Drift Away or Struggle Against the Current - An Attitudinal Investigation of EFL Teachers’ and Prospective Teachers’ Attitudes to SE and NSE

Abstract

This study presents a mixed-methods study of prospective and experienced teachers’ attitudes to Standard Englishes (SE) (Received Pronunciation & General American) and Non-standard Englishes (NSE) (Norwegian English & Neutral English). Three prospective teachers and two experienced teachers were interviewed using semi-structured interviews complemented with a Likert scale questionnaire with 20 experienced teachers and 27 prospective teachers. The study was guided by three research questions: (1) What are teachers’ attitudes to standard English and non-standard English varieties? (2) Do the attitudes of experienced teachers and students (prospective teachers) influence them during assessment situations of standard English and Non-standard English? (3) Is there a generational shift in teachers’ use and attitudes towards SE and NSE varieties? The findings are contextualized and discussed in relation to previous research and the conceptual framework. The findings of this study correlate with previous studies and show even though the majority of the informants and respondents are neutral concerning SE and NSE varieties they express positive and negative inclinations toward SE and NSE in different contexts. The results suggest that the students and teachers are aware of the possibility of attitudinal bias during assessments. However, as reported, most informants and respondents attempt to assess SE and NSE varieties equally and justly. Finally, even though there are some distinct differences in practices and attitudes between experienced and prospective teachers, this study cannot confidently argue for this shift to be present among these subjects.