The interplay of the Macedonian standard and dialects in a bilingual setting: Macedonian language maintenance in Australia

Using the example of the position of the Macedonian language in Australia, the author discusses the essential linguistic developments among Macedonian migrants in order to establish a framework for the analysis of a very complex picture of language contact, with special reference to the interplay between the standard language and dialects and its relevance to language maintenance (LM) in an English-speaking environment. In analyzing the contact situation among both Macedonians from the Republic of Macedonia and those from Aegean Macedonia in Greece and the factors involved in LM, the author explores the notion of interdialectal approximation transitional in relation to the standard as an important development in LM and in reversing language shift.