The skill of using language is usually taken for granted. When we mention the use of language, most people assume we mean its ‘correct’ use. Perhaps this happens because they generally hold strong opinions about this subject; just take a look at the continuously raging debates in newspaper letter columns about issues such as grammar, spelling and punctuation. However, the use of language involves a whole lot more than the correct implementation of rules. Ever since our early ancestors developed language – a subject we still know relatively little about – it has not only been used to exchange information, but also to convey feelings and evoke emotions. Actually, the way in which we use words says a lot about how we view ourselves and others. For example, speaking a dialect or using particular words can show a sense of belonging. This ability to use language sets human beings apart from other living creatures. Studying it helps us to understand and can also help us to learn a language, for example German, the subject of this book.

Language study can be separated into different components, such as phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, pragmatics and sociolinguistics to name but a few. We will introduce many of these subjects in this book, but it is not our purpose to provide a general introduction to linguistics (see, for example, Fromkin et al., 2003; O'Grady et al., 1997).