Thesis title:
Emerging Voices of Vienna: Understanding adolescent language use and attitudes towards multi-ethnic urban vernaculars in Vienna
My PhD research is the first sociolinguistic investigation of multiethnic adolescent language practices and attitudes in Vienna. While urban vernaculars have been documented across the Germanophone world (e.g., ‘Kiezdeutsch’ of Berlin and ‘Jugodeutsch’ of Zurich), Vienna remains under-researched in terms of its language(s), despite migration and multilingualism patterns comparable to other European capitals (cf. the emergence of ‘Banlieue French’ in Paris; ‘Multicultural London English’ in London etc).
To close this gap, my project has two aims: (i) examine urban youth language in Vienna (e.g., lexis, morphosyntax, phonology), and (ii) understand the language attitudes of Viennese adolescents towards their language practices. I pursue the following research questions:
A: Linguistic features and practices
1. What linguistic features make up the variety spoken by multiethnic adolescents in Vienna? (e.g. phonology, morphosyntax, lexis)
a. What languages are present in urban youth speech practices in Vienna?
b. What contact phenomena exist between German and the languages present?
c. To what extent can the urban youth variety spoken in Vienna be characterised as a multiethnolect?
d. To what extent are the features of urban youth speech practices in Austria similar to, or different from, other German urban multiethnolects (i.e., ‘Kiezdeutsch’ of Berlin)?
B: Language Attitudes, Ideologies and Prestige
2. What are the language attitudes of Viennese adolescents towards their urban youth speech practices and what ideologies underpin these attitudes?
a. Do the ideologies that underpin these attitudes differ in relation to the standard language and/or in relation to dialects and other migrant varieties in Austria?
b. Do speakers attribute different degrees of prestige to the different languages that make up their linguistic repertoire?
By yielding novel linguistic data through fieldwork and situating my outcomes in a wider Germany (D), Austria (A) and Switzerland (CH) (DACH) context, my project contributes to existing language contact scholarship in theoretical and sociolinguistics, and enhances both our theoretical understanding and public opinion of vernacular developments among the next generation(s) of multilingual speakers in Austria.
Research Area
Publications
Peer-reviewed papers
Eppler, E., Fahim, Z. and Kim, Y. (2024) 'Rethinking language qualifications in the UK university admission process: the case of native vs non-native speakers.' Languages, Society and Policy Journal. https://www.lspjournal.com/post/rethinking-language-qualifications-in-the-uk-university-admission-process-the-case-of-native-vs-non
Fahim, Z., Kim, Y., and Eppler, E. (2024) 'Diverse tongues, unheard voices: Barriers to mainstream uptake of heritage languages in England.' British Educational Research Association. https://clie.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/2024-Fahim-Kim-Eppler.pdf
Fahim, Z. (2023) 'Choosing to Study Post-Compulsory Modern Foreign Languages in England: Motivations, Sociolinguistic Trends and the Context of BAME'. Journal of the Undergraduate Linguistics Association of Britain, 2(1), 8-63. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8184671
Dissertations
2023. '(Re-)Defining Residual V2 in Romance: a homogeneous phenomenon?', MPhil thesis, St. John's College, University of Cambridge (supervisor: Prof Adam Ledgeway)
2021. 'Motivational and Sociolinguistic Trends in Post-compulsory MFL uptake in England,' BA thesis, University of Birmingham (supervisor: Dr Alice Corr)
Opinion Pieces
2025. ‘Are we seeing the end of languages at Russell Group universities?’, The Languages Gateway, 4 December. https://www.thelanguagesgateway.uk/blog/are-we-seeing-the-end-of-languages-at-russell-group-universities/
Non-refereed
2025. ‘The Linguist’s Guide to PhD Applications,’ Applying for a PhD in Linguistics series, Linguistics Association of Great Britain Postgraduate Student Committee (with Fae Hicks)
Conferences
Invited talks
2024b. 'Heritage language qualifications in the UK HE admission process', LAGB Race and Social Justice Sub-committee, Online, 13 November (with Eva Eppler and Yuni Kim). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPqxcrFCuRo&t=713s
2024a. 'Exploring the (in)accessibility of language qualifications (MFL and community) for students of underrepresented and minority groups', National Association of Language Advisers, University of Nottingham, 29 June.
2023b. 'Bridging the gap between community and modern foreign languages attitudes and uptake amongst underrepresented students in schools: Linguistics as a tool for change', Committee for Linguistics in Education, Linguistics Association for Great Britain (LAGB) and British Association for Applied Linguistics (BAAL), Online, 13 October.
2023a. 'Testing and (Re-)Defining Residual V2 in Italian: A Homogeneous Phenomenon?', SyntaxLab, Department of Theoretical and Applied Linguistics, University of Cambridge, 23 May.
Peer-reviewed conference papers
2026c. ‘Youth voices in contact: documenting multiethnic language practices in Austria’,
Forum for Germanic Language Studies Conference, University of Leeds, 16-17 April.
