Content

8^th international conference on youth language 2016

26/05/-28/05/2016, Karl-Franzens-University Graz

Oral and written communication among young people is characterised by a wide range of possibilities of expression which are, among others, grounded in the heterogeneity of youth groups and the constant change of youth language usage. Researchers now broadly agree that the idea of the youth as a uniform group and one homogenous youth language is inappropriate and that rather youth languages should be analysed in accordance with various communicative styles. Even though the theory of homogeneity has been given up, the question remains which common elements, repeating patterns and which continuities can be found in all groups that could be classified as features of youth communication. Against this background, critical questions concerning media- and communication research are trying to be answered. Current research also deals with the role of youth communication with regard to teaching/learning contexts as well as language change and enables national and international comparisons of youth expressions. Starting from a socio- and variation linguistic perspective, researchers have lately begun to focus not only on lexical and phraseological features, but also on typical or at least age-specific syntactic, prosodic, and general grammatical characteristics of youth language use. Over the last few years, these characteristics have been examined with regard to their pragmatic-functional effects, for instance, by inspecting socio-pragmatic functions of Language Crossing, Code-Switching, and Bricolage among others.

Language variability in youth communication, its dynamics in connection with social change against the background of inner and outer multilingualism, and recurring routines are the central aspects of research which will be dealt with at the 8^th international conference on youth language 2016: Youth Languages. Variation – Dynamics – Continuity.