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.

摘要

这项研究探索了语言全球化和英语日益占主导地位在多大程度上影响了传统社会语言环境中的语言多样性观念。我们着手调查来自奥地利省福拉尔贝格州（Vorarlberg）的142位受访者对他们的方言，高级德语（一种本地标准化变体）和英语的态度。虽然以语言伪装测验（VGT）和问卷作为主要研究方法，但我们发现，当地方言被视为当地身份的标志，而标准德语因其实用价值而受到赞赏。值得注意的是，英语作为具有很高社会吸引力的具有巨大社会声望的语言而出现。英语被进一步视为一种语言，它使福拉尔贝格州的居民能够与更广阔的世界联系起来，并成为全球对话的一部分。我们认为，英语并没有侵蚀本地文化，反而增加了传统上高明社会的社会语言结构，使它们的语言结构更加复杂和丰富，而不是贫穷。