Perceptions towards China English: The case of Chinese ELT Students in a University in Northeast Thailand

Abstract

The English language is now been spoken and currently studied in practically every country around the world. The local variety of English in China, known as China English, from the standpoint of World Englishes has been debatedly perceived as a variant of English by many Chinese. In this study, the perceptions of Chinese ELT students studying in Thailand toward China English are investigated. A semi-structured interview was used to obtain data from seven Chinese ELT students. Based on a qualitative content analysis of the data, the findings showed that while the students tended to accept the legitimacy of World Englishes (WE) or English varieties and China English, particularly in terms of different accents and the use of China English (along with inner circle Englishes) in media and in intranational and international communication, the majority of them opposed its usage in English language classes. They preferred to follow a conventional pedagogical strategy that prioritizes native English varieties, especially American English and British English. Given that Anglophone English is still dominant in mainstream ELT in China, language educators should design and implement productive learning activities and select meaningful authentic learning materials to encourage learners to be exposed to English diversity.

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