How effective are German language courses for refugees, beneficiaries of subsidiary protection, and Ukrainian displaced persons in their daily lives and careers? Where do German learners encounter difficulties understanding regional dialects? And what are the course participants' attitudes toward dialects in their German language learning? In April 2026, the Austrian Integration Fund (ÖIF) conducted a nationwide survey of approximately 1,400 participants in German language courses at level B1 and above. The results show that, from the respondents' perspective, the ÖIF German language courses are highly relevant to everyday life and employment. At the same time, the survey highlights that understanding regional dialects plays a crucial role for refugees, beneficiaries of subsidiary protection, and Ukrainian displaced persons – an aspect that has been given greater consideration in the new course formats since April 2026.
German courses support the vast majority of participants in their daily lives and job searches.
87% of participants stated that the course they last attended helped them communicate in German in everyday situations, such as shopping, doctor's appointments, or dealing with government agencies. Respondents also reported a clear benefit in the workplace: Among those currently employed or who have previously worked in Austria, 81% said the German course supported them in their job search or in their daily work. Overall, 41% of respondents are currently employed, and another 24% have previously worked in Austria.
Dialect as an integral part of everyday life
The majority of respondents (81%) report understanding Standard German well or very well. At the same time, 69% perceive a clear difference between regional dialects and Standard German. This perception is less pronounced in Vienna than in the other federal states. Nevertheless, even in the capital, well over half of the respondents (63%) see a very or rather strong difference. Many respondents also report encountering dialect regularly in everyday life: it is particularly frequently encountered on public transport (51%), at work or while job hunting (45%), and while shopping (45%). In more formal contexts, such as government offices or schools, dialect plays a less significant role.
8 out of 10 participants support the inclusion of dialect in the classroom.
A key finding of the survey is the participants' strong interest in the dialect of their region: Over 85% want to at least understand dialect, and around a third (33%) would like to be able to speak it actively. 81% are in favor of practicing understanding their region's dialect in German language courses. At the same time, many report challenges: Around two-thirds of respondents frequently have difficulty understanding dialect in everyday life, and almost 60% of those currently employed or who have previously worked in Austria report problems in the workplace. These comprehension difficulties also have concrete consequences: More than half of the respondents (54%) state that they have already avoided situations in everyday life because dialect was spoken.
Against this background, dialect comprehension is already specifically incorporated into the ÖIF German courses. The courses increasingly focus on everyday language teaching and prepare participants in a targeted manner for real-life communication situations; dialect understanding is also practiced in this process.
How dialect understanding is promoted in advanced ÖIF German courses
The Austrian Integration Fund (ÖIF) is, according to the Integration Act, the central point of contact for learning German within the integration sector. Anyone who has received protection in Austria or lives here as a displaced person and needs to learn German can access quality-assured courses through the ÖIF nationwide. As of April 2026, the ÖIF German courses have been comprehensively redesigned: active participation of participants has been strengthened, mandatory self-study time has been incorporated, work-integrated German language learning has been expanded, and digital skills have been integrated as a core component. At the same time, the course content is increasingly aligned with the linguistic realities of everyday life and has been specifically expanded to include the understanding of regional dialects. Therefore, starting at language level B1, the courses promote listening comprehension of regional language variants to help participants better understand spoken everyday language and quickly become independent in their daily and professional lives. In 2025, the ÖIF funded approximately 56,000 German course places at over 250 locations throughout Austria.