Attitudes Toward Language Variation in English Education: A Sociolinguistic Investigation

Abstract

This study aims to examine undergraduate students’ attitudes toward language variation in English education within a higher education context in Indonesia, specifically among students enrolled in an English Language Education program at a university in Yogyakarta. The study examines attitudes across cognitive, affective, behavioral, and ideological domains. Adopting a mixed-method sequential explanatory design, quantitative data were collected through a Likert-scale questionnaire administered to 82 students, followed by qualitative data from semi-structured interviews with six selected participants. The study reveals that students generally favor linguistic diversity, showing cognitive awareness of various English dialects and their sociocultural importance. They express openness to different accents and display confidence in their interactions, although notions of prestige and familiarity shape their views. Behaviorally, they are inclined to incorporate language variation into future teaching, but still tend to mimic native pronunciation norms. Ideologically, they support linguistic equality and inclusive education, while recognizing the ongoing impact of native-speakerism in society. These findings suggest that students’ attitudes are evolving, reflecting both greater acceptance of Global Englishes and continued adherence to standard-language pedagogy. This study contributes to the literature by demonstrating that language attitudes are multidimensional and characterized by ongoing ideological negotiations rather than a simple shift from standard-language norms to Global Englishes perspectives. The study provides insights for curriculum development and pedagogical practices that foster more inclusive approaches to English language teaching