Attitudes in Sweden towards four Different Varieties of the English Language: A Quantitative Study

Abstract

The aim of this study is to explore the attitudes of Swedish people towards the following varieties of English: Indian English (IndE), American English (AmE), Nigerian English (NigE) and British English (BrE). The study was conducted via a written questionnaire which was answered by a total of 157 participants. The majority of the participants displayed a positive attitude towards British English and American English, while many did not think much of Indian English and Nigerian English, or were not familiar with them. The data was also analyzed through the perspective of the participants’ gender, age and educational level. Although there were some differences, the results indicated that there were not many particular features represented by these different social factors. Overall, the results give a picture of BrE and AmE as the most known, used and acceptable Englishes to the participants in this study. The data mainly show that AmE is most preferred amongst the younger participants, while BrE is mostly preferred by the older participants. This study also discusses and highlights the importance of exposure to the concept of World- or Global Englishes in a post-colonial and globalized era. The attitudes revealed in this study show that these topics are still necessary to discuss.