In view of time, duration and grounds for migrations, Slovenians in Germany were referred to as emigrant, migrant worker, diaspora, Gastarbeiter. For Slovenians coming to Germany after 1962 temporarily for economic reasons, the term migrant worker was used. Despite initially different plans, the emigrants were not returning home for permanent; in recent reports, we frequently read about emigrants in Germany. Although the term migrant worker meant in the past “workers on temporary work abroad”, its use is righteous today as well. In the media, the expression denotes those Slovenians abroad that visit Slovenia on occasions of holidays and feasts by which they differ from “proper” emigrants.The position and role of Slovenian language is due to permanently changing political and economic circumstances difficult to describe. An outline of the after- war migrations and life in Germany and in Yugoslavia indicates we must consider the present language knowledge and patterns of speech behaviour a non-concluded process marked in the past by political changes, economic crises, negative attitude towards bilingualism, fear of coercive departing Germany, integration into German society, and the attainment of independence of Slovenia. In the future, it will be designated by Slovenian membership in the European Union, by economic situation in the both states, and by abilities of taking advantage of the new circumstances.Glede na čas, trajanje in vzroke preseljevanj so Slovence v Nemčiji poimenovali emigrant, zdomec, izseljenec, diaspora, v Nemčiji Gastarbeiter. Za Slovence, ki so po letu 1962 začasno prihajali v Nemčijo iz ekonomskih razlogov, se je uveljavil izraz zdomci. Kljub prvotno drugačnim načrtom se zdomci niso za stalno vračali in v novejših poročilih pogosto beremo tudi o izseljencih v Nemčiji. Čeprav je izraz zdomec v preteklosti pomenil »delavce na začasnem delu v tujini«, je raba upravičena tudi danes. V medijih izraz označuje tiste Slovence v tujini, ki ob večjih praznikih obiskujejo Slovenijo in se po tem ločijo od »pravih« izseljencev.Položaj in vlogo slovenščine je zaradi vedno spreminjajočih se političnih in gospodarskih okoliščin težko opisati. Opis povojnih selitev in življenja v Nemčiji ter Jugoslaviji pokaže, da moramo današnje jezikovno znanje in vzorce govornega vedenja gledati kot nezaključen proces, ki so ga v preteklosti zaznamovale politične spremembe, gospodarske krize, negativni odnos do dvojezičnosti, strah pred prisilnim odhodom iz Nemčije, integracija v nemško družbo in osamosvojitev Slovenije, v prihodnosti pa ga bo zaznamovalo članstvo Slovenije v Evropski uniji, gospodarski položaj v obeh državah in sposobnost izkoristiti nove okoliščine sebi v prid
