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Category: Project

Description: In the interdisciplinary field of applied linguistics, research on the acquisition of sociolinguistic competence in the second language is growing quickly, yet comparatively little effort has been dedicated to developing innovative data collection instruments that combat long-known methodological shortcomings. This pilot study, based on data from native German speakers from Austria, evaluates the use of virtual reality (VR) as a means to (a) compensate for weaknesses of the sociolinguistic/semi-directed interview in sociolinguistic research and (b) elicit mechanisms of linguistic convergence towards a respective interlocutor’s language variety. Qualitative content analysis showed high rates of immersiveness in interaction with the virtual interlocutors. The production data show clear between-participant tendencies to converge to the respective virtual interlocutor’s Austrian dialect or standard German variety. These findings are discussed against the backdrop of L2 sociolinguistic acquisition research and highlight the necessity for methodological advances in data collection practices.