Using Turkish as mother tongue in a multicultural society: A sociological study on Turks in Germany

Abstract

Bilingualism is a significant topic to be discussed in the context of multiculturalism in Germany. This paper examines the transformations that underwent through assimilation policies faced by the Turk migrants who migrated to and started to live in Germany. The most important one of these transformations is the degree of using the native language. So, using Turkish as native language in this multicultural country demands a further research. This research is descriptive-explanatory research based on content analysis. This paper aims to critically analyze how Turks as migrants in Germany use their mother tongue while living in a multicultural country. In this study, many policies of Germany towards immigrant Turks, i.e., educational policies, language learning processes, and the transformations of their native languages, are discussed. This paper finds that while learning the language of the culture in which they are integrated, Turks damage their mother tongue. As a result, a hybrid language emerges because they cannot fully comprehend the foreign language they learn as a second language since Turks in Germany could not use their mother tongue both in the family and in their social environment. © 2021 Karadeniz Technical University. All rights reserved.