English as the world language in traditional contexts: evidence from Vorarlberg

ABSTRACT

The study explores the extent to which linguistic globalisation and the ever increasing dominance of English shapes the perceptions of linguistic diversity in traditional sociolinguistic milieus. We set out to investigate the attitudes of 142 respondents from Vorarlberg, an Austrian province, towards their home dialects, High German, a local standardised variety, and English. While drawing on a verbal guise test (VGT) and a questionnaire as the main methods of study, we show that local dialects are viewed as badges of local identities, whereas standard German is appreciated for its utilitarian value. Remarkably, English emerges as a language of enormous social prestige with high levels of social attractiveness. English is further seen as a language allowing the inhabitants of Vorarlberg to connect to the larger world and become part of the global dialogue. We argue that rather than eroding the local cultures, English adds to the sociolinguistic fabric of traditionally diglossic societies, rendering their linguistic texture even more complex and enriched, not impoverished.

KEYWORDS:

• Globalisation
• the world language
• lingua franca
• traditional dialects
• language attitudes
• Vorarlberg dialect(s)

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 See also Schönherr (2016) arguing for a dialect-standard continuum in Vorarlberg.

2 Source: https://bregenzerfestspiele.com/en/company/history, accessed October 8, 2019.

3 Source: https://www.bodenseekreis.de/verkehr-wirtschaft/wirtschaft/internationaler-wirtschaftsraum/, accessed October 8, 2019.

4 Source:https://www.okay-line.at/Wissen/aktuelle-zahlen-zu-migration-und-integration/zusammensetzung-der-vorarlberger-bevoelkerung.html, accessed November 5, 2020.

5 Source: https://www.ethnologue.com/country/at/languages, accessed October 29, 2019.

6 Source: https://www.literatur-vorarlberg-netzwerk.at/, accessed November 5, 2020.

7 The anonymous reviewer also notes that from his/her personal experience, English is the less emotionally loaded choice of the standard for Austrian dialect speakers when a standard is needed in interpersonal face-to-face interactions.

8 Methodologically sound and theoretically informed, Kolde (1981) is an empirical investigation into the attitudinal situation of two bilingual (French/German) cities in Switzerland, i.e. Fribourg and Bienne. The study provides solid evidence for the existence of the Swiss-German diglossia in Switzerland, while highlighting its relevance for both French-speaking and German-speaking communities. Sayahi (2014) is an informative account of diglossia and language contact in North Africa.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Julia Davydova

Julia Davydova is a Professor of English Linguistics at the University College of Teacher Education, Vorarlberg, Austria. Her research interests include variationist sociolinguistics, sociocognition, and second language acquisition. Davydova's work has been featured in international peer-reviewed journals, including American Speech, Language in Society, Linguistics and World Englishes amongst others. She is the author of two monographs and a co-author of a textbook in English linguistics published with Mouton de Gruyter.

Angelika Ilg

Angelika Ilg is a member of the English Department at the University College of Teacher Education, Vorarlberg, Austria. Her interests in teaching and research include multilingualism, American studies, and creative approaches to teaching language and literature.