This subproject  focuses on the perceptions of and attitudes towards languages and language varieties that are found among Austrian school teachers and students. Essential aspects here are not only manifest ideas about and notions of non-German languages and regional varieties of German, which undoubtedly form part of the linguistic reality at schools in Austria today, but also what it means to write and speak ‘Standard German’ at Austrian schools. To investigate this, the subproject collects and analyses data on language perceptions and attitudes of students and teachers at various Austrian vocational schools. A diverse array of methods will be used to measure perceptions of spoken and written utterances as well as attitudes towards different accents and varieties of German and non-German languages.

Central assumptions of the subproject are that language perceptions and language attitudes are in a reciprocal relationship and that, in combination, they can have an influence on the evaluation of linguistic and other cognitive skills of pupils in schools.

Given the current scale of transnational migration as well as internal migration, which both have a strong impact on the school sector in Austria at present, it is expected that the results of the subproject can provide guidance for future requirements for teaching as well as for language policies at Austrian schools.