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  4. The Chinese Messaging Application WeChat as Used by German-speaking Expatriates: A Digital Speech Island

The Chinese Messaging Application WeChat as Used by German-speaking Expatriates: A Digital Speech Island

Research
Culture and languages
Popular science

Guest lecture by Prof. Dr. Michael Szurawitzki in the research area Language in society. Szurawitzki presents his findings on how German-speaking expatriates in China use the multi-functional messaging application WeChat. All interested are welcome!

Lecture,
Seminar
Date
7 Mar 2023
Time
13:15 - 15:00
Location
Zoom; please email the contact person for link
Participants
Prof. Dr. Michael Szurawitzki, Beijing University of Technology
Good to know
Seminar language: English
Organizer
Department of Languages and Literatures

Abstract

The talk presents findings on how German-speaking expatriates in China use the multi-functional messaging application WeChat. The presentation is structured as follows: After the introduction (1.), in which the societal relevance of WeChat and its potential for sociolinguistic research is addressed, the current state of research is presented (2.). Subsequently, the main features of WeChat are explained (3.). After that, the method used to acquire the data on China-based German speakers’ WeChat usage is described (4.): Between Nov. 2018 and April 2019, an online survey was conducted, and answered by 208 individuals. The answers provided form the basis of the results, which are presented in the fifth section. The last section (6.) contextualizes the findings and discusses perspectives for further research.

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