Attitudes and Perceptions on the tutors' English varieties within a

Global Englishes framework

A dissertation submitted to The University of Manchester for the degree of MA

Education (International) in the Faculty of Humanities

YEAR OF SUMISSION
2022

STUDENT ID NUMBER
10847230

School of Environment, Education and Development

CONTENTS

CONTENTS ................................................................................................................ 2
ABSTRCT ................................................................................................................... 3
DECLATATION .......................................................................................................... 5
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY STATEMENT ..............................................................5
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ............................................................................................. 6
CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION .....................................................................................7
1.1 Research Aims ................................................................................................7
1.2 Reasons for undertaking the research ............................................................ 7
1.3 Research Context ........................................................................................... 8
1.4 The structure of the dissertation ..................................................................... 9
CHAPTER II LITERATURE REVIEW ....................................................................... 10
2.1 Language attitudes ....................................................................................... 10
2.2 Perceptions of English varieties .................................................................... 11
2.2.1 English varieties ...................................................................................11
2.2.2 Kachru's Three Concentric circles Model ............................................ 11
2.2.3 Perceptions of English varieties ...........................................................12
2.3 Perceptions of English varieties in Global Englishes Language Teaching
(GELT) ................................................................................................................ 15
2.3.1 Global Englishes ..................................................................................15
2.3.2 Global Englishes Language Teaching ................................................. 15
2.3.3 Perceptions of English varieties in GELT ............................................ 16
CHAPTER III PLANNING MY INQUIRY ................................................................... 19
3.1 Research Methodology ................................................................................. 19
3.2 Data Collection ..............................................................................................21
3.3 Sampling ....................................................................................................... 22
3.4 Data Analysis ................................................................................................ 24
3.5 Ethics ............................................................................................................ 25
3.6 Trustworthiness .............................................................................................25
3.7 Summary .......................................................................................................27
CHAPTER IV FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION .......................................................... 28
4.1 Perceptions of English varieties .................................................................... 28
4.1.1 Among Inner Circle varieties ................................................................28
4.1.2 Among Inner Circle, Outer Circle, and Expanding Circle varieties ...... 32

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 4.2 The Effect of a GE-informed pedagogy .........................................................41
4.2.1 Awareness of the diversity of English .................................................. 41
4.2.2 Increase of self-confidence ..................................................................42
4.2.3 Actual use in communication ............................................................... 44
4.3 Suggestions .................................................................................................. 45
4.4 Summary .......................................................................................................47
CHAPTER V CONCLUSION .....................................................................................48
5.1 Main Findings ................................................................................................48
5.1.1 Perceptions of English varieties ...........................................................48
5.1.2 The Effect of a GE-informed pedagogy ............................................... 48
5.2 The Limitations of the Research ................................................................... 49
5.3 The Improvements for Future Researches ................................................... 49
REFERENCE ............................................................................................................ 51
Appendix I Participant Information Sheet .............................................................62
Appendix II Consent Form ..................................................................................... 66
Appendix III Interview Questions ...........................................................................67

Word Count: 13734

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ABSTRCT

With the increasing importance of English as a lingua franca, the traditional teaching
model of native English can hardly meet the needs of today's cross-cultural
communication environment and global Englishes teaching may be an alternative
mode. Therefore, this dissertation adopted semi-structured interview to collect data
and thematic analysis to process data to investigate the attitudes and perceptions of
Chinese international postgraduate students from International Education at the
University of Manchester towards the English varieties used by their tutors, in order to
increase students' awareness of English diversity, build their confidence as legitimate
English users, advocates global English teaching to promote English as a lingua
franca and provides some ideas for the new English pedagogy. The results suggested
that native English are the most favored, with other varieties gaining more positive
ratings than in the past. Besides, increasing students' exposure to multiple varieties of
English does improve their tolerance, which is reflected in their greater confidence in
their own varieties. Moreover, pragmatic needs in actual communication have also
been met to a certain extent. This has implications for the transformation of English
teaching in the future: it is necessary to increase the opportunities for students to be
exposed to different English varieties in English teaching, and provide language
analysis of different English varieties. In addition, the diversity of English should be
considered in the training and recruitment of tutors

4
DECLATATION

No portion of the work referred to in the dissertation has been submitted in support of
an application for another degree or qualification of this or any other university or
other institute of learning.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY STATEMENT

I. The author of this dissertation (including any appendices and/or schedules to this
dissertation) owns certain copyright or related rights in it (the “Copyright”) and s/he
has given The University of Manchester certain rights to use such Copyright,
including for administrative purposes.

II. Copies of this dissertation, either in full or in extracts and whether in hard or
electronic copy, may be made only in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and
Patents Act 1988 (as amended) and regulations issued under it or, where
appropriate, in accordance with licensing agreements which the University has
entered into. This page must form part of any such copies made.

III. The ownership of certain Copyright, patents, designs, trademarks and other
intellectual property (the “Intellectual Property”) and any reproductions of copyright
works in the dissertation, for example graphs and tables (“Reproductions”), which
may be described in this dissertation, may not be owned by the author and may be
owned by third parties. Such Intellectual Property and Reproductions cannot and
must not be made available for use without the prior written permission of the
owner(s) of the relevant Intellectual Property and/or Reproductions.

IV. Further information on the conditions under which disclosure, publication and
commercialisation of this dissertation, the Copyright and any Intellectual Property
and/or Reproductions described in it may take place is available in the University IP
Policy, in any relevant Dissertation restriction declarations deposited in the University
Library, and The University Library’s regulations.

5
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

This work would not be completed without the support of many people.

First of all, my special thanks must go to my dissertation supervisor, Dr. Nuala

Broderick, for her constant encouragement and patient guidance. She always tried to
tap into my potential and encouraged me to try every possibility, so that I was able to
have such a thoughtful and meaningful research journey.

Second, I owe my gratitude to my peers for participating in my research and sharing

your brilliant ideas during interviews. Without your engagement, this research would
not be possible.

In addition, I would like to thank The University of Manchester for offering such
wonderful courses and resources to me, and leading me into a fresh academic world.

Finally, thank you so much to my parents, without whose support, I might not be able
to come here to have such different one-year master’s journey.

6
CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION

1.1 Research Aims

Based on the fact that there are four to five times as many non-native English
speakers as native speakers (Jenkins, 2015), English is becoming global with its
spread use in the world. Consequently, different kinds of new English varieties have
been created due to the integration of English and local languages, cultures and
customs (Kong, 2005). In order to adapt to this complicated English language
environment, many researchers have suggested that there should be a shift from the
traditional pedagogy to a new one (Lu and Buripakdi, 2020).
In China, English is only learned as a foreign language in school and rarely used in
daily life (Li, 2020). In the classroom, native English, led by Standard British English
and Standard American English, is taken for granted as a reference model (Adamson,
2004; Bolton, 2003; Lam, 2002). However, in global English communication, people
come from different linguistic backgrounds (Jenkins, Cogo, and Dewey, 2011).
Therefore, the traditional model of English learning is not enough to help students
cope with the pragmatic needs of English in real contexts in the future (Matsuda,
2017). In this case, China may need to examine whether the native English teaching
model is really appropriate and consider some of the ideas that have been accepted
in the field of English teaching.
Therefore, this dissertation will explore students’ perceptions of the English varieties
used by their tutors' within a Global Englishes framework, whose aims are as follows:
first, to explore Chinese international students’ perceptions of learning in an
environment of different kinds of English varieties; Secondly, to increase students'
awareness of global Englishes and encourage them to respect the diversity of English
varieties. Thirdly, it advocates the integration of global English awareness into China’
English teaching to promote English as a lingua franca and provides some ideas for a
new English pedagogy.

1.2 Reasons for undertaking the research

The reasons why I conduct this research are mainly based on my own experiences.
Firstly, according to Counsell (2011), Chinese students make up the largest number
of foreign students studying in the UK, thus it is worth exploring their perceptions of
tutors using English varieties.

7
Secondly, many Chinese students feel inferior for their English with a Chinese accent,
which they think is not standard enough (Feng, 2017). Therefore, it is necessary to
raise their awareness of global English, so that they can treat different kinds of
English varieties from a diverse perspective rather than a single perspective and
increase their tolerance for these English varieties, including their own.
Third, many Chinese students have reported language barriers in the process of
learning (Sawir, 2005; Cao, Zhu, and Meng, 2018). For example, some tutors have a
strong native accent or speak too fast, which makes it difficult for students to listen.
This reflects that the native English teaching model that most Chinese students
receive before going abroad is not enough to cope with global communication in a
multilingual environment. Therefore, a shift to global Englishes teaching should be
considered to develop students' ability to communicate with speakers from different
backgrounds and interact in the context of English as a lingua franca.

1.3 Research Context

In this dissertation, Chinese international students majoring in International Education
at the University of Manchester will be selected as the interviewees.
First of all, the University of Manchester has the second highest number of Chinese
students in the UK, after University College London (Sohu, 2022).
Secondly, Chinese students mean those who have studied English under the
traditional Chinese English teaching mode from the third grade of primary school to
undergraduate before coming to the UK for postgraduate study.
Third, under the traditional Chinese English teaching model, standard British English
and Standard American English are dominant, covering teaching materials from
textbooks, dictionaries, audio and video to syllabus, and also extending to all kinds of
entertainment brought by the progress of technology and mass media (Fang, 2015).
Finally, the tutors of international education in the University of Manchester come
from many different countries around the world, such as the United States, Nigeria,
Australia, Norway, the United Kingdom, Turkey, Pakistan, South Korea, and even
some of the teachers grew up in a multi-language environment (UoM, 2022).
Covering a wide variety of Englishes from Inner, Outer, and Expanding Circle, they
are representative and can provide a rich resource for this research (Krashen, 1992).
In addition, the English varieties used by tutors can be authentic and vivid global
English textbooks, because in the process of learning, students can have frequent
practical communication with them, thus achieving meaningful contact with the
8
material (Vettorel, 2018).

