Exposure to multiple accents of English in the English Language Teaching classroom: from second language learners' perspectives

As a result of the global presence of English as a Lingua Franca (ELF), it has been argued that learners of English should be exposed to a range of varieties of English, rather than a single variety of English, so that they can be better prepared to communicate with other people in ELF communication...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Innovation in language learning and teaching 2016-09, Vol.10 (3), p.190-205
Main Author: Sung, Chit Cheung Matthew
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
accent
Accentuation
Classroom communication
English (Second Language)
English as a Lingua Franca
English as a second language instruction
English as an international language
English for Academic Purposes
Foreign Countries
Hong Kong
Language attitudes
language teaching
Language varieties
learner perceptions
Mixed Methods Research
Native Speakers
Non-native accent
Polls & surveys
Pronunciation
Questionnaires
Second Language Instruction
Semi Structured Interviews
Student Attitudes
Undergraduate Students
varieties of English
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Summary:As a result of the global presence of English as a Lingua Franca (ELF), it has been argued that learners of English should be exposed to a range of varieties of English, rather than a single variety of English, so that they can be better prepared to communicate with other people in ELF communication. However, little is known about second language (L2) learners' perspectives on exposure to multiple accents of English in the English Language Teaching (ELT) classroom. This paper reports on a study that investigated the views of L2 learners of English concerning exposure to different accents of English in the classroom. Data were collected by means of semi-structured interviews and a questionnaire survey at a university in Hong Kong. The analysis revealed that these L2 learners showed rather ambivalent attitudes towards exposure to different accents of English in the classroom. While many participants seemed to be aware of the value of exposure to different native and non-native accents, there was less than wholehearted support for such a proposal in practice because of a number of pedagogical and practical concerns. Implications of the findings for classroom teaching are also discussed.
ISSN:1750-1229
1750-1237
DOI:10.1080/17501229.2014.936869