Free Dialect Courses

When “kumma” becomes a comma by mistake

Part of “Z’sammkumma” is understanding our dialect(Bild: Dominik Klinger)

For many immigrants, our dialect is a secret language, even if they know German. As part of a pilot project, the Integration Office of the State of Upper Austria is sponsoring free courses worth 25,000 euros. An anecdote involving “kuma” and “Koma” illustrates why this makes sense.

“We had a Bosnian nurse in the course who described the following situation to us: During a team meeting, someone told him that a new patient had been admitted to the ward. But instead of ‘kumma,’ he understood ‘Koma’ and was completely flabbergasted when he entered the room and the patient was able to speak to him. The Bosnian said, quite excitedly, that the comatose patient had woken up,” says Dominik Klinger, explaining why the local dialect often seems like a secret language to immigrants, even if they have a good command of German.

In Upper Austria, people speak two languages: German and the local dialect. If you want to join in the conversation, you have to master the colloquial language as well.

Dialekttrainer Dominik Klinger

Bild: Christoph Gantner

Klinger has been teaching the Upper Austrian dialect for seven years, including at the BFI and WIFI. Since there were no textbooks for “Upper Austrian,” he developed his own method based on the needs of the course participants to teach them our dialect. Starting this year, there’s a coursebook for this with the catchy title “Wos host g’sogt?”

Provincial Councilor Is Enthusiastic
With this initiative, Klinger strikes a chord with Christian Dörfel, the State Councilor for Integration: “Anyone who wants to live in Upper Austria must not only be able to speak German but also understand how we speak. People who want to find their way here, belong, and have a say simply can’t get around the dialect. For us, language—and that includes the dialect—is the key to integration.”

Sponsored with 25,000 euros
Dörfel is providing 25,000 euros in funding for the pilot project “Dialect for Everyone,” which offers free dialect courses for people who are new to Upper Austria. Funding will cover 111 participants through July 1, 2027. Specifically, the funding covers 40 class sessions per person as well as the coursebook. A B1 level of German proficiency is recommended for participation. The course can also be taken online; check “dialektkurs.at” for current dates.