Bilingualism on the Example of Slovenes in Germany

Abstract

The article presents the definition of bilingualism and the description of the point of departure for this definition (origin, language competence, standpoints, function of languages). The theoretical part is followed by an overview of the research on Slovenes in Germany, the description of the criteria for choosing the informants, and the research methodology. The practical part describes bilingualism in Germany, the position of Slovenes, and the relationship between Slovene and German. The opportunities for the use of Slovene in private and public domains and the actual use of the language are described in detail. The data were collected during the five-year sojourn in Germany using the following methods: observation with cooperation, interview, and questionnaire.