Linking (imagined) communities: World language students' stereotypical attributions to native speakers and teachers of German

Abstract

This study explores language learners' stereotypical descriptions of native speakers (NSs) of German and their relationship with participants' perceptions of teachers of German. It expands motivation research that employs stereotypes to gain insight into university students' views of target language (TL) speakers (Rothe, 2022, 2025). Sixty‐seven learners of German and 43 learners of other world languages (WLs) provided responses about NSs and instructors, while also rating the stereotypes' perceived accuracy. Participants held various stereotypical notions about NSs, reflecting broader societal narratives. Learners of German provided more detailed stereotypical descriptions. Both groups considered favorable stereotypes as more accurate than less favorable ones. Yet, learners of other WLs perceived unfavorable NS traits as more pronounced. Stereotypical notions traveled via two pathways of association from NSs to teachers. Regardless of NS status, teachers were partially understood as representatives of and affective gateways to the TL community. The study discussed future scholarship and implications for language programs and teacher education. Pedagogical implications underscore the need for diverse course and program materials, the development of learning outcomes related to students' social media and AI literacies, and the deconstruction of stereotypical narratives among (novice) educators.