1.4 The structure of the dissertation

This dissertation includes five parts: introduction, literature review, planning my
inquiry, findings and discussion, and conclusion. First, it introduces research aims,
reasons for undertaking the research, research context and the structure of the
dissertation. Second, it reviews the current literature and debates within the field on
attitudes and perceptions of learners in the global English teaching environment.
Third, it describes the research method used for the research, introduces how the
samples are selected and steps of data collection, explains data analysis method,
and emphasizes ethics as well as trustworthiness. Fourth, it reports and discusses
the data of the semi-structured interviews, and links it to previous studies. Finally, it
summarizes the main findings of this study, points out some limitations, and suggests
optimization suggestions for future research.

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CHAPTER II LITERATURE REVIEW

The main focus of this chapter is to understand the current literature and debates
within the field on attitudes and perceptions of learners in the global English teaching
environment and to understand the importance of implementing global English
teaching in the English language classroom. First, the concepts of language attitudes,
English varieties, global Englishes, and global Englishes language teaching are
identified, which contribute to understanding the following discussions of this
dissertation. Then, on the basis of the existing theories or models, this part reviews
the general attitudes of learners towards English varieties and the attitudes of
learners in the global English teaching environment. Finally, research gaps and
research questions arise.

2.1 Language attitudes

Since the 1960s, language attitudes, as an important aspect of sociolinguistics, have
become a thriving research field. Sarnoff (1970) described an attitude as an
expression of like or dislike for something, which includes cognitive, affective and
behavioral aspects (Garrett, Coupland, and Williams, 2003). Language attitude refers
to the attitude towards the group members who speak this language variety, which is
also the group stereotype. It is also a group affiliation or identification problem (Gao
and Xu, 2015).
The importance of the study of language attitudes has been mentioned in many
literatures. According to Garrett (2001), it can reveal how languages remain stable
and become different at the sociolinguistic level. Moreover, Ellis (2000) found that the
attitude of second language (L2) learners is related to the degree of their mastery of
the language. That is, the more positive the attitude, the more conducive to their L2
study. In addition, the study of language attitudes can understand the different
attitudes of different populations and these differences can reflect the change of
overall attitudes, which can provide a reference for educators and policy makers to
select English teaching models, thus meeting the needs of learners and promoting
their learning in the most effective way, especially for English, a global language with
complex linguistic realities (Lewis, 1982; Al-Tamimi and Shuyib, 2009).

10
2.2 Perceptions of English varieties
2.2.1 English varieties
English is a general term for the national languages of English-speaking countries,
which evolved from Germanic dialects (Kong, 2006). Later, with the establishment of
many British colonies around the world and the vigorous implementation of English
education in the colonies, English gradually occupied a dominant position in the fields
of politics, economics, and law (Kong, 2006). Nowadays, English is one of the most
popular languages in the world, both in terms of the number of users and the range of
use. It has been widely used in all countries and in all fields of international activities
(Yun, 2003). At the same time, English has evolved in the process of constant contact
with local language and cultural customs, resulting in the localization of English and
forming various regional varieties with differences in pronunciation, grammar,
semantics and pragmatics, such as British English (Scottish English, Welsh English),
South African English, Caribbean English, American English, Canadian English,
Singapore English, Nigerian English, Australian English, Indian English, and
Philippine English and New Zealand English (Zhang and Zhou, 2014; Chen, 2016;
Zhu, 2008; Kong, 2006).
2.2.2 Kachru's Three Concentric circles Model
In the study of regional varieties of English, many scholars have tried to classify
English varieties (McAuthor, 1987; Strevens, 1980; Yano, 2001; Quirk, 1990), the
most influential of which is Kachru's three concentric circle of English (1992), which
emphasized the importance of linguistic inclusiveness and multicore. Taking the
"historical, sociolinguistics and literary features" of world English usage as the starting
point (Kachru, 1993), Kachru classified English varieties into three circles, namely
"inner circle", "Outer circle" and "Expanding circle". It is pointed out that each circle
represents different "English transmission routes, acquisition methods and functional
positioning in a multicultural environment" (Kachru, 1992). "inner circle" refers to
native English speakers or varieties (ENL), involving Britain, the United States,
Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and some Caribbean and Australian territories, with
a population of about 380 million (Crystal, 2003). "Outer circle" refers to the tradition
of interlanguage in second language (ESL) varieties or auxiliary language varieties,
used in former British colonies more countries and regions, such as Bangladesh,
Ghana, India, Kenya, Nigeria, Malaysia, Pakistan, Singapore, Philippines, Sri Lanka,
Tanzania, South Africa and Zambia, with a population of about 500 million. In these
countries where English plays an important role or is used as an official language, its
11
varieties are often referred to as "new English", "native English", "institutionalized
English" or "indigenized English" (Bamgbose, 2001; Kachru, 1992). The "Expanding
circle" is the largest circle, and in a broad sense, this circle refers to "English as a
foreign language" (EFL). English is only learned as a subject in school and rarely
used in daily life. As a result, students have few opportunities to use English outside
the classroom. Egypt, Thailand, China, Japan, Korea, Israel, Nepal, Saudi Arabia,
Zimbabwe, Indonesia, Russia, Denmark, France and the Caribbean Islands are all in
the "Expanding circle". Since countries in this circle have no history of colonization by
Anglophone countries (Kachru, 1992), English cannot become the working language
of government agencies in these countries (Jenkins, 2003). However, with the wide
application of English in academia, business and trade, media and science and
technology, the users of the "Expanding circle" far exceeded the population of the
"Outer circle" (Sarwar, 2000), reaching about 1 billion (Jenkins, 2003). Kachru (1993)
believed the "inner circle" is norm-providing, especially British and American English,
which are welcomed by English learners. The "Outer circle" is "norm-developing",
which lacks internal central norms, but the local language norms can reflect solid
language and cultural characteristics, while the "Expanding circle" is
"norm-dependent", whose norms mainly come from British and American English.
The concentric circle theory of World English shows the existence of "multiple
linguistic identities, the multiplicity of language centrality and eccentricity criteria, and
a unique sociolinguistics history" (Kachru, 1996), which emphasizes the diversity and
localization characteristics of languages.
2.2.3 Perceptions of English varieties
The existing attitude research on English varieties mainly involves participants'
preference for English varieties from the inner circle, outer circle and expanding circle
of Krashen's three-circle model. According to Giles and Coupland (1991), Forde
(1995), Dalton-Puffer et al. (2003), Hiraga (2005), Kim (2007), McKenzie (2008a),
Zhang (2009), Chiba, Matsuura, and Yamamoto (1995), Kobayashi (2008), Wong
(2011) and Matsuda (2003), the inner circle variety stands out as the most favored
among the many English varieties. Similarly, Jenkins(2009) found that although
English Foreign Language learners from the expanding circle used English as a
lingua franca to communicate with other non-native speakers rather than native
speakers, they still prefer the British variety and the American variety. According to
Kachru's model (1992,1997), the phenomenon that people in the expanding circle
prefer the inner circle variety may be seen as "norm dependence" (Kachru, 1985). It
12
is worth mentioning that the participants' preference for inner circle English expanding
to English teaching, and they expressed their preference for native English teachers.
Clark and Paran (2007) found that native language teachers have obvious
advantages over non-native language teachers with rich teaching experience in the
hiring process, indicating that inner circle English varieties represented by British
English and American English still occupy an absolute dominant position in people's
minds. However, although native English tended to receive higher ratings, there were
learners who indicated that they preferred their own variety (Chiba et al., 1995;
Matsuura, Chiba, and Yamamoto, 1994; Mackenzie, 2008). However, on the contrary,
Fang (2017) investigated the attitudes of Chinese English learners towards their own
variety under the framework of English as a lingua franca by questionnaire and
interview. Studies showed that many students don't like their accent and think their
English doesn't sound authentic enough. This reflected that they do not have a proper
view of their own identity - they see themselves as foreign language learners rather
than legitimate English speakers. Echoing this finding, Kirkpatrick and Xu (2002)
reported that students do not want to be identified as Chinese when speaking English.
Moreover, they argued that Chinglish may not be a variety of English. Research
results on the attitude of English learners towards their own varieties are inconsistent,
which may be because some students have overseas study experiences, which
makes them have a more positive attitude towards their varieties (Evans and Imai,
2011).
However, participants differed in their perceptions of the varieties in the inner circle,
and they did not show a clear preference. Some people think American English is the
best (Bayard et al., 2001; McKenzie, 2008a; Kirkpatrick and Xu, 2002) while others
choose British English (Evans, 2010; Giles, 1970; Ball, 1983; Ladegaard and
Sachdev, 2006; Barber, 1996; Huygen and Vaughan, 1983; Evans, 2005; Marr, 2005;
Van der Hagen, 1998; Jenkins, 2009; Phillipson, 2003) as the first choice. In addition,
non-native English speakers tend to treat the inner circle varieties as a whole without
distinguishing between their differences. McKenzie (2008b) found that Japanese
English learners were more discerning of varieties of American English, with 59
percent and 54 percent of participants identifying Southern and Midwestern English
as American, respectively. But they were less aware of the differences within other
varieties of English, reflected in the fact that only 32 percent and 31 percent
respectively thought Glaswegian Standard and its dialects were of British origin. This
may be because Japan is politically and economically closely linked to the United
13
States, and American English has been used as a model for English teaching in
Japan. Similarly, Ladegaard (1998) conducted a survey of Danish English learners'
attitudes towards inner circle English varieties. The study found that Danish English
learners were the most satisfied with RP English in terms of ability and status,
describing it as "unparalleled" and "the most effective, fluent, graceful and correct".
American English received the highest rating for humor. On the unity dimension,
Australian English and Scottish English beat their competitors. The results show that
Danish English learners can identify different inner circle English varieties, despite
some stereotypes. In addition, McKenzie (2008a) also found that people from the
inner circle tend to see the inner circle English varieties as a whole in the view of
Japanese English learners and can not distinguish them. The 558 English learners
ranked the four varieties in terms of their social attractiveness: Glasgow Native
English, Southern American English, Glasgow Standard English, and Midwest
English. This rating is surprising because, according to Niedzielski and Presto (2003),
American Southern English is usually the least popular, but it outranks American
Midwestern English and British varieties, which often comes first in status ratings.
One possibility to explain this result is that the English variety of Received
Pronunciation was not an option in the study. Moreover, it is interesting to note that
there is some affirmation of the Glasgow Standard English, in contrast to the
"systematic demotion" of the Glasgow dialect in Coupland and Bishop's (2007) study
of British participants. It can be seen that there are differences in the evaluation of the
same varieties of English between native speakers and non-native speakers. In
addition, McKenzie (2008a) mentioned that comments that show some knowledge of
internal varieties of English may have come from English majors who have been
exposed to varieties of English.
According to the research results of the above literature, it can be found that native
English varieties tend to get higher evaluation than their rivals, and this preference
extends to teacher standards in English teaching. Moreover, English learners who
have studied abroad seem to have a more positive evaluation of their English
varieties, although some English learners are not satisfied with their English varieties.
There is no obvious preference among English learners from the inner circle and the
outer circle. In addition, they seem to treat the English varieties in the inner circle as a
whole and ignore the differences between them, while those from English majors
seem to show some understanding. Interestingly, there also seem to be differences
between native and non-native speakers in how they rate the same varieties of
14
English. Thus, it is not clear which of the inner circle varieties is superior. In this way,
English learners can have a clearer understanding of their attitude towards the
language, so as to provide reference for educators and policy makers to choose
English teaching models, so as to meet English language learners' needs most
effectively.