2026b. ‘Sprache unter Jugendlichen in Wien – ein neuer multiethnolekt?’,
62. Jahrestagung des Leibniz-Institut für Deutsche Sprache: Deutsch im europäischen Sprachraum, Leibniz-Institut für Deutsche Sprache Mannheim (IDS Mannheim), 10-12 March. [poster presentation]
2026a. ‘From Berlin to Vienna: Understanding youth language in the Germanophone world’,
AHRC Midlands4Cities Research Festival 2026, Birmingham, 11 February.
2025c. ‘Stuffed, silenced, displayed: Decolonising Nottingham’s natural history through ‘George the Gorilla’,
Cultural Heritage Management and Conservation Conference, University of Nottingham, 19 September.
2025b. 'Urban linguistic practices in the German-speaking world: Exploring linguistic variation among Austria's youth,' Association for German Studies Annual Conference 2025, University of Oxford, 2 September.
2025a. 'Naming or othering? Challenging binary classifications of urban youth speech practices and identity in the Germanophone world.' 22nd Oxford German Graduate Symposium, University of Oxford, 28 June.
2024. 'Theoretical and sociolinguistics at the interface: Revisiting language contact intensity and morphosyntactic change through Ibero-Daco Romance', Romance grammars, context and contact (RGCC24), University of Birmingham, 8-10 January.
2023. 'Bridging the gap between community and modern foreign languages attitudes and uptake amongst underrepresented students in schools: Linguistics as a tool for change', Annual Meeting of the Linguistics Association of Great Britain (LAGB23), Anglia Ruskin University (Cambridge), 30 August.
Public Engagement & Impact
- M4C Placement holder (2025) - ‘Researching the 19th Century History of ‘George the Gorilla’ placement’ (between the University of Nottingham and Wollaton Hall)
Other Research Interests
- Sociolinguistics
- language contact
- Language variation and change
- language attitudes
- Theoretical linguistics
- Comparative morphosyntax
- Romance linguistics and dialectology
- Educational linguistics
- language education in schools
- MFL uptake
- heritage languages in schools
- language policy
- Access among underrepresented and minoritised groups
Memberships
- Internationales Promovierenden-Netzwerk (IPN) des IDS Mannheim, Leibniz-Institut für Deutsche Sprache Mannheim (Germany)
- Linguistics Association of Great Britain (LAGB)
- British Association of Applied Linguistics (BAAL)
- Association for German Studies in Great Britain and Ireland (AGS)
Academic Experience, Employment and Service
Academic Employment - Research
2026. Research Assistant, Universities of Birmingham, Nottingham, Liverpool and Koblenz (PI: Dr Ruth Whittle)
Project: ‘Towards an authentic (German) language classroom’ (DAAD-funded)
2025. Placement Researcher, University of Nottingham and Nottingham Museums
Project: ‘Researching the 19th Century History of ‘George the Gorilla’ (AHRC-funded)
2024. Research Assistant, University of Cambridge (PI: Dr Anna Tristram)
Project: ‘Evolving varieties of English in Corby, Northants’ (British Academy-funded)
Academic Employment - Teaching
2021-2022. British Council English Teaching Assistant, Vienna (Austria)
Conference and Event Organising
2025b.
Co-organiser, AHRC Midlands4Cities EDI Summer School, University of Warwick
2025a.
Co-organiser, Linguistics Association of Great Britain Summer School (2025), University of Suffolk
Academic Service
2025-
‘Global Majority’ Network Lead, AHRC Midlands4Cities DTP
2025-2026.
Activities Secretary, Linguistics Association of Great Britain Postgraduate Student Committee
2017-2021.
Senior Student Representative, Department of Modern Languages, University of Birmingham
2017-2021.
Student Ambassador, College of Arts and Law, University of Birmingham
2020-2021.
Outgoing Global Ambassador (Paid), Study Abroad and Exchanges, University of Birmingham
2018-2019.
President of Modern Languages Society, Guild of Students, University of Birmingham
Scholarships, Funding and Awards
Scholarships and Grants
2026. 62. IDS-Jahrestagung Conference Bursary (€1100), Leibniz-Institut für Deutsche Sprache Mannheim
2025c. AGS Research and Travel Grant (£300), Association for German Studies in Great Britain and Ireland
2025b. William Robson-Scott Travelling Scholarship (£650), Institute of Languages, Cultures and Societies
2025a. AHRC Midlands4Cities ‘Engagement Fund’ (£1608), AHRC Midlands4Cities
Research Funding
2024. AHRC Midlands4Cities PhD Studentship (fully-funded), University of Nottingham.
2023b. AHRC Midlands4Cities PhD Studentship (fully-funded), University of Birmingham. [scholarship awarded, later declined]
2023a. AHRC Open-Oxford-Cambridge PhD Studentship (fully-funded), St John's College, University of Cambridge. [scholarship awarded, later declined]
Awards
2019. Outstanding student representative award, Guild of Students, University of Birmingham.
