The most spoken language in Austria is German. Almost every foreigner who stays in this country either knows German or tries to learn a little bit of it for ease of communication with locals. However, if you are not a German speaker then you shouldn’t worry about it. Austria has a very high proficiency rating when it comes to speaking English. The country was ranked 8th among 100 countries and regions when it comes to speaking English and is actually the 6th placer in all of Europe.

Language Skills
Austrians' high proficiency rate in English has given them an EPI score of 64.11% by the EF English Proficiency Index. This mainly is because of their high standard of education in the country, giving school children a solid foundation in using English. So don’t worry, if you’re about to dine in a restaurant, or you will be checking in at your hotel, you may freely speak to locals in English.

However, you may want to please your Austrian friends by learning how to greet them in German. Should you be saying ‘Hello’ in a formal manner, you may try saying ‘Grüßgott’ or pronounced as ‘groose-got.’ Or should you be saying it informally, you may also say the word ‘Servus’ or pronounced as ‘sair-vuss.’ To hear how these words are pronounced and to know a little more greetings, you may check out this link here.

Body Language
Regardless of age or gender, greeting with a firm handshake is considered a courteous greeting in Austria. This should be done briefly but with eye contact. Although you would usually be shaking hands upon your arrival, another round of handshakes should be extended upon departure in social settings, gatherings, and discussions with someone that may be considered an official business. When you are around friends or families that are local, women may tend to give a warm hug with two kisses on each cheek. These are light and brief kisses that are characterized by soft touches of each others’ cheeks.

Most locals in the country are reserved and formal, so kissing and hugging in public is not very common. If you are meeting a local for the first time, you may consider giving a handshake instead regardless of your gender. When conversing with Austrians, mind that eye contact is very important to them. You must be attentive when discussing and avoid unnecessary distractions when talking to people.

It is also important to take note that you should respect the personal space of the person you are near to. As mentioned, most Austrians may actually be reserved, this means that they expect they’ll be given enough space when they are amongst strangers. Do not randomly approach a local and stand too close when talking to them, show them respect by standing at an appropriate distance when talking to strangers for the first time.

Topics for Discussion
If you are about to open a topic for discussion with an Austrian, you may want to bring up the topic about their regional diversity. The locals in Austria love to talk about the region where they come from, this allows them to reminisce and gives them a sense of belongingness. They might ask the same to you, so just be generous in telling them your story as well. But take note not to mistake the belongingness of Austria to be from Germany. Although most Austrians speak German, they don’t like being mistaken as German.

Get a good conversation going with a local by sharing how much you admire their country. Austrians take pride in their country and would love to hear your insights about how their country looks from the eyes of a foreigner. You may want to mention the wonders of the infrastructures in the country or the amazing landscapes that you’ve seen.

Austrians are knowledge-hungry and are eager to always learn something new. Try sharing a topic that your Austrian counterpart might be interested in, such as places you’ve been to in Austria, other travel destinations you’ve been in, the food you’ve tasted so far in the country, and the opportunities that you see yourself pursuing.