Plus Ça Change… Serbian EFL Students' Attitudes Towards Varieties of English

Abstract

This paper presents the findings of a sociolinguistic study investigating the attitudes of adult Serbian EFL students (N=114), trained as future EFL teachers, to 8 regional and 2 EFL varieties of English, relative to accent identification. A modified verbal-guise technique, based on semantic differential scales for 15 traits in the dimensions of social prestige, social closeness, and personal integrity, was combined with a direct-method questionnaire. The findings show that the participants were not familiar enough with different regional accents, but, rather, that they relied on broad constructs such as "British" or "American" English. They expressed conservative attitudes, rating most favourably the varieties they associated with the notions of "standard" and "correct", and least favourably those associated with common negative stereotypes or "foreign" accents. In the light of the participants' meagre results in accent recognition, we argue that further language attitude research is needed in the EFL context, where attitudes to varieties gain even more weight with the shift towards education for intercultural communication.

‘Jamaican and Irish for fun, British to show off’: Attitudes of Croatian university students of TEFL to English language varieties

“…When asked which varieties of English they would most like to have a mastery of, the respondents primarily chose British (43%) and American English (29%) (which is similar to the results obtained by Paunović, 2009 and Vodopija Krstanović & Brala Vukanović, 2011), followed by International English (21%). Some provide their reasons: #5: British and American English because they are the basis and the standards.#6: British and American English are widely understood and the most widely spread; most elements used in international communication are taken from British and American.#7: Although I believe all varieties are equally authentic, correct and important, British English still holds a special and prestigious place in my hierarchy of English language varieties.#9: I still regard British English as the ‘ideal’ variety because of the traditional and cultural connotations.#13: American English sounds natural.#15: International English provides mobility.#28: I would like to have a mastery of British English just to show off. Irish English is the only other native variety chosen as a most desirable one (by 7% of respondents), and a further 35% put it in the second or third position.…”

“…When asked which varieties of English they would most like to have a mastery of, the respondents primarily chose British (43%) and American English (29%) (which is similar to the results obtained by Paunović, 2009 andVodopija Krstanović &Brala Vukanović, 2011), followed by International English (21%). Some provide their reasons: Irish English is the only other native variety chosen as a most desirable one (by 7% of respondents), and a further 35% put it in the second or third position.…”

“…Evans, 2005; Drljača Margić, 2011, the latter particularly with respect to Americanisms as opposed to Briticisms) and English non-native contexts (e.g. Ladegaard, 1998; Jarvella et al ., 2001; Paunović, 2009; Evans, 2010; Drljača Margić & Širola, 2013), where American English was ranked less favourably than British in terms of standardness, correctness and prestige.…”

“…Ladegaard, 1998; Bayard et al ., 2001; Jarvella et al ., 2001; Evans, 2005, 2010), or – more relevantly for the present study – both native and non-native varieties, primarily in non-native contexts (e.g. Dalton-Puffer et al ., 1997; Hu, 2004, 2005; Lee, 2009; Paunović, 2009).…”

Serbian English Through the Lens of the Elf Research Paradigm

“…Iako je u uvodu ovog rada data opšta definicija ELF-a kao varijeteta, na početku ovog poglavlja osvrnućemo se na drugačiju definiciju, formulisanu posmatranjem ELF-a kroz vizuru pragmatike. Naime, Haus (House, 2010:p.364) definiše ELF kao ʻposeban tip interkulturne komunikacije pri kojoj svaka kombinacija učesnika, svaka diskursna zajednica, dogovorom uspostavlja sopstvenu upotrebu engleskog kao lingua franca u pogledu upotrebe kodnog preključivanja i mešanja kodova, diskursnih strategija, pregovaranja o formi i značenjuʼ 13 . Ova definicija odlično opisuje varijabilnost razgovornog engleskog u međunarodnoj upotrebi, gde gotovo svaki govornik gradi svoj idiolekt, dok se pri susretu sa drugim govornicima u određenoj meri prilagođava njihovim idiolektima uz pomoć različitih strategija akomodacije.…”