ERIC Number: EJ824668
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2008
Pages: 6
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0965-8416
EISSN: N/A
Second Language Learners' Attitudes towards English Varieties
Zhang, Weimin; Hu, Guiling
Language Awareness, v17 n4 p342-347 2008
This pilot project investigates second language (L2) learners' attitudes towards three varieties of English: American (AmE), British (BrE) and Australian (AuE). A 69-word passage spoken by a female speaker of each variety was used. Participants were 30 Chinese students pursuing Masters or Doctoral degrees in the United States, who listened to each of the three recordings and evaluated six language-related qualities and 12 person-related qualities about the three varieties of English on seven-point Likert scales. They also evaluated each speaker's teaching suitability. The results suggest that L2 learners have more positive attitudes towards the varieties of English they have been exposed to, i.e. AmE and BrE. However, their attitudes do not seem to be related to the understandability of the passage delivered by the speakers of the three varieties.
Descriptors: Language Variation, Pilot Projects, Second Language Learning, Likert Scales, Language Attitudes, English, North American English, Foreign Countries, Foreign Students, Listening Comprehension, Student Attitudes, Graduate Students, English (Second Language), Chinese, Native Speakers
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Australia; United Kingdom
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A