The status of Austrian standard German in Australian German studies

The theory of pluricentricity views the German language as consisting of several national standard varieties, all of which encompass unique linguistic and sociolinguistic characteristics. Austrian Standard German is one of these varieties, as is German Standard German. Yet, studies have revealed that Austrian Standard German is typically considered inferior to German Standard German, which is widely perceived as representing the model standard for all varieties across the German-speaking world. Among other fields, this perception has been documented in the area of German as a Foreign Language teaching at various non-German-speaking universities in Europe. In the context of Australia, no previous study has investigated this topic; rather, recent research on German Studies in Australia has focused on profiling the student population. In seeking to extend the existing research, this thesis adopted a survey used in a previous investigation of the status of Austrian Standard German at German Studies departments in the EU and distributed it among teaching staff currently working in Australian German Studies. The survey examined the lecturers’ (i) perceptions, (ii) knowledge, and most importantly, (iii) didactic use of Austrian Standard German. The results show that the status of Austrian Standard German within Australian German Studies is largely positive, with most participants supporting its presence in the German Studies curriculum. This finding can be contrasted to the results of previous studies, and thereby offers a contribution to existing scholarship on pluricentricity in German as a Foreign Language teaching, as well as augments previous research on the state of Australian German Studies.