The attractiveness and comprehensibility of native english accents: Attitudes of polish efl speakers
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24136/10.24136/rsf.2024.019Keywords:
English varieties, English as a Foreign Language (EFL), English accents, English pronunciationAbstract
This study investigates the perceptions of Polish EFL learners regarding the comprehensibility, attractiveness, and formality of five native English accents: General American, Estuary English, Scottish, Multicultural London English (MLE), and General Australian. A questionnaire was distributed to 59 adult learners, including professionals, with the majority lacking formal training in phonetics or linguistics to minimize bias. Respondents rated each accent on a Likert scale after listening to recordings of native speakers reading the same text. While the sample size limits the statistical significance of the findings, median scores reveal notable trends. General American and Estuary English were perceived as the most comprehensible and formal, whereas Multicultural London English and Scottish accents elicited mixed reactions in terms of attractiveness.
These findings contribute to the ongoing discussion of accent perceptions in English language education, providing preliminary insights into the importance of exposure to diverse accents in globalized EFL contexts.
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