2.3 Perceptions of English varieties in Global Englishes Language Teaching

(GELT)
2.3.1 Global Englishes
Global Englishes is understood as an general term for the concepts of English as an
international language (EIL), English as a lingua franca (ELF), World Englishes (WE),
and Translanguaging (Galloway and Rose, 2015). It explains how English functions
as a global language in three main ways: First, it emphasizes the diversity of English,
meaning that there are many different varieties of English; second, it holds that
ownership of English does not belong to native speakers, but to global speakers; third,
it focuses on popularizing the differences between non-native varieties of English and
native varieties (Galloway and Numajiri, 2020).

2.3.2 Global Englishes Language Teaching

In global English teaching, language is dynamic rather than static. It is in constant
change rather than immutable, restricted, and grammatically fixed. And it's important
to emphasize that there are no boundaries separating different kinds of languages. In
today's world, countries are increasingly connected. People from different
backgrounds and cultures with different first languages come to communicate in
English. In this case, students need to understand the role of English as a lingua
franca in a multilingual environment and the differences of non-native English
varieties from native English, so as to adapt to complex and diverse cross-cultural
communication situations. Besides, it encourages a critical look at the dominance of
native speakers and standard linguistic ideologies (Galloway and Numajiri, 2020).
Based on this, a new language teaching model is advocated in global English
teaching. It introduces students to a flexible language and the idea of using it in a
dynamic and multifaceted way, provides students with a multilingual environment,
encourages them to be creative based on the language they already know, to prepare
themselves for future language adjustment to meet the practical needs of multilingual
and multicultural communication, which in turn can examine their language skills from
15
improving their language ability (Galloway and Numajiri, 2020).
In addition, language proficiency is not measured as infinitely close to native level.
Only adhering to native language norms may hinder language innovation, but global
English teaching does not mean completely denying the "accuracy of standards", but
is committed to the intercultural communication ability of language users in a
multicultural background. Therefore, a shift in the perspective of language
competence and assessment criteria is needed (Galloway and Numajiri, 2020).

2.3.3 Perceptions of English varieties in GELT

The emergence of new varieties of English and the use of English as a lingua franca
has challenged the dominance of native English as the standard. Many scholars
advocate the integration of English as a lingua franca and English teaching (Fang and
Ren, 2018; Kohn, 2015; Rose and Galloway, 2017), though there is still a long way to
go. In a study of a German secondary school, Kohn (2015) showed that English
learners should consider themselves legitimate English users rather than foreign
language learners, and should be allowed to speak the English of non-native
speakers. They have the right to use their creativity and decide what kind of English
they want to speak, so the class needs to provide them with such opportunities, which
is the true embodiment of English as a lingua franca in English teaching.
Galloway (2013) investigated the attitudes of English learners in the Japanese
environment. It is found that students agree with the benchmarking role of native
English in English teaching, and the familiarity and stereotype of native English have
a great impact on their evaluation. But as students become more aware of global
Englishes, their attitudes seem to be changing. Therefore, it is necessary to break the
dominant position of native English in traditional English teaching, so that students
can be exposed to as many varieties of English as possible. Moreover, the study also
mentioned that students should be provided with as many opportunities as possible to
use English in learning, which can help them build up confidence in their own variety
and thus properly view their identity as English speakers, which can further provide
suggestions for the development of global English teaching. Similarly, Wang (2013,
2015) and Wang and Jenkins (2016) also stressed the importance of awareness of
English as a lingua franca, with which the students are more strict of the norms of
native English speakers and their relevance to English as lingua franca
communication. In addition, they found that due to a lack of awareness of the diversity
of English varieties and the use of English as a lingua franca, many students
16
expressed a desire to communicate with native English speakers, although a few
students wished to communicate with non-native English speakers from different
backgrounds. This further indicates the need to increase the experience and
interaction of English as a lingua franca in English teaching.
Rose and Galloway (2017) designed a classroom debate activity called "Speak Good
English Movement (SGEM)” in order to raise students' awareness of global English.
Students were divided into two groups, one group as SGEM supporters and the other
group as opponents, to show their views and attitudes towards different varieties of
English. The research shows that through this activity, students understand how
global English awareness is integrated into English teaching, gain a diverse
perspective, and improve their awareness of the diversity of English varieties.
Rose and Galloway (2018) also used a presentation task to explore the extent to
which global English teaching affects student attitudes towards different varieties of
English. This task allows students to understand how local varieties of English have
been shaped based on the history of the local language. The results show that the
current multi-variety English teaching environment is more suitable than the
traditional English teaching model dominated by British and American English.
Fang and Ren (2018) selected students in a Chinese university as research objects,
collected data through questionnaires, interviews and reflection logs, and investigated
the effect of global English courses on improving students' understanding of English
variety. The results show that this course is an effective way to improve students'
understanding of the diversity of English varieties, which is corresponding to the
current promotion of multilingualism and challenges the traditional unilingual teaching
model. However, there is a flaw in this study, which only investigates the attitudes of
students after the course is returned, but ignores the opinions of students before the
course begins. Lu and Buripakdi (2020) closed this gap by focusing on the attitudes of
students before and after the implementation of the global English course in order to
compare and find more changes in attitudes.
Many Chinese researchers (Liu and Deng, 2013; Gao and Lin, 2008; Lin and Gao,
2010; Shi, 2013, Chen, Yan, and Jiang, 2014; Zhao and Chen, 2014) examined the
variety attitudes of Chinese students who have participated in several major
international events as volunteers. They used interview, observation and other data
collection methods to conduct subjective response pre-test and post-test respectively
on the recognition degree and opinions of different English varieties. The results
showed that the participants' recognition of various English varieties improved
17
significantly after the events. In addition, in terms of the evaluation of different
varieties of English, the participants' attitudes towards American English, British
English and Afro-American English and Chinese English became significantly positive.
This suggested that increased exposure to different kinds of varieties of English can
contribute to improving English learners’ recognition rate of English varieties and
increase their tolerance of English diversity.
Existing research on attitudes towards English varieties has mainly been conducted
from phonological, lexical, grammatical or discourse perspectives (Fang, 2016, 2017;
Wang, 2013; Pan and Block, 2011; He, 2015; Sung, 2014, 2016), but very little
research has been conducted from a global English perspective, let alone from a
global English Language Teaching perspective (Galloway and Rose, 2015; Rose and
Galloway, 2017, 2019; Galloway, 2011, 2013). Therefore, it is worthwhile to explore
learners' perceptions of Global Englishes in relation to English Language Teaching in
a global context.
Although some scholars (Matsuda, 2012; Galloway and Rose, 2015; Galloway, 2011,
2013) have proposed some modes or frameworks to integrate global Englishes
awareness into English language teaching, most of them are still trapped in theory.
To date, there has been limited research on integrate global Englishes awareness
into English language teaching (Rose and Galloway, 2017; Galloway and Rose, 2018,
2014), especially in China (Fang and Ren, 2018). Thus, it is necessary to fill the gap
between theory and practise by attempting to propose an alternative mode for
teachers examine existing materials and consider ways of combining global
Englishes with English class in order to raise students' awareness of the diversity of
English, build their confidence as legitimate English speakers, and meet the needs of
students who are likely to use English in a global context. This dissertation seeks to
explore students' perceptions of the varieties of English used by tutors and their
influence on students in the context of global English teaching. Two research
questions arose from this:
1.What are students' perceptions of the English varieties used by their tutors at IE?
2.What difference do these varieties make to their learning experiences?

18
CHAPTER III PLANNING MY INQUIRY

Based on the research questions posed in the previous chapter, This chapter
will discuss research methodology, data collection, sampling, data analysis,
ethics and trustworthiness. Finally, a summary will be given.

