Modelling beliefs, attitudes, and behaviours regarding the spread of English

Abstract

Attitudes toward the global spread of English have been one of the major issues in research on the development of world Englishes. Because language attitudes construct an invisible language policy that influences the use of English in a local speech community (Curdt–Christiansen, 2009), many studies addressing the spread of English into non-English contexts have focused on the attitudes of diverse English users toward their local variety and other varieties of English (Ahn, 2014; He & Li, 2009; Wang & Gao, 2015). However, among the core components of language attitudes, that is, the cognitive component (i.e., belief system), affective component (i.e., attitudinal system), and behavioural component (i.e., behavioural intention), little research attention has been paid to the behavioural component other than by Ahn (2014), even though non-native speakers’ actual use of their local English is the process by which English spreads into non-English-speaking communities. Thus it is necessary to explore the factors influencing the speakers’ behaviours while using the local variety of English. In addition, previous research has not identified the mechanism by which the speakers’ beliefs and attitudes have influence their actual behavioural intentions in relation to their attitudes toward their own English. For example, Ahn (2014) reported that whereas Korean English teachers expressed positive attitudes toward Korean English, they were hesitant in their behavioural intentions to use it as a teaching model. However, this study did not deeply address associations among beliefs, attitudes, and actual behaviours in relation to the use of Korean English. In response to this gap, the present study provides an integrated framework for investigating the spread of English into local speech communities by modelling diverse factors of individual speakers’ decision-making processes in adopting the local variety of English.

The spread of English in Morocco

“…The increased prominence of the English language as a form of global communication has expedited the worldwide diffusion and consumption of its often associated cultures (Baker, 2009). This is a worldwide phenomenon that infiltrates all layers of society including the cultural fabric (see, e.g., Kuppens, 2013; Low & Ao, 2018; Pennycook, 2017; Schulzke, 2014) and even local speech communities, e.g., ‘nativisation’ of some English words (Lee & Choe, 2019: 8). However, this spread is not always perceived positively.…”

“…Younger generations such as university students have often been shown to hold positive attitudes towards English in different contexts (Lin, 2012; Menking, 2015; Sung, 2018). Young people also play a significant role in introducing English into their communities (Lee & Choe, 2019: 2). Drawing on previous research, this paper endeavours to understand Moroccan university students’ rationale for their attitudes and whether they feel like a different person when speaking in English (Seilhamer, 2013).…”

Typology of English–Korean code ambiguation

“…The term ‘code ambiguation’ is used to describe English–Japanese code-mixing phenomena in J-pop by Moody and Matsumoto (2003: 5) as it emphasizes bilingual English users’ purposeful manipulation of two languages for ambiguous sound codes ‘to produce messages in both languages.’ Thus, non-native English speakers’ control over the linguistic knowledge in CA displays their bilingual creativity when English is used as a source of verbal repertoires in a local language environment (Luk, 2013; Scherling, 2016). This advanced level of language control seems to be relevant to social acquisition of English by general members of a speech community although the conclusive argument should be reserved until further studies are conducted for its generalization (Lee & Choe, 2021; Luk, 2013; Rivlina, 2015).…”

“…Thus, non-native English speakers' control over the linguistic knowledge in CA displays their bilingual creativity when English is used as a source of verbal repertoires in a local language environment (Luk, 2013;Scherling, 2016). This advanced level of language control seems to be relevant to social acquisition of English by general members of a speech community although the conclusive argument should be reserved until further studies are conducted for its generalization (Lee & Choe, 2021;Luk, 2013;Rivlina, 2015).…”

“…Given that the phonological systems of English and a local language are different, this acoustic aspect of CA involves bi-directional sound assimilation of the two linguistic items for bilingual puns: Englishization of a local language (Moody & Matsumoto, 2003; Rivlina, 2015) and nativization of English (Luk, 2013; Scherling, 2016). Englishization refers to language change in a local language under the effect of English spread and contact while nativization is the process in which English gains features of the local language through language transfer (Ahn, 2018; Moody, 2009; Lee & Choe, 2021). The two ways of language change serve as a foundation for two linguistic items to obtain phonological similarities in CA practices (Moody & Matsumoto, 2003; Rivlina, 2015).…”