Language Variation on Social Media: How Thai Content Creators Teach the Pronunciation of /r/ in German

Abstract

Background and Objectives: This article examines the teaching methods used by Thai content creators on social media to teach the pronunciation of the German consonant /r/. It focuses on how different variants of /r/ are presented and discussed, particularly the uvular fricative [ʁ], which is considered the standard variant, and the alveolar trill [r], which exists in Thai but is often regarded as a regional feature in German. This issue reflects the contrast between standard language ideology and linguistic diversity in society. The study addresses these key questions: Do Thai content creators on social media incorporate the different variants of the German /r/ in their instructional materials? What factors influence their decisions to include or exclude this linguistic diversity in their teaching content?

Methods: This study employs corpus analysis to examine how the German consonant /r/ is presented and evaluated, using German language teaching materials produced by Thai creators from the ten most-subscribed YouTube channels and the ten most-followed Facebook pages. In addition, ethnographic interviews were conducted with five of the seven creators included in the corpus in order to gain insights into their educational backgrounds, linguistic experiences, and attitudes toward the standard language.

Results: The analysis of the teaching materials identifies two distinct pedagogical approaches: while some creators strictly adhere to prescriptive norms and teach only [ʁ], others acknowledge and incorporate [r] as a practical alternative for learners. The interview findings indicate that linguistic and educational backgrounds influence both the perception of the German /r/ and instructional approaches to this phoneme. The creators who have received language instruction based on the standard variety tend to present only the variant they are familiar with or accustomed to. In contrast, those with exposure to linguistic diversity or experience living in German-speaking countries are more likely to adopt a more inclusive approach toward linguistic variation.

Application of this study: In sociolinguistics, the findings show that social media functions as an open space for exchanging and debating the issues of linguistic correctness and standard language. In language teaching, the study underlines the importance of recognizing linguistic diversity and encouraging learners to think critically about linguistic rules. Presenting linguistic variation in language instruction reduces society’s exclusive adherence to a single standard form and helps foster more positive attitudes toward linguistic diversity, both in German and in other languages.

Conclusions: This study examined how Thai content creators teach the pronunciation of the German consonant /r/ on social media, focusing on how the variants [ʁ] and [r] are presented and with what attitude. The research analyzed language-teaching materials from 20 channels — 10 YouTube channels and 10 Facebook pages—and included ethnographic interviews with five creators. The findings reveal two main teaching approaches: one group adheres strictly to the standard language and teaches only the [ʁ] sound, while the other group embraces linguistic diversity and presents [r] as an acceptable alternative. The key factors influencing these approaches include linguistic background, education, and real experiences in using the German language. The findings indicate that social media serve as a space for exchanging linguistic ideas and embracing linguistic diversity, thereby fostering more open-minded language attitudes. This study demonstrates that language teaching materials do more than simply teach language; they also play a role in constructing and shaping ideologies of linguistic correctness, standard language, and linguistic diversity. Moreover, linguistic biographies and experiences with language diversity directly influence beliefs and attitudes toward languages.