3.1 Research Methodology

This study is empirical, so the answers to the research questions are
conducted through the collection of raw data (Creswell & Creswell, 2018). I
have adopted the method of qualitative research, because it is subjective and
flexible (Braun, & Clarke, 2013) and more involved in the attitudes, opinions,
feelings and suggestions of information providers (Cohen and Morrison, 2011),
which is in line with my research question - perceptions of tutors’ English
varieties. In addition, qualitative research makes it possible to collect
exploratory, in-depth and detailed data, so the phenomenon can be explained
in a detailed and profound way (Creswell & Crewswell, 2018; Braun and
Clarke, 2013).
When it comes to the analysis and understanding of a phenomenon, the
interview method is usually used, which fits with my research. Therefore, I
chose semi-structured interview to collect the data needed for my study, which
is very flexible. In the interview process, I can not only refer to the
pre-designed questions, but also make adjustments according to the actual
implementation. This ensures that I can collect the required data as well as
some unexpected interesting data, which are unique because of the personal
experiences of the interviewees (Dicicco-Bloom & Crabtree, 2006; Rabionet,
2011).
The purpose of this research is to investigate Chinese international students'
perceptions of their tutors' English varieties. However, due to practical
constraints on time, funding and accessibility, it is not practical to survey
international students at all UK universities. According to Yin (2003), the case
study approach can be the preferred strategy when researchers are working
on a "how" or "why" question about contemporary phenomena in a real-life
context, where they have very limited control over time. Therefore, the

19
researcher chose the University of Manchester for a case study to examine
students' perceptions of the English varieties used by their tutors.
First, the University of Manchester has the second highest number of Chinese
students in the UK, after University College London (Sohu, 2022). This means
that the Chinese participants are very accessible to me, whose views are more
representative of Chinese students
Secondly, at the University of Manchester, there are tutors from all over the
world, such as the United States, Nigeria, Australia, Norway, the United
Kingdom, Turkey, Pakistan, South Korea, some of whom even grew up in a
multilingual environment (UoM, 2022). Therefore, the English varieties they
use are all involved in the inner circle, outer circle and expanding circle of
Krashen's three-circle concentric mode (Krashen, 1992)l. Therefore, their
English varieties are representative samples and can be used for research. In
addition, these English varieties can be seen as authentic, vivid global English
materials, and students can achieve meaningful exposure to the materials
through meaning negotiation with their tutors in teaching activities (Vettorel,
2018).

The results found through case studies are general (Punch, 2009). Granted,
each case has its own particularities, but each case is not unique. There will
be some similarities between the different cases, and the pattern can be
transferred from one case to another. In the case studies conducted in
dissertation, in addition to the uniqueness of the research context being noted,
other potential common factors in case studies focusing on perceptions of
English varieties were also considered, which is helpful to obtain potential
generalization results in this study. The findings or general results based on
the case study at the University of Manchester are representative (Gomm,
Hammersley and Foster, 2000) and can therefore be further used to study the
overall situation of Chinese students.
Finally, the aim of the research is to investigate students' perceptions of their
tutor's English varieties, which case study method match well, because it can
be used to richly describe how participants feel, experience, and think about a
phenomenon (Geertz, 1973). However, it should not be ignored that one of its

20
disadvantages - personal memory will be emphasized, which I should bear in
mind (Shaughnessy et al, 2003, cited in Cohen, Manion and Morrison, 2002).

3.2 Data Collection

The data collection approach of semi-structured interviews was used for the
study because of the informative database serving the research topic, the
open-ended research questions, and the limited number of participants.
According to (Brinkmann and Kvale, 2015), semi-structured interview is
defined as a kind of interview, which provides opportunities for participants to
show their perception of the life world and then reveal its significance. In
addition, semi-structured interviews help interviewees to play freely to cope
with the actual situation. For example, they can change the order of interview
questions or add or cut questions, and they can adjust the amount of time and
attention allocated to different questions (Powney and Watts, 1987). Most
importantly, the semi-structured interviews allowed further in-depth discussion
by both the interviewer and the interviewee when the interviewee mentioned
some unexpected interesting insights related to the individual's unique
experience (Denzin and Lincoln, 2018). Therefore, the semi-structured
interview enables me to interact with students and get a more comprehensive
understanding of their views on the tutor's use of English varieties.
Before the start of the semi-structured interview, I reviewed the literature on
the percaptions of English varieties, repeatedly thought about the connection
between them and my research question, and designed ten questions from the
perspective of students' preference for English varieties and the influence of
English varieties on them. In addition to this set of open-ended questions for
reference during the interview, I will adjust the questions according to the
situation during the interview. In addition, the way and content of the answers
are not required, which helps to gain the trust of the participants and make the
interview process in a more harmonious environment (Cohen and Manion,
1989). In early May, I invited two Chinese students of International Education
to conduct pilot tests to examine whether I could answer the research question
using the data obtained from the designed interview questions. By pilot tests, I
found that there was a problem that some interview questions were not clearly

21
understood. Therefore, these interview questions were updated to be more
specific, with many details added for the convenience of interviewees to
understand and answer. Moreover, the interview was conducted in Chinese,
which could reduce the difficulty of the interview and make the interviewees
pay more attention to thinking and answering questions, thus helping me to get
clear and in-depth perceptions. In addition, given the safety of the people
involved in the research in the current pandemic environment, the interviews
were conducted via Tencent Meeting, which saved time and effort. Each
interview lasted about half an hour and was recorded either audio or video via
Tencent Meeting. At the end of the interview, I transcribed the interview. Then,
for the interviewees with incomplete information, I contacted them for further
interviews.

3.3 Sampling
Limited by cost, time, and accessibility, it is difficult to get information about the
entire population, so researchers always need to make a series of decisions
on selecting smaller groups or subsets to collect data that can represent the
overall picture, which is called “sampling” (Braun and Clarke, 2013; Cohen et.
al, 2011). According to Cohen, Manion and Morrison (2002), three factors are
often involved in the selection of samples: size, representativeness, and
strategy.
As for sampling size, Patton(2002) pointed out that the size of the sample in
qualitative research is not limited or required. However, according to Ritchie
et al. (2014),small samples are usually accepted in qualitative research to
avoid the challenge of a larger sample size. In this way, it can ensure the
depth of the research. More specifically, Braun and Clarke (2013) suggested
that the appropriate number of participants is at least six. Thus, based on this,
and considering the diversity of the sample, I will select 8 participants to
conduct the research.

Regarding the representativeness of the sample, eight Chinese students

majoring in International education at the University of Manchester can
represent the entire population included in this research, because this case
study was designed to investigate Chinese international education students'

22
perceptions of the English varieties used by their tutors. Therefore, as one of
them, they can be a valid sample on behalf of the whole Chinese international
education students at the University of Manchester (Cohen et al., 2007).
Considering the sampling strategy, I choose non-probability sampling. Unlike
probability sampling, this means that researchers target specific groups of
participants, so not all members have an equal opportunity to participate in the
research (Cohen, Manion and Morrison, 2002). Two types of non-probability
samples are used in the selection of samples, which need to be explained. The
first is purposive sampling, which allows samples to be carefully selected to
meet the requirements of researchers (Cohen, Manion and Morrison, 2002).
This sampling strategy is particularly relevant to participants who are willing to
contribute to the study by sharing their insights and experiences (Bernard,
2002; Lewis and Shepard, 2006). The other is convenience sampling, which
means that researchers can select participants who are convenient for them,
such as those within their existing network (Emerson, 2015; Cohen et al.,
2011). According to Huang and Hashim (2020), English students are ideal
candidates because they have more opportunities to be exposed to the
English language. In addition, their opinions and beliefs about the English
language are more important because they are likely to choose
English-speaking professions such as English teachers. However, it is difficult
for the researcher to reach the English major students in the University of
Manchester, so the sample is appropriately adjusted to be the graduate
students majoring in International Education who majored in English at
undergraduate level. As one of them, it is easy for the researcher to contact
the participants. In addition, International Education students with previous
overseas study experiences are also considered, as they are found to rate
their English varieties more positively (Evans and Imai, 2011).

Combining these three factors, the sample in the case study is eight Chinese
International Education students at the University of Manchester, six of whom

23
majored in English as an undergraduate and one of whom had studied abroad
before entering the University of Manchester for a master's degree.

3.4 Data Analysis

For the way to analyze the data, I chose thematic analysis, whose most
distinctive feature is the generation of patterns based on data identification,
analysis and reporting (Braun and Clarke, 2006). It can not only summarize the
data, but more importantly, it can interpret the data in a rich, detailed and
complex way (Braun and Clarke, 2006; Vaismoradi, Turunen and Bondas,
2013), making sense of the discovered phenomenon (Maguire and Delahunt,
2017).
After re-reading and generating an initial list of ideas from the open
questionnaire, thematic coding and category building were done to combine
and explain the interview results (Cohen, Manion and Morrison, 2002). The
codes for this research were a few words, for example "hard to understand",
"orthodox" or "sounds clearly" . The process of coding is by hand. The
advantage of doing this manually is that it allowed me as a researcher to keep
overall control of the data and it helped researcher interpret and discover the
code (Wilson, 2017). The themes in this research were identified as among the
English varieties in Inner circle, outer circle and extended circle; among the
English varieties in the same circle; among the English sub-varieties inside
one kind of variety; awareness of the diversity of English; increase of
self-confidence; actual use in communication. These themes fit with the factors
that had been anticipated from the literature.
First, I reread the texts which had been transcribed to familiarize myself with
them. In the process of reading, some ideas or initial codes were formed in my
mind. Then, I began to code themes and construct categories, which prepared
me for combining and analyzing and interpreting the interview results (Cohen,
Manion and Morrison, 2002). Several words were coded, such as "difficult",
"orthodox" or "sounds clear". I adopted the manual coding method, because it

24
allows me as a researcher to have a sense of the overall data and easy to
control and process them, which in turn helps me to explain and find the code
(Wilson, 2017). The themes in this research were identified as among the
English varieties in Inner circle, outer circle and extended circle; among the
English varieties in the same circle; among the English sub-varieties inside
one kind of variety; awareness of the diversity of English; increase of
self-confidence; actual use in communication, which fit the predictions I made
after reading a lot of literature.

3.5 Ethics

First, I began to contact the interviewees until after my ethics application was
approved, and I did not attempt to touch any potential participants in any way
before that (Creswell and Creswell, 2018). Secondly, before the interview, the
interviewees would received the participant information sheet and consent
form, on which they can know the reason for conducting the research, the
contents involved in the research and the use of the data collected. On the
basis of understanding these terms, they can decide whether to participate in
my study or not (Creswell and Creswell, 2018). Third, in reporting findings, I
used [blank] instead of nationality to maintain tutor anonymity. In this way, no
one can be identified from the words of the participants (Creswell and
Crewswell, 2018). Fourth, the interviews were recorded by ethical equipment
and stored on the university's "P-Drive", which ensures the security of the data
in case it is leaked (Creswell and Creswell, 2018). In addition, after the study, I
would deleted all data to ensure that the data collected is only used for this
study. Finally, if the interviewee felt uncomfortable during the interview, he or
she can refused to answer any questions or quit at any time (Creswell and
Creswell, 2018).

