Perspectives on World English(es): Perceptions of Italian EFL learners at secondary state schools with regard to grammar teaching, British and American accents and what model to aspire to when learning English as a second language

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to provide effective responses to three different articles that discuss the issues of grammar translation instruction, the differences between British and American accents and, above all, what model to aspire to when learning English, in order investigate what are the perceptions of Italian EFL learners at secondary state schools with regard to these elements. The trigger for this analysis comes firstly from my EFL teaching experiences at Italian state high schools where the syllabi employed tend to overlook these features and focus on conventional teaching practices. Secondly, the stimulus for this study comes also from research articles in this field that I read before writing these responses in order to have a broader view of these themes. Each response describes in detail theoretical issues with regard to the articles selected for this analysis, and it also makes reference to the context identified for this investigation. This study was conducted in Italy and the data gathering processes consist mainly of qualitative semi-structured interviews with eight participants (four EFL learners and for teachers of English as a foreign language and English literature), interview transcripts, and content analysis techniques which I used to examine and interpret data collected. Findings indicate that innovative EFL teaching and learning practices are needed in Italian state high schools, especially where the syllabi employed overlooks these identified aspects of the language.