Attitudes towards German and English within the Namibian German speaking community: a first approach

This paper explores language attitudes toward German and English in Namibia in relation to nationality. With approximately 25,000 German speakers, Namibian German is considered a minority language exhibiting strong language contact, with influences mostly coming from English and Afrikaans. Despite being one of Namibia’s 13 national languages, English is the sole official language. The study delves into the historical context of Namibia’s colonial period under German rule and subsequent language policy shifts, leading to German regaining national language status in 1990. The research focuses on the language attitudes towards German and English, employing a questionnaire to explore the affective attitudes and feelings of belonging within the German-speaking community. The analysis is conducted according to the “Attitudes Towards Languages” (AToL) Scale, revealing how the German language serves as an identifying factor within the complex linguistic landscape of Namibia, shaped by historical, sociolinguistic, and cultural factors, as well as its link with belonging.