3.6 Trustworthiness
According to (Shenton, 2004; Lincoln and Guba, 1981), to ensure the
trustworthiness of a qualitative study, four aspects need to be considered,
which includes credibility, transferability, dependability and confirmability.

25
First, there are four points about credibility. According to Fang (2015) and
Evans and Imai (2011), the influence of the national and social environment on
the participants to different varieties of English cannot be ignored. Therefore, I
speculated that the perceptions of participants from different parts of China
about different varieties of English may be influenced by local economic and
cultural factors or unique policies. Therefore, when selecting the participants, I
have taken into account the regions where the participants come from, which
reinforced the credibility of my research. Then, before the interview, I have
asked the interviewees who were willing to participate in the study to sign the
participant information sheet, and let them know that their information would be
treated anonymously, which can build trust between us. Moreover, in the
interview process, I have used different descriptions to repeat the same
question, which can help enhance the credibility of the research. In addition, as
a member of the Chinese students of international education, my personal
experience and feelings may lead to my lack of objectivity in the interview
process. In order to ensure the credibility of the research, I have tried to avoid
bias and leading questions.
Secondly, as far as confirmability is concerned, I made an effort to quote the
words of the interviewees to support my research findings when I analysed the
data and drew conclusions.
Thirdly, in order to ensure transferability, I provided detailed background
information by introducing the university background, the English learning
experience of Chinese students and the situation of teachers majoring in
International Education, which can be used as a reference for other
researchers to judge whether the results of this study match their own
background.
Fourthly, as for the dependability, before conducting the formal interview, I
contacted two International Education students to conduct pilot tests to
examine whether I could answer the research question using the data section
from the designed interview questions (Creswell and Creswell, 2018). Besides
that, I also learned some interview skills, which helped me in my subsequent
successful interviews. In addition, the interview process was detailed, such as

26
its format and duration, so that other researchers could re-run the process to
check the findings.

3.7 Summary
In summary, this chapter describes the research method used for the research,
introduces how the samples are selected and steps of data collection, explains
data analysis method, and emphasizes ethics as well as trustworthiness. Thus,
this research can be regarded as reliable.

27
CHAPTER IV FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION

This chapter will report and discuss the data of the semi-structured interviews,
whose framework is established based on the previous relevant literature and
research questions. It is worth noting that in this chapter, to maintain the tutors’
anonymity, I used [blank] instead of ascribing a nationality to the tutor, thus no
one can be identified from the quotes.

4.1 Perceptions of English varieties

4.1.1 Among Inner Circle varieties
Participants showed some knowledge of inner circle English varieties, being
able to distinguish between Standard British English (SBE), Standard
American English (SAE), and Australian English (AusE):

I can understand SBE smoothly, if it is spoken at a normal speed. It is

quite clear for me. However, if it is spoken very fast, like when people
speak in their daily life, it may be difficult. it is not just the accent, it is
the vocabulary. (participant 8)

SBE is the oldest and most traditional British English, and although it is
a bit of a artificial, it is actually very clear and standard, just like in the
dictionary. The tutor's annotation feels very traditionally British, which
is very suitable for those of us who are English learners. (participant 7)

The UK is, after all, the original birthplace of English. SBE has been
accepted to be orthodox and standard. (participant 6)

I think the tutor speaks with with clear articulation and a mellow and full
tune, which sounds very clear, smooth, and beautiful. When she
speaks, it is just like singing and I can feel that the tone is a little
different obviously. Besides, there is no obstacle to understand her.
(participant 5)

28
 American English sounds slightly faster than British English, and there
is more suffix '-r'. Before I went abroad, in some English occasions in
and outside the school, I heard American English more. People tend to
prefer American English, maybe because it is not that serious or more
daily. Therefore, so when I hear these American tutors, I feel more
comfortable. (participant 6)

I think the American variety sounds a little bit flat and deep while SBE
sounds rhythmical. Besides, American variety is spoken faster and it is
not like British English, which is very gentle elegant. (participant 5)

I think American English is different from British English in that the

speed is faster, but in the case of faster, the pronunciation is also
relatively clear. I think it is very easy to understand. (participant 2)

I like the way Australians speak especially. Although many people say
that AusE sounds broad, I think it is very genial, which is probably out
of my personal feelings. (participant 7)

The Australian tutor sounds casual, but I can hear every word clearly.
Besides, it is not as exaggerated as SBE. (participant 3)

Besides, participants even had some insight into varieties within British
English:

I had an undergraduate foreign tutor who was Scottish. I can recognize

this kind of accent with evident geographical location. I really did not
understand some words the first time I heard Scottish, but after it is
repeated, I can see that there are some rules. Scottish English may
strike me as rugged, and some say it sounds sexy. (participant 8)

I was exposed to Scottish accents as an undergraduate. I think there

seems to be the trill, which makes it more difficult for me to understand
because I am not very good at hearing myself. (participant 3)

29
 I remember one of the tutors has a Mancunian accent, and I think it
sounds really great. It is special. (participant 1)

This confirmed MeKenzie’s (2008a) study that people from the expanding
circle tend to see the inner circle English varieties as a whole and can not
distinguish them, but it seems that students from the English major have some
understanding of them (MeKenzie, 2008b). However, this knowledge may be
limited, because these participants seem to regard the other English varieties
other than SBE as a whole:

There does not sound much of a difference to me between an East

Cockney accent and a Midlands accent. (participant 8)

Except for SBE, I can not tell other British English varieties apart, like
Irish, Scottish, accents from the Midlands or London. I have not
listened to them very carefully, and I think they are pretty much the
same. (participant 7)

I can tell that some of the tutors have a British accent, but the
pronunciation of some words may not be so clear, so I guess it may be
a dialect, which I can not tell, but I can tell it is different from SBE. It
sounds blurred and it seems that some sounds are swallowed, without
coming out from their mouths. I am not sure, maybe those sounds are
vowels, which the tutors pronounce with less efforts. (participant 5)

I think English tutors use different varieties, but I can not particularly
tell them apart. I can probably know if a variety has a strong accent,
then it is from somewhere else in the UK. (participant 3)

I think English tutors have different accents, but I can not be able to
hear a big difference, but I can recognize English varieties from
different native countries, whose difference would be obvious. On the

30
 whole, British tutors' varieties are very standard compared with those
of tutors from other countries. (participant 1)

Moreover, in terms of inner circle English preference, consistent with Evans'

(2011) study, participants prefer SBE and SAE :

I prefer the SBE because the Scottish accent is a bit hard to follow.
(participant 8)

Before I came to the UK, I actually had no idea about SBE, and I did
not have a preference. But this year, I listened to SBE much.
Immersed in this environment of learning for so long, I am more
familiar with it now. I think it sounds clearer and I can accept it more,
so now I prefer SBE. (participant 5)

I prefer SAE, because I think I have been exposed to it in most

occasions, which is more common. Therefore, when I listen to some
vocabulary or intonation of SAE in class now, it may be more
consistent with some of my reactions in previous learning situations,
which is more familiar to me. (participant 6)

This is probably because SAE and SBE are commonly regarded as 'legitimate'
varieties for educational purposes, so this might lead to participants’
preference for SAE and SBE (Kachru and Nelson, 2006). The strong
preference for SAE might also be affected by the 'high vitality of American
English' suggested by Ladegaard and Sachdev (2006). Similarly, it could be
explained that familiarity with SAE as the ELT model (Cheng 2009, Liou 2010)
in pedagogical settings and increased media exposure to SAE (Bayard et al.,
2001) further contribute to participants’ high evaluations. Dalton-puffer et al.
(1997) also found that people with study experiences in the UK are more likely
to choose British English as their preferred mode, and participant 5 (mentioned
above) well corroborated this.
Similarly, also affected by familiarity, one participant showed a strong
fondness for AusE, which may be based on her early years of study

31
experiences in Australia, so that she has a high frequency of exposure to
AusE:

I like AusE very much. I think some British tutors sound so excited and
exaggerated that it makes me feel dramatic and fake. In contrast, the
Australian tutor speaks like he is really talking to me and makes me
feel very comfortable, though I can not say exactly what makes me
comfortable. Maybe it is because I have been listening to AusE for so
many years that I am used to it. (participant 7)

Therefore, it can be inferred that students who have longer exposure, and thus
greater familiarity with specific English varieties, tend to give a relatively
positive evaluation of this variety (Dalton-Puffer et al., 1997). This finding was
also pointed out by Galloway and Rose (2013), who believe that familiarity is
an important factor affecting the attitude of English learners towards different
varieties of English.
In addition, no significant preference was found between SBE and SAE. It can
be guessed that maybe it is because China is not politically close to either the
UK or the US, which is similar to Evans and Imai’s (2011) finding: because of
the close relationship between Japan and the US in politics and economy,
Japanese participants feel more familiar with US English than any other
variety.

4.1.2 Among Inner Circle, Outer Circle, and Expanding Circle varieties
The participants' tolerance for English varieties in outer and expanding circles
has increased, which echoed Eisenchlas and Tsurutani’s (2011) finding that
participants have an increasingly positive attitude towards non-native
speakers’ English varieties:

I think the [blank] tutor's English is ok, quite normal, and relatively
standard. (participant 8)

I can actually hear the [blank] tutor clearly and fluently, whose English
is ok. However, I can definitely feel the characteristic of this particular

32
 variety of them - some specific sounds all the time, which is probably
affected by their mother language. (participant 5)

The [blank] tutors have a little accent, so it is a little hard to listen to,
but it is okay. Just at the beginning, I need to put more energy on
listening, but when I adapt to their accent and pronunciation habit, it is
easy. (participant 4)

Sometimes the [blank] tutors may speak fast, and their pronunciation
is relatively not so standard, which has some local colors, so I may not
understand some parts. (participant 2)

I can understand Indian English, which just takes a little work.

