美國在七十年代女性主義崛起，開始注意到平日用語即有性別歧視的現象，於是大聲疾呼，要喚起語言自覺，即拋棄性別歧視用語，改用中性用語。譬如在通程時，不再使用mankind或man而改用women and men；不再是professor-he而是professor-sheor he。而德文與英文語系相近，社會的變遷，女性意識的抬頭，自然對德語也產生重大的影響。商業書信之標準開頭"Sehr geehrte Herren"（敬愛的先生們）早已改成"Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren"（敬愛的女士和先生們）。其他新字如Geschaftsfrau（女商人）或Hausmann（家庭主夫），雖然字典裡尚未正式列入，但在日常生活�埵迨w慣用。而德語教科書自然亦隨時反映這些性別用語之變遷。除了性別用語的改變外，在較新的德語教科書裡對兩性傳統的角色亦做了大幅的修正，不再是女弱男強，女主內男主外，而是忠實地反映現實社會上兩性的角色。 本文研究的重點分為兩部份，一是探討德文是否存有性別歧視之現象，針對這個問題，本文試就德文中之冠詞、稱呼用語、性別用語排列、性別歧視辭彙及性別泛指用語來分項討論分析。二是研究德語教材裡兩性角色的改變及兩性平權觀念的體現，選擇目前在臺灣較為廣泛使用的教材為例，就其反映德國近年來之社會現象，特別是對兩性關係、兩性平權方面做的自我調整，予以分析探討。希望本篇文章在臺灣以男性為中心的傳統社會裡，能供給讀者另一層面之思考與文化、語言之比較。

　　　　　Since feminism became prominent in the '70's, feminists have tried to eliminate sexist connotations in daily language and raise the consciousness about the use of words. They proposed the use of neutral words as a necessary substitute for words with sexist connotations. For example, when talking about "human beings," the terms "mankind" or "man" should be replaced by "women and men"; "p rofessor-he" should be replaced by "professor-she or he." The German language is very similar to English, and so the change in social consciousness and the prominence of feminist ideas that have appeared in English have also greatly affected the German language. The standard address for a business letter, for example, has changed from "Sehr geehrte Herren" ("Dear Sirs") to "Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren" ("Dear Madams and Sirs"). Many new words, such as "Geschaftsfrau" ("businesswomen") and "Hausmann" ("househusband"), have appeared in the language and, though they often cannot be found in dictionaries, they are used constantly in daily life. German language textbooks naturally reflect changes in the elimination of sexist terms. Moreover, some new German language textbooks also reveal changes in sexual roles in modern society. Instead of presenting traditional stereotypes of women as weak creatures and men as strong or women in charge of the house while men develop their career out in the world, these textbooks portray the roles of both genders in a more realistic manner. This paper explores two aspects: First, it examines the issue of whether any sexual discrimination exists in the German language by focusing on the usage of definite and indefinite articles, terms of address, and the linking of sexual terms, sexual words, and words referring to specific genders. Secondly, it explores the nature of the changes in the roles of both genders which is itself a reflecttion of the acceptance of the idea of sexual equality as used in German language textbooks. The most widely used of such textbooks in Taiwan were chosen as samples, and examples of male-female relationships and sexual equality that point to underlying social changes in modern society will be explored and analyzed. My purpose is to provide readers with a comparative perspective in ideas, culture, and language, especially in such a traditionally male-dominant society as that of Taiwan.