages: a study of language & social change

Abstract

This project investigates how recent sociopolitical events and developments have impacted on the ways in which people address each other in French, German, and Swedish. Comparisons will be made with Italian and Dutch and between nations using the same language. There is to date no comparative study of this kind. The project is innovative in its use of qualitative and quantitative methodology and will lead to a new conceptual framework for the study of address. It will provide insights for inter-cultural communication and second language acquisition as well as the relation between language, cultural values, and sociopolitical change.