(participant 7)

I think the [blank] tutors’ accent is a little heavy, which has a strong
local color. I may not be able to understand some words or some
special pronunciation, but I do not think it affects the overall
understanding. (participant 6)

When the [blank] tutor makes some sounds, such as the 'r' sound in
the word 'research', it is not quite standard. Therefore, it is a little
difficult for me to understand their English, but not that hard, just a little
more difficult than British tutor’s English. Generally speaking, it is ok.
(participant 8)

However, as for some continental European English varieties, only participant

6 said she can adapt to them, but the others gave relatively negative reviews:

it is really difficult and I can only rely on the subtitles. I think the tutor
speaks English in the same rhythm as their native language and make
some English sounds according to the pronunciation of their native
language. (participant 8)

33
 I really do not understand. I do not know what they are saying. I can
only understand two out of ten sentences. (participant 7)

The [blank] tutors’ English was hard for me to adjust at the beginning,
and the first time I heard it, I could not understand completely. They
speak very fast, and there are many sounds from their first languages.
Sometimes I can not understand even with subtitles on. However, later,
as I listen more and more, I can catch some key words. Although they
are only some small words, I can understand the main meaning, which
I think is enough for me to achieve the purpose of information
acquisition. (participant 6)

The [blank] tutors’ English cause me some trouble in accents. I really

can not understand any words. I basically understand nothing in class.
(participant 3)

Besides difficulty of specific varieties used by tutors, there is an unexpected

result - Some research pariticpants struggled to understand speakers whose
first language was a European language. They felt these accents were ‘super
strong’ (participant 4) with pronunciation mirroring the cadence of their first
language (participant 4). Besides, participant 3 also mentioned the prevalence
of English in these countries did not seem to be very high. These findings may
probably link to the fact that continental European people’s consciousness of
taking British and American as standard has been weakened and they have
moved earlier into the global English field, so they are relatively free to
dominate their own English (Van Essen, 1997).
Moreover, participants were more positive when it came to English varieties
from a background similar to their own, especially their own variety:

Obviously, I can feel that the [blank] tutors speak more slowly, and I
can understand completely. It is very familiar. (participant 8)

When it comes to the end of a word, Chinese people always like to

drag the last sound and add a vowel, which may be influenced by

34
 Pinyin in Chinese. Besides, we are not used to liaison, which may be
because in the past, our tutors insisted that we should speak every
sound out. (participant 7)

It is easier for me to understand Chinese tutors because I am also

Chinese and we come from the same background, so I can understand
(participant 5)

I do not know whether their English is standard or not, maybe it just

conforms to my mind, which I can not say clearly, and I just guess it.
Besides, I think their pronunciation is really good. (participant 3)

In terms of grammar, they have more requirements on themselves to

be more standardized, so their grammar is relatively clear and they do
not use slang. (participant 2)

The [blank] tutors’ English is very good. They can express themselves
very quickly and speak very fluent. (participant 1)

The [blank] tutors’ have a quite obvious accent. As soon as I hear they
speak, I know where they are from. (participant 8)

The [blank] tutors pronounce some words in a more Asian style. For
example, they may have some retroflex, which makes their English
sound less standard. At first I was wondering what it was, but later,
when I was used to it, I can know what it means. Anyway, I can
understand most of the contents. (participant 6)

In contrast, however, Dalton-Puffer et al. (1997) and McKenzie (2008b) found

the Taiwanese participants' own variety to be the least popular, but this may be
because the participants in my study had at least nearly a year of overseas
study experience, so they had a more positive evaluation of their English
accent (Huang, 2021).

35
In addition, for the preference of English varieties in these three circles, six
participants preferred the inner circle and the outer circle, which may be
related to 'normative dependence' (Kachru, 1985):

I probably prefer British English and American English because they

are both native. We must learn English according to the standards of
native speakers. (participant 3 and participant 5)

I prefer the outer circle because the people do not speak as authentic
as native speakers with slang and stuff, and they do not have as strong
an accent as tutors from expanding circle. it is just a proper transition.
(participant 8)

I think it depends on if the tutors’ English is close to SBE or SAE. After

all, different people have different experiences and levels of English.
(participant 7)

I prefer the English variety of the tutors in the outer circle, because
they use English more frequently and their English is better. When
they convey the meaning, some of their English expressions seem to
be engraved in their mind. However, tutors from the expanding circle
may need to switch the language or use some stiff expressions, and
their accents are also affected by their native language, which are not
very standard. (participant 6 and participant 1)

Interestingly, two participants showed approval of the Chinese variety and

even the East Asian variety, which can be considered a sign of high solidarity
and self-identity (McKenzie, 2008b). Besides, there is also a possibility that
Chinese people have similar fossilization of interlanguage. According to
Selinker (1972), interlanguage refers to a transitional language between the
mother language and the target language established by second language
learners, which is influenced by the rules of the learner's mother language and
the rules of the learner's training to use the language. Chinese people share
the same mother language and most of them learn English under the similar

36
English teaching model, thus there may be some commonalities in their
interlanguage information, which is probably the reason why they are more
familiar with and prefer their own English variety:

I think Chinese tutors are easier to understand than other non-English

tutors, because after all, we are from the same background, and the
English education we have been exposed to since childhood is almost
the same, and then we may have a better understanding of each other.
Some of their expressions are similar to the English used by my high
school and middle school English tutors, which makes me feel that I
am back to domestic classroom. (participant 6)

I think Chinese tutors are the easiest to understand besides native

English tutors. (participant 3)

I think the English of Chinese and Korean tutors may be easier to

understand than SBE, because my accent is similar to theirs, and their
speaking speed is not so fast. Therefore, when I listen to them, it is
easiest to follow them. (participant 4)

Notably, participants’ preference for internal circle English especially SBE and
SAE extended to the tutor standards. They gave affirmation to those tutors
whose English is close to native speakers, and suggested that their tutors’
English varieties can become normative, that is, close to SBE or SAE:

The [blank] tutors’ English was really standard, and very easy to
understand, without any accent. Well, this may be a good personal trait
of the tutors themselves, however. (participant 6)

The [blank] tutors have worked on their pronunciation and they sounds
authentic. In addition, they control the speed of their speech and try to
make every word pronounced clearly, like announcers, so that I can
almost understand all the speech contents. (participant 2)

37
 I think it may be because the [blank] tutors have long learning and
teaching experiences in English-speaking countries, so their English is
generally without any accent, which is very standard. Their past
personal experiences and cultural background have a great influence
on their English. (participant 1 and participant 8)

The [blank] tutors sound like Americans. They usually use many
simple words and do not use slang or idioms. (participant 8)

I think every tutor has different requirements for themselves. Some

tutors pay much attention to their English standards. (participant 2)

I think tutors should ask students about their accents problems, and
think about what they can do to let students no longer plagued by their
accents, but be more focused on the course contents. (participant 6)

I think it is important to standardize English in the formal academic

environment. Some tutors may not be good at English, but they can
make students understand themselves by jumping out some words.
However, in this kind of formal academic environment, I think the tutors
need to convince their students not only on the academic ability, but
also on the use of English. (participant 6)

This position echoed the 'native speaker fallacy' of Phillipson (1992), which
holds that any native English speaker is superior to a non-native English
speaker in terms of language. However, participant 3 mentioned the opposite
view:

There is a tutor who is clearly a native speaker, but I can not

understand. The speed and tone of voice are constant and never
change, so it does not interest me very much. I think it is boring.

This comment suggested that the effect of voice on attitude cannot be ignored.
For example, both the pitch of the speaker's voice and the speed of speech

38
can affect how the listener feels (Giles and Coupland, 1991), so accent may
not be the only factor shaping a listener's attitude. Other participants also gave
relevant comments:

The [blank] tutor speaks in a very low voice, and pronounces some
words with a severe accent, which affects my understanding, but
generally it is ok. (participant 8)

I can understand the [blank] tutor's English, but I do not know if it is

because of a general style of the country or a individual style, I feel this
tutor has no energy to speak, which sounds so quietly that I can not
hear clearly, thus making me tired when I am listening. (participant 7)

The [blank] tutor is a little quiet in class, and speaks English very
gently. I think I can understand. (participant 3)

In general, I think British tutors try to slow down the speed of the
speech so that students can understand them better. Thus, on a
personal level, I do not think there is any problems or impact on my
understanding. (participant 2)

The [blank] tutor is easygoing and likeable, who speaks softly, as if

there was a casual chat with me. (participant 7)

Also, the influence of other variables such as context, fluency, content, and
reading style and expressiveness on participants' attitudes should also be
taken into account (Cargile, 1997; Cargile and Giles, 1998; Giles and
Coupland, 1991):

I can not understand the [blank] tutor. Maybe it is because the content
is abstruse, plus the accent. I feel this tutor speaks as if the mouth did
not open and I can not hear or understand the speech. (participant 3)

39
 [Blank] tutors usually speak very fast because they speak English very
well, so I think it is a bit of a problem for me to understand them.
(participant 1)

I do not like the [blank] tutor. First of all, it is because of the accent,
which will affect my hearing. Then, the teaching style is more like an
infusing teaching because this tutor is always reading slides, which
makes me bored and do not want to listen. Anyway, I do not really
understand anything in class and I do not think it makes any sense.
(participant 3)

As far as I am concerned, the situation of English teaching cannot be

decided only by understanding, because some tutors may have a
novel way of teaching. Therefore, even if sometimes students have
difficulties in understanding, the tutors can negotiate with them. In this
case, I think language is not a big obstacle to students' studying.
(participant 1)

Although native English speakers were generally favored, nevertheless,

participants also acknowledged the importance of understanding each other in
class:

English is used as a medium in teaching, so no matter what English

varieties, as long as everyone can understand each other, that is
enough. (participant 2)

I have a high tolerance for non-native English tutors, as long as they

can express themselves, because I think everyone knows that English
is not their first language. (participant 5)

40
 My preference for English varieties depends on how well I understand
them. Whether it is from the outer circle or the expanding circle, as
long as I can understand it, it is acceptable. (participant 5)

4.2 The Effect of a GE-informed pedagogy

4.2.1 Awareness of the diversity of English
Kachru and Nelson (2006) once argued that the notion of inner circle varieties
being 'better' than other circles’ varieties is now 'empirically invalid' and
perhaps native varieties need no longer be the sole standard in English
acquisition. Smith (1992), Friedrich (2000), Matsuda (2003), McKay (2003),
Deterding (2005), and Eisenchlas and Tsurutani (2011) shared similar views
and maintained the importance of equipping people who speak English as a
foreign language with an awareness of different English varieties because this
will allow them to cope with the cultural and linguistic bias that appears in both
native and non-native varieties of English, which was reported in the results of
this study. During nearly a year of study in the UK, the participants were clearly
aware of the diversity of English varieties and their acceptance increased
significantly:

I am willing to appreciate the different varieties, but my ability is limited,

and sometimes it is really difficult to understand others. (participant 8)

English language is a medium, a tool. As a Chinese, I can speak to

people from all over the world in English, so I think we should really
have an inclusive and open attitude. (participant 8)

At first I would like to accept some English or American native tutors.

