L2 Journal

This study examines how second language (L2) learners engaged with both multilingualism and multidialectism during a short-term study abroad (SA) program in Vienna, Austria and Freiburg, Germany which featured a course on German sociolinguistics. While the multilingual turn in L2 education has challenged monolingual ideologies (May, 2013; Diao & Trentman, 2021), it often overlooks linguistic diversity within languages. Focusing on German, a pluricentric language with rich dialectal variation, this research analyzes nine students’ reflections through questionnaires and diaries. Qualitative text analyses reveal that students developed critical awareness of language variation, connecting dialects to broader multilingual ecologies and deconstructing ideologies of standardization and linguistic purity. Students observed translanguaging practices, reflected on heritage languages, and contextualized language use within sociopolitical frameworks. These insights underscore the pedagogical value of integrating multidialectal and multilingual approaches in L2 education to foster critical language awareness and support diverse learner identities. The study contributes to ongoing efforts to reimagine L2 pedagogy by highlighting the need for sociolinguistic frameworks that reflect real-world linguistic complexity and challenge reductive language ideologies.