Perceptions, attitudes and actual usage in the context of internal and external multilingualism at schools in Austria

Stephan Elspaß*, Yvonne Rusch, Elisabeth Buchner

*Korrespondierende/r Autor/-in für diese Arbeit

Publikation: Beitrag in Buch/Bericht/Konferenzband/GesetzeskommentarKonferenzbeitragPeer-reviewed

Abstract

The linguistic reality at schools in Austria is characterised by diverse and dynamic internal and external multilingualism. This raises the issue of whether the coexistence of German varieties (= internal multilingualism) and different first languages (= external multilingualism) is considered and used as a linguistic resource facilitative of learning or as an obstacle to it. In particular, there is the problem of how teachers deal with these different forms of multilingualism. To answer these questions, data from online surveys, interviews, focus group discussions as well as classroom recordings at a school in a rural region of Salzburg were analysed. The results show that teachers’ and students’ dialect use, as well as non-German first languages permitted by teachers (limited to a few classroom interactions) is not perceived as an obstacle to learning. However, there is also no discernible awareness of advantages of multilingualism for school success, although dialect, for example, is generally perceived as positive. The classroom recordings show that dialect and standard language use are not clearly separated according to teaching formats and different classroom situations but vary on a micro-level of communication. Overall, results reveal that both students and teachers seem to have a high awareness of language variation in the classroom and the degree of ‘appropriateness’ of its use, which varies depending on subject, teaching and examination format, context, and situation.
OriginalspracheEnglisch
TitelVariation in language as a resource in language teaching
Redakteure/-innenPatrick Mächler, Ann-Marie Moser
ErscheinungsortBaltmannsweiler
Herausgeber (Verlag)Schneider Verlag Hohengehren
Seitenumfang25
PublikationsstatusAngenommen/Im Druck - 12 Juni 2024
VeranstaltungLiDi 2023: Variation in language as a resource in language teaching - Universität Zürich, Zürich, Schweiz
Dauer: 4 Apr. 20235 Apr. 2023
https://www.ds.uzh.ch/de/tagungen/lidi2023.html

Publikationsreihe

NameThema Sprache – Wissenschaft für den Unterricht

Konferenz

KonferenzLiDi 2023: Variation in language as a resource in language teaching
Land/GebietSchweiz
OrtZürich
Zeitraum4/04/235/04/23
Internetadresse

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