Korean college students' perception of world Englishes

Abstract

This paper aims to examine Korean college students’ attitudes toward the notion of world Englishes and any differences in those attitudes according to learners’ characteristics, such as living abroad experiences, English proficiency level, and experiences with nonnative English instructors. A questionnaire survey was conducted among 289 female college students. The data analysis indicates that the students had a relatively low awareness of world Englishes and preferred American/British English overwhelmingly. However, they showed somewhat open attitudes toward the use of nonstandard pronunciation and Outer Circle varieties of English, for example, Indian English. This study also finds that the students with higher English proficiency and the students with overseas living experiences showed a greater awareness of world Englishes and had more positive responses toward the ownership of English by Outer Circle countries. Based on the findings, pedagogical implications on world Englishes are provided.