ERIC Number: EJ1159165
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2017
Pages: 23
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-1305-578X
EISSN: N/A
Students' Perceptions of "Good English" and the Underlying Ideologies behind Their Perceptions
Karakas, Ali
Journal of Language and Linguistic Studies, v13 n2 p487-509 2017
This paper primarily aims to explore how the notion of "Good English" and its sister terms, such as good writing/writers and good speaking/speakers, are perceived by ELT students and secondly attempts to determine the language ideologies that lie behind their perceptions. A phenomenological research approach was adopted making use of open-ended email questionnaires with 42 students studying at a Turkish university to become English language teachers. The data analysed through a mixture of quantitative and qualitative content analysis revealed that most students' perceptions of "Good English" are normative and accord with the traditional view of the notion in which it is equated with "correct English" and "native-like English." It was also observed that most students' perceptions of "Good English" guided their perceptions of good English speakers and writers and the way they perceive themselves as good or bad speakers and writers. The results indicated that particular ideologies, such as standard English, native-speakerism and authenticity, impact upon many students' normative perceptions of Good English and that such ideologies are passed on to students through various mechanisms. Not submitting themselves to these ideologies, a small group of students offered a different conceptualisation of "Good English" by underlining the importance of adjusting their language use to their interlocutors in different communication situations and prioritizing intelligibility over grammatical accuracy and native-like pronunciation/accent. Drawing on the results, the study makes some suggestions regarding the potential constituents of "Good English" and the key attributes of "Good English" users.
Descriptors: Ideology, Student Attitudes, Phenomenology, Questionnaires, English (Second Language), Qualitative Research, Statistical Analysis, Language Proficiency, Language Fluency, College Second Language Programs, Standard Spoken Usage, Language Attitudes, Foreign Countries, College Students
Journal of Language and Linguistic Studies. Hacettepe Universitesi, Egitim Fakultesi B Blok, Yabanci Diller Egitimi Bolumu, Ingiliz Dili Egitimi Anabilim Dali, Ankara 06800, Turkey. e-mail: jllsturkey@gmail.com; Web site: http://www.jlls.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Turkey
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A