Exhibition
| Language and Language Acquisition
| History of the Language
The Art of Writing and Speaking
| Language and Technology
| The Living Language
Language is the tool and means of expression of literature. On the one side is the speaking or writing author, on the other the listening or reading public. Literary scholars divide literature into poetry and prose, further into lyrical, narrative and dramatic works, which are each characterized by their own means of expression. The spectrum of the language of literature ranges from artfully composed sentences to the use of elements of everyday speech, from onomatopoeia to the playful usage of words, syllables and letters. The medium of the voice can often provide a deeper and more personal access to literature. Literary recitation as an autonomous art in itself was rediscovered around 1900. It reached its heyday with the tours of prominent writers and reciters. Technical innovations such as the microphone, gramophone and radio, record players and tape machines made it possible since the 20th century to amplify, disseminate and conserve the distinctive voices of writers and speakers.
