Discursive constructions of language variation in a Chinese-German eTandem

Abstract

The starting point for this research is an eTandem initiative between learners of Mandarin Chinese and German. The participants mainly learnt the dominant variety of their target languages (German Standard German, Mainland Chinese Standard Mandarin), however, their tandem partners are speakers of a non-dominant variety (Austrian Standard German, Taiwanese Standard Mandarin). Due to this pairing, some speakers felt prompted to position themselves in relation to the discussed varieties. The empirical study analyses the discursive construction of language variation of one eTandem dyad that elaborated on this topic at length. For this purpose, we adopted a critical discourse analysis approach and focused on three aspects (nomination, predication, perspectivisation). The results reveal that language variation in the Chinese context, especially the concept of Fāngyán, was difficult to grasp and explain, while the discussion on German was more clear-cut. Standard language was conceptualised as a tool for inclusion, whereas non-standard varieties were conceived as excluding but also as a means to create community belonging. Based on our results we conclude that diversity in varieties in tandem learning has the potential to offer valuable opportunities not only to learn about target language variation, but also to increase language awareness regarding one's expert language.