However, gradually, I felt that it was a process of improving myself by
listening to these different varieties, so I was willing to accept them.
Now I find it really great and helpful. (participant 5)

It is the first time I know that English can be so different, and it

broadens my horizons. (participant 5)

41
 I am not biased. I can see how people from different countries speak
English and what characteristics their English has. By communicating
with them, I can improve my listening ability. (participant 5)

These English varieties are all acceptable to me. Even though there
are a lot of varieties with different accents, people can understand
each other according to the context, so it is not a big deal. (participant
5)

Originally, when I was in China, I thought some people's accent was

not very good, but after a year of study in the UK, I can accept any
variation, as long as the other person can make me understand.
(participant 3)

I think so many different varieties of English represent a cultural

diversity. (participant 2)

I think sometimes it is interesting to communicate with tutors, peers

and friends in daily life. For example, once we found that we had very
different names for refrigerators, and everyone was very interested.
(participant 1)

I think language itself is very flexible, and there's no rule that says what
is right and what is wrong. As long as the communication process
between the two sides is smooth and coherent, the purpose of
language use has been achieved. (participant 1)

I think the reason why language is brilliant is probably because it is

constantly changing. I think the collision of different cultures is a very
important thing to keep a language alive. (participant 1)

4.2.2 Increase of self-confidence

Beside, participants' increased awareness of the diversity of English varieties
was also reflected in their own English variety, which they were generally more

42
confident about. This is in line with Galloway's research (2013) that after
students' GE awareness is enhanced, their attitudes may be different.

One of the great things about my coming to the UK is that I have the
confidence to use English to communicate with others, both in life and
study. (participant 8)

I found that the most important thing is to express myself clearly. When
people from different cultural backgrounds get together, they do not
care about the accent. (participant 2)

I will not worry if I am right. I am willing to talk with others, although

sometimes I do not know how to express myself. Sometimes when I do
not know a word, I will think of many other words to describe it.
(participant 1)

I think maybe a lot of Chinese students care too much about accent or
grammar, but it is not necessary. We can use English as a tool, so
grammar can be incorrect, and pronunciation can be not so standard.
It is ok to have a native accent, and we can speak English with
Chinese characteristics. The point is that what we want to express can
be delivered. (participant 4)

However, despite this, similar to Adolphs’ (2005) finding, there were also
participants who reported that they hope to sound more like native English
speakers, whose English is more familiar, used as a metric, and equated with
successful global communication, although they also agreed that they were
more confident in their own English variety as well as affirmed the importance
of mutual understanding in communication:

On the whole, my confidence has been enhanced. I think even if my

pronunciation is not standard, it is not a mistake. However, I still want
to improve my English constantly and to reach the standard
pronunciation as far as possible. After all, the British and American

43
 varieties are still the mainstream, so my coming close to them can
make me communicate better with people from other countries.
(participant 6)

I feel more confident when I speak English. Nevertheless, I do not

really want people to know where I am from through my accent
because I want to make my English better and sound more orthodox.
(participant 3)

This supports teaching proposals that stress the need to increase the diversity
of English learners' exposure to the language and eradicate the false idea that
'mother language superiority'.

4.2.3 Actual use in communication

According to Smith (1992), Friedrich (2000), Deterding (2005) and Eisenchlas
and Tsurutani (2011), the increasing exposure of English speakers to various
kinds of English will make them familiar with the linguistic features and cultural
information of different English varieties, which will meet the pragmatic needs
in communication and further contribute to effective international
communication (Kirkpatrick 2007). The results of this study confirmed this
statement, which has been rarely mentioned in the previous literature
(Galloway and Rose, 2013):

I think the next time I come across these varieties, it will be easier
because I have already been familiar with the accents, words, etc.
(participant 8)

When I listen to the locals who speak better English, I learn from them,
which makes my English develop in a good direction and become
standardized. (participant 7)

I think my English has changed a bit. I did not deliberately imitate the
British tutors, but after a year's cultivation, my English sounds a little
like SBE. (participant 5)

44
 After attending classes full of these different kinds of English varieties,
my tolerance has improved. I find that different accents are not that
hard to accept, and that I am able to understand them quickly. These
English varieties may have exercised me to some extent - my English
level has become higher. (participant 4)

I have been influenced by local people that I have learned to use some
slang. In addition, when I have conversations with tutors from different
countries in class, I subconsciously adjust my expression style
differently. (participant 2)

This may have particular implications for language planners and educators in
China in the specific choice of language models in English teaching
(Kobayashi, 2012). Although the results of the study showed that these
participants still choose British and American tutors as model tutors
(mentioned above), this may be limited by their English learning model in
China over the past years. As a product of the British and American English
language learning model, they have been exposed to various varieties of
English for less than a year. Thus, their taste on the choice of mode may be 'in
fact not a real choice' from the beginning, but 'the result of lack of alternatives'
(He and Zhang, 2010).

4.3 Suggestions
For Chinese English learners, it is important to communicate successfully with
native speakers and non-native speakers from different regional, social and
cultural backgrounds, and to learn 'linguistics, sociolinguistics and pragmatics'
through exposure to different kinds of English (Bieswanger, 2007). The
findings of this study may be applicable to the development of learning
programs from the perspective of teaching materials (Matsuda, 2003), tutor
sociolinguistic training (Norrish, 1997), and tutor recruitment (Kirkpatrick,
2007).
Although there is a lack of teaching materials (Galloway and Rose, 2018),
tutors can try to show students different English varieties through multimedia,

45
such as short videos and movies. According to the results of this study,
learning in an environment full of English varieties does increase students'
awareness of English diversity and enhance their tolerance (including their
own varieties). Similarly, Boonsuk, Ambele, and McKinley (2021) found that
Thai learners' exposure to global English courses caused reflection and
reevaluation of stereotypes. From this, it can be seen that increasing students'
exposure to English varieties in English teaching can lead to a more positive
view of different English varieties, including their own. In addition, the
incorporation of different English varieties into English teaching is crucial to the
cultivation of the actual communication ability of Chinese English learners. In
this study, the tutor's accent seemed to be the decisive factor affecting the
students' understanding. Therefore, it is essential to incorporate linguistic
analysis of different varieties of English into English teaching. Bieswanger,
2008) believed that English learners should be exposed to as many accents as
possible and receive extensive training at an early stage. Similarly, Deterding's
research in Singapore (2005) suggested that exposing learners to different
varieties of English, such as estuary English, which is becoming increasingly
common in southern England, can help familiarize students with a wide range
of pronunciation styles. In China, listening materials contain both British and
American pronunciation, and the proportion of the two is basically the same (Li
and Yang, 2020), however, the results of this study showed that apart from
these two varieties, Chinese students have a positive attitude towards
Pakistani English, which indicates the importance of introducing a variety of
different accents in listening practice for Chinese students.
Besides, in terms of tutor training and recruitment, English diversity cannot be
ignored (Kachru and Nelson, 2006; Bieswanger, 2008). Kirkpatrick (2007)
proposed that tutors teaching non-native English speakers in Asia should be
able to 'analyze the specific language difficulties that non-Indo-European
speakers may face in English learning and be able to adopt strategies to help
their learners overcome these difficulties'. In this case, because Chinese
English tutors have experience in learning English as a foreign language, they
are better able to understand the English learning problems that students may
encounter than native English tutors (Kirkpatrick, 2007). In addition, according
to the comments (participant 3, 4, and 6) in this study, non-native varieties,

46
such as Korean English, are well rated, implying potential acceptance of tutors
whose native language is not English. Therefore, the belief in the 'native
speaker fallacy' should be treated with caution when recruiting tutors in China
(Phillipson, 1992).

4.4 Summary
In summary, the results of this study are basically consistent with previous
literature. SBE and SAE still occupy a relatively strong position while students'
tolerance for non-native English varieties has increased. Moreover, after
meaningful exposure to different English varieties, students showed some
improvement in their awareness of English diversity (including their own) and
were better able to communicate with English speakers form different
countries. Finally, this chapter provides some suggestions for English teaching
in China from the aspects of teaching materials, linguistic training and tutor
recruitment. The next chapter will give the conclusion of this dissertation.

47
CHAPTER V CONCLUSION

This chapter summarizes the main findings of this study, points out some
limitations, and suggests optimization suggestions for future research.

5.1 Main Findings

5.1.1 Perceptions of English varieties
First, participants demonstrate some knowledge of inner circle English
varieties and are able to distinguish between Standard British English (SBE),
Standard American English (SAE), and Australian English (AusE). Besides,
although they have some knowledge of the varieties in British English, this
knowledge is limited and they tend to view the other varieties of English other
than SBE as a whole. Moreover, in terms of inner circle English preference,
participants prefer SBE and SAE, and familiarity is an important factor leading
to this finding. In addition, there is no orientation between SBE and SAE.
Second, participants’ tolerance for different kinds of English varieties from
outer and expanding has increased, with the exception of some continental
European varieties. Besides, they are more positive when it comes to varieties
of English from backgrounds similar to their own, especially their own variety,
which have even chosen as the first choice. Moreover, native speakers are
generally rated higher for their preference for varieties of English in all three
circles, which extends to the tutor standard, although participants acknowledge
the importance of mutual understanding and respect in the classroom. It is
worth mentioning that not only the accent, but also the tone and speed of the
speaker, the context, the fluency, the learning content, the reading style and
the way of expression all affect the participants' attitudes towards language
variety.

