Mit Rechten sprechen“ – Versuch einer Annäherung aus politolinguistischer Sicht

This article presents polito-linguistics as a sub-discipline of applied linguistics. Its development from a rather morally and politically motivated, prescriptive linguistic critique to a methodologically-committed linguistics could make it seem predestined not only to analyse the use of right-wing language, but also to conduct a conversation with right-wing people. Furthermore, it is argued that such a conversation should not be overburdened with the hope that it could convince supporters of right-wing or even right-wing extremist ideologies of the dangers of their thinking and acting and thereby win them over to basic democratic convictions. Rather, it can at best be a matter of using “trialogical communication” to draw the attention of possible sympathisers and followers to the dangerous consequences of numerous right-wing and right-wing populist demands. By means of examples it is shown that these demands are made based on a limited number of recurring linguistic patterns. A polito-linguistically oriented applied linguistics that draws attention to such patterns and analyses the intentions pursued with these patterns could contribute to a society that feels committed to the model of a civil society founded on democratic values.