ZWEITSPRACHERWERB UND SPRACH-EINSTELLUNG IM STANDARD-DIALEKT-UMFELD. Eine soziolinguistische Studie von Lernenden aus Schweden und Norwegen in der Deutsch-schweiz

Abstract

English Second language acquisition and language attitudes in a standard-dialect environment. Swedes and Norwegians in German-speaking Switzerland. The simultaneous acquisition of Swiss German and Standard German in a standard-dialectal en-vironment such as German-speaking Switzerland poses a huge challenge for L2 learners. Looking at a group of L1 Norwegian and Swedish speakers, this study examines the ways in which either variety of German is actually produced, and which factors influence the development of dialect-standard-competency as well as the attitude towards both. To this end, the following questions were conceived: Which variety do the interviewees actually prefer, and which variety do they produce in actual speech? Which variety is used in what kind of situation, according to their ex-periences? What is their attitude toward the diglossia they encounter in Switzerland, and how does that language situation impact their own language acquisition? To answer these questions, the data from 30 guideline-based, in-depth interviews was collected, relevant passages were transcribed and subjected to qualitative analysis. The results paint a widely varied picture. For variety selection, the criteria that emerged were addressee, social group, situ-ation, communication goal, and region. It also became clear that both the language-biographical background of the individual and the environment they move in influence their attitude toward Swiss German and Standard German. Finally, it could be shown that Standard German is at-tributed a high status when it comes to literacy or writtenness, but Swiss German is seen as the variety necessary for integration, and is also viewed as vital in certain professions, e.g., in the church or hospital. Limitations in an individual’s receptive or productive ability hamper access to Swiss German society. The results of this study provide a first insight into the current allocation of Swiss German and Standard German in different sectors from the perspective of allochthone sources in German-speaking Switzerland.