5.1.2 The Effect of a GE-informed pedagogy

First, during nearly a year of study in the UK, participants have been clearly

48
aware of the diversity of English varieties, and their acceptance has increased
significantly.
Second, participants' increased awareness of the diversity of English varieties
is also reflected in their own varieties, with them generally feeling more
confident in their own variety, although some of them still express a desire to
sound like native speakers.
Finally, as participants are exposed to a wide variety of English, they become
familiar with the linguistic features and cultural information of different varieties
of English, and the pragmatic needs in communication are met thus effective
international communication is established.

5.2 The Limitations of the Research

First, due to the limited time, this study collects both the past and present
views of Chinese students. To obtain more accurate self-reported data,
longitudinal studies could be conducted to collect students' initial perceptions
of the different English varieties used by their tutors at the beginning of their
studies and again after they have completed their degrees. Thus, the effect of
the GE-informed pedagogy may be seen more clearly by contrast.
Second, in this study, Tencent Meeting was selected for online interviews. In
this process, it may be difficult to see the information of the interviewees, such
as their expression and body language, which causes some obstacles for
finding patterns (Opdenakker, 2005).
Finally, as a Chinese student in International Education, the researcher's
subjective experiences and feelings of learning may hinder the objective
analysis and interpretation of data. However, in the process of data collection
and analysis, measures such as writing reflective memos can help researchers
avoid biased judgments as much as possible.

5.3 The Improvements for Future Researches

This study has found that context, speaker's voice tone and speaking speed,

49
accent level, fluency, information content, reading style and expressiveness
may all have an impact on attitude. Thus, in future studies, for the same
English variety, multiple speaker samples can be provided to reduce or
exclude the bias caused by the language characteristics of the speakers
themselves.

50
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 Appendix I Participant Information Sheet

Attitudes and perceptions on the tutors' English varieties within a Global Englishes
framework

Participant Information Sheet (PIS)

You are being invited to take part in a research study exploring students’ attitudes and
perceptions on their tutors' English varieties within a Global Englishes framework. Before
you decide whether to take part, it is important for you to understand why the research is
being conducted and what it will involve. Please take time to read the following information
carefully before deciding whether to take part, and discuss it with others if you wish. Please
ask if there is anything that is not clear or if you would like more information. Thank you for
taking the time to read this.

About the research

 Who will conduct the research?

The research will be conducted by Yufan Liu, a MA student in the Manchester Institute of
Education, University of Manchester.

 What is the purpose of the research?

This research seeks to understand students’ attitudes and perceptions on their tutors'
English varieties, and how these English varieties affect their study.

You have been chosen to take part in this research because you are a Chinese
postgraduate international student. The research seeks to recruit 7 other participants.

 Will the outcomes of the research be published?

The outcomes of the research will be written up for a masters dissertation project at the
University of Manchester. The results will not be published outside of the MA
International Education programme.

 Who has reviewed the research project?

This project has been reviewed and approved by the University of Manchester Research
Ethics Committee, and the research supervisor.

What would my involvement be?

 What would I be asked to do if I took part?

62
If you decide to take part in the research, you will be sent a link to a Zoom and a time you’
re your interview would take place.

You would use the link at the specified time and take part in an interview of between
30-45 minutes long. You would use your own device, either a laptop or a phone to access
the Zoom and you would do this from your own home, or another comfortable and private
location.

 Will I be compensated for taking part?

You will not be provided with any financial incentives for taking part.

 What happens if I do not want to take part or if I change my mind?

It is up to you to decide whether or not to take part. If during the interview you no
longer wish to take part, you can simply tell me and I will stop the recording, or you can
leave the Zoom meeting. The interview will be halted, and your data will not be used in
the research. If you do decide to take part you will be given this information sheet to keep
and will be asked to sign a consent form to taking part. If you decide to take part you are
still free to withdraw at any time without giving a reason and without detriment to
yourself. However, it will not be possible to remove your data from the project once it has
been anonymised as we will not be able to identify your specific data. This does not affect
your data protection rights. If you decide not to take part you do not need to do anything
further.

The interview will be audio and video recorded. This recording will never be shared and
will be only used to create a transcript of the things that were said. This is a requirement
of the research and if you do not wish to be recorded you will be unable to take part. You
should feel comfortable with the recording process at all times and you are free to stop
the recording at any time, should you become uncomfortable.

Data Protection and Confidentiality

 What information will you collect about me?

In order to participate in this research project we will need to collect information that could
identify you, called “personal identifiable information”. Specifically we will need to collect:
An audio and video recording of our Zoom interview which will include a recording
of your voice, and face.

 Under what legal basis are you collecting this information?

We are collecting and storing this personal identifiable information in accordance with UK
data protection law which protect your rights. These state that we must have a legal
basis (specific reason) for collecting your data. For this study, the specific reason is that it
is “a public interest task” and “a process necessary for research purposes”.

 What are my rights in relation to the information you will collect about me?

You have a number of rights under data protection law regarding your personal
information. For example you can request a copy of the information we hold about you,
including audio recordings or photographs.

63
If you would like to know more about your different rights or the way we use your personal
information to ensure we follow the law, please consult our Privacy Notice for Research.

 Will my participation in the study be confidential and my personal identifiable

information be protected?

In accordance with data protection law, The University of Manchester is the Data
Controller for this project. This means that we are responsible for making sure your
personal information is kept secure, confidential and used only in the way you have been
told it will be used. All researchers are trained with this in mind, and your data will be
looked after in the following way:
 You will be assigned a pseudonym (a fake name) and your real name will
only ever be known by the researcher, and never shared.
 The recording will be used to create an anonymised transcript in which
every word that was spoken is recorded. In this, pseudonyms will be used in
place of any identifiable data, such as place or people names.
 The transcription process will be undertaken by myself, Yufan Liu, the
researcher of the project. No one else will have access to the recordings
 The recording will only be stored until the transcript is created and then it
will be deleted.
 Transcripts from the interviews will be used for analysis and held for
another 1 year before being deleted.
Your participation in this research will be recorded in Zoom]and your personal data
will be processed by Zoom. This may mean that your personal data is transferred to
a country outside of the European Economic Area, some of which have not yet
been determined by the European Commission to have an adequate level of data
protection. Appropriate legal mechanisms to ensure these transfers are compliant
with the UK General Data Protection Regulation are in place. The recordings will be
removed from the above third party platform and stored securely as soon as
possible following the completion of data collection.

Please also note that individuals from The University of Manchester or regulatory authorities
may need to look at the data collected for this study to make sure the project is being carried out
as planned. This may involve looking at identifiable data. All individuals involved in auditing and
monitoring the study will have a strict duty of confidentiality to you as a research participant.
What if I have a complaint?
 Contact details for complaints

If you have a complaint that you wish to direct to members of the research team, please
contact:

Nuala Broderick: Nuala.Broderick@manchester.ac.uk

If you wish to make a formal complaint to someone independent of the research

team or if you are not satisfied with the response you have gained from the
researchers in the first instance then please contact
The Research Ethics Manager, Research Office, Christie Building, The University of
Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL, by emailing:
research.complaints@manchester.ac.uk or by telephoning 0161 306 8089.
If you wish to contact us about your data protection rights, please email
dataprotection@manchester.ac.uk or write to The Information Governance Office, Christie
Building, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, M13 9PL at the University and we
will guide you through the process of exercising your rights.

64
You also have a right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office about

complaints relating to your personal identifiable information Tel 0303 123 1113

Contact Details
If you have any queries about the study or if you are interested in taking part then please
contact the researcher: yufan.liu-4@postgrad.manchester.ac.uk

65
 Appendix II Consent Form

Attitudes and perceptions on the tutors' English varieties within a Global Englishes
framework

Consent Form

If you are happy to participate please complete and sign the consent form below

Activities Initials

I confirm that I have read the attached information sheet (Version 1; Date
1 25/04/2022 ) for the above study and have had the opportunity to consider the
information and ask questions and had these answered satisfactorily.

I understand that my participation in the study is voluntary and that I am free to

withdraw at any time without giving a reason and without detriment to myself. I
understand that it will not be possible to remove my data from the project once it
2 has been anonymised and forms part of the data set.

I agree to take part on this basis.

3 I agree to the interviews being video/audio recorded.

I understand that data collected during the study may be looked at by individuals from
4 The University of Manchester or regulatory authorities, where it is relevant to my taking
part in this research. I give permission for these individuals to have access to my data.

5 I agree to take part in this study.

Data Protection

The personal information we collect and use to conduct this research will be
processed in accordance with UK data protection law as explained in the
Participant Information Sheet and the Privacy Notice for Research Participants.

____________ __________ _________

Name of Participant Signature Date

____________ __________ _________

Name of the person taking consent Signature Date

66
Appendix III Interview Questions

Warm-up questions
Question probes
Can you tell me some Which one do you like and why?
English-speaking countries?
What countries do your tutors come Which of these countries do you
from? know?

Theme one: For tutors with English as a first language

Question probes
Approximately how many of your
tutors have English as their first
language?
Do these tutors have different accents If yes, what accents do they have
or speak standard English with the (English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh,
same accent? Midlands, London etc.)?

Follow-up question: Which are your Why?

preferred accents?
Do accents make a difference to your If yes, what and why?
understanding in class? If no, then why not?

Theme two: For tutors with English as a second language

Question probes
Approximately how many of your What kinds of varieties do they have?
tutors have English as their second
language?
How do you feel about being taught Which are your preferred varieties?
by tutors for whom English is not their
first language?
Do the tutors' English varieties make If yes, what and why?
any difference to your learning If no, then why not?

67
experiences?

Conclusion
Question probes
What are your overall feelings about
studying with access to so many
English accents and varieties?

Follow-up question: Has this changed Why do you feel this has/hasn’t
since you started your programme? If changed?
so, how?
Do you have anything else that you’d
like to add?

68