'Domain Loss' in Danish: Rhetoric or Reality?

Project description

As part of an internationalization of higher education, English is increasingly being used at Danish universities, notably in the hard sciences. This has revivified a debate about ‘domain loss' in the Danish language. ‘Domain loss' can be understood as a situation where the English language becomes so widespread in certain areas, such as, for example science, that Danish loses its status in those areas, and is relegated to less prestigious domains, such as in the home, or that it eventually dies out altogether. Moreover, it is seen as a threat to democracy, as scientific issues can only be understood by an English-speaking elite. In spite of the intensity of the debate, however, knowledge about the subject area is very limited.

The goal of this research project has been to contribute to a deeper understanding of the concept of ‘domain loss', and more generally to formulate sociolinguistic theory regarding the influence of globalization on linguistic and societal conditions in the nation state. The results of this research can practically be used as the basis for future political decision making in the field.

Read more in the article Lexical borrowing from English into Danish in the Sciences: An empirical investigation of ‘domain loss’ af Anna Kristina Hultgren
International Journal of Applied Lingusitics, Volume 23, Issue 2, July 2013, Pages 166-182
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1473-4192.2012.00324.x 

Project participants

The project was carried out by Anna Kristina Hultgren, who received a two-year postdoctoral grant.

Funding

The project has been financed by the Danish Agency for Science, Technology, and Innovation.

Project period

1 May, 2010 - 30 April, 2012