Johanna Fanta-Jende
Variation between dialect and standard
German linguist Johanna Fanta-Jende investigates linguistic variations between dialect and standard in Austria.
Who speaks when, where and how? How do speakers of German in Austria change the way they speak in different situations? Where does dialect end and standard language begin? What differences are there between urban and rural Austria?
Johanna Fanta-Jende studied to become a teacher of German and psychology/philosophy in Graz. She spent longer and shorter study and research stays in Guadalajara (Mexico), Enschede (Netherlands), Münster (Germany) and Vienna. In 2023, she completed her doctorate in German linguistics (specializing in variation and sociolinguistics) at the University of Vienna. She is also a long-term collaborator in the CRC project "German in Austria. Variation - Contact - Perception" and since October 2023 she is a PostDoc at the Department of German Studies.
We ask...
University Assistant at the Department of German Studies
What fascinates you personally most about your subject area?
I am fascinated by contemporary German in all its diversity, especially in the spoken "everyday language". For many people in Austria, the concept of "inner multilingualism" applies, which means that they have several linguistic variants (e.g. Erdäpfel vs. Kartoffel) and varieties (e.g. dialect vs. standard language/"High German") at their disposal, between which they can switch back and forth (somewhat) flexibly. I myself identify with being a linguistic "chameleon" and adapting my way of speaking to the situation, my counterpart or the context of the conversation.
Research into this "vertical" dimension of language - in contrast to the horizontal, which usually deals with language in space (e.g. differences in the dialects of two places, differences in the standard languages of two countries) - is still largely underrepresented, especially for the Austrian language and dialect area. In my work, I try to understand how this "switching" and "shifting" on the dialect-standard axis is structurally and functionally organized, both between different people (e.g. older and younger) and between different dialect areas (Bavarian and Alemannic) as well as between urban and rural areas. Of course, current processes of language change and the perceptions of speakers (e.g. the supposed decline of dialect) also play an important role.
What is the funniest thing that has happened to you in your work so far?
Basically, field research, which is an important part of my work alongside teaching and research, is often very entertaining. I have visited people at home in several villages (in the south) of Austria to record their dialect and experienced incredibly warm, exciting, "hectic" and sometimes even touching situations. Once, for example, a snoring bulldog disturbed the sound recordings, another time a calf was born in the stable next door during our survey, which I was allowed to look at afterwards. Yet another time, a 4-year-old grandchild enthusiastically blurted out the dialect answers that were addressed to his grandfather as part of a language production experiment. Basically, every visit was unique and people showed me incredible warmth and hospitality.
What do you particularly like about Graz as a university location?
Since I completed my degree in Graz, I know the city very well. Graz has always seemed extraordinarily young, lively and dynamic to me. It has the ideal size, a beautiful and central university campus, a lively art and cultural scene and a considerable selection of quaint pubs and first-class restaurants - all in all, the best conditions for a great place to study or work.