University students'attitudes toward varieties of English

Abstract

This paper examines Japanese university students'attitudes toward six varieties ofEnglish in the Inner Circle and Outer Circle countries. As English has become widelyspread as a world lingua franca, in real social situations it is exclusively used forinteractions between non-native speakers more than among native speakers or betweennative and non-native speakers. Accordingly, more attention has been paid to therecognition and acceptance of varieties of English other than"standard"English suchas RP (Received Pronunciation) or GA (General American). In Japan, English is taughtas a foreign language and not officially used outside classrooms, and learners areusually exposed to the limited varieties mentioned above and tend to see the goal asnative-like competence. This study attempts to reveal how Japanese university studentsview different varieties of English and how well they recognize the role of English asa lingua franca. The results of statistical analyses show the subjects in this studyperceived RP and GA as more preferable and comprehensible than the other varietiesand did not seem to understand what is meant by a world lingua franca. It also triesto investigate how their language attitudes affect their anxiety in speaking English.Considering the findings, some pedagogical implications are suggested when designinga course in order to provide learners with more world-wide views about English.