‘It’ll be real German, but German with a little twist’: Teaching and learning about dialects in the study abroad classroom

During study abroad, second language learners encounter real-world language that contrasts with what they have learned. To better support students while abroad, one of the researchers of this study designed explicit instruction around dialects and language variation in the German-speaking world as part of an 8-week summer program in Vienna, Austria and Freiburg, Germany. A qualitative text analysis of questionnaire data collected before, during, and after the program, student diaries, and extemporaneous notes shows that while time abroad in general leads to student growth in their understanding of real-world language use and variation, explicit instruction on dialects allowed students to be better able to make sense of their own experiences with the non-standard varieties. In doing so, they also gained insight into larger sociolinguistic issues, like the role of standard varieties and non-standard varieties in society and education, and the importance of dialects to speakers’ identities.