Awareness of and attitudes to Asian Englishes: a study of English teachers in South Korea

Abstract

In this study 204 Korean and foreign English teachers from two metropolitan regions of South Korea were investigated regarding their attitudes towards four selected Asian Englishes as used in Singapore, India, China and Japan. The data were collected via 204 questionnaires and 63 semi-structured individual interviews and analysed from a World Englishes perspective using both qualitative and quantitative methods. The results revealed teachers’ strong rejection and ignorance of the four selected Asian Englishes. Findings suggested that a lack of awareness of and exposure to Asian Englishes may have led to the development of prejudice and negativity in teachers’ attitudes causing them to ‘shut their ears’ to these Englishes. The discussion focuses on the implications for addressing the linguistic prejudices held amongst South Korean English teachers, with information on how Asian English varieties are stigmatised as ‘wrong English’. This study also addresses the importance of developing an awareness of Asian Englishes to help English speakers in South Korea to communicate effectively with the increasing number of speakers of Asian Englishes.