The variant of English taught in CABA:

reasons and implications

Facultad de Ciencias de la Educación

Licenciatura en Inglés
Amoruso, Carolina Ayelén

Buenos Aires, 2022

Acknowledgments

I would like to express my gratitude to my parents and my sister. Also, to my

boyfriend, who supported and advised me through the reading of my work. Thanks,
family, for giving me the support I needed to start this Licenciatura.

Also, thanks to my friends and colleagues, who have counseled me about this
topic, and helped me a lot by sharing the surveys. Thanks to my tutors, my students
and all the professionals who have participated in the interviews and surveys.
This work could not have been possible without the knowledge and guidance
of my professors Carla Bicoff and Hernán Piperno, who have become more than
teachers: they are now my mentors.
Thank all of you for your kindness and patience.
Abstract

Given the fact that the vast majority of schools in CABA, Argentina, teach
British English as EFL, it is important to establish the causes that have motivated the
choice of this variant over others. For this reason, this research includes the analysis
of different surveys and interviews addressed to teachers of secondary schools in
CABA, surveys addressed to students of secondary schools, and the analysis of
several authors. Thus, this research project is a mixture of quantitative and
qualitative approaches, which covers two dimensions: the theory and the empiric
examples taken from the teachers. This research also covers the geographical,
economic and cultural reasons that led CABA to choose British English. The results
obtained from the surveys and interviews show that there is no pedagogical
motivation for the choice of British English over other variants. Furthermore, the
authors consulted concluded that the main reasons why British English is preferred
are related to the influence of imperialism and colonialism. This investigation
addresses the importance of the relationship between language and culture, some
differences between American English and British English, and the influence they
have on students’ motivation to learn.

Key words: English language, Argentina, Buenos Aires, CABA, imperialism,

colonialism, variant, secondary schools, teaching, EFL, motivation, British English,
American English, culture
Content
Acknowledgments

2
Abstract.........................................................................................................................3
1. Introduction...............................................................................................................5
2. Theoretical framework..............................................................................................5
2.1. Brief history of English Language and influence in Argentina …………………5

2.2. Teaching English in CABA: early years…………………………………………..7

2.3. The current teaching of English as a Foreign Language……………………….8

2.4. Linguistic differences between American English and British English……….10

2.4.1. Grammatical aspects……………………………………………………….11

2.4.2. Phonological aspects……………………………………………………….12

2.4.3. Lexical and spelling aspects……………………………………………….12

2.5. The relationship between language, culture and thought……………..………13

2.5.1. Students' motivation……………………………………………………..…15

3. Importance..............................................................................................................16
4. Methodology...........................................................................................................16
4.1. Subjects, instruments and data collection………………………………………16

5. Limitations ..............................................................................................................17
6. Discussion..............................................................................................................17
6.1 Analysis of surveys and interviews..................................................................17
6.1.1. Teachers’ surveys and interviews…………………………………………
17
6.1.2. Students' surveys……………………………………………………….…..25
7. Conclusion and implications ..................................................................................28
Bibliography................................................................................................................30
Appendix.....................................................................................................................34
1. Introduction

Politics is everywhere and education is not the exception. The educator Paulo
Freire once said that education is always a political act 1. It is not surprising, then, that
politics has had an impact on the way different subjects are taught. The way in which
the English language is taught has been influenced by politics, too. In Argentina, for
example, the vast majority of universities, schools and private institutes teach
English through British books, which makes this variant of English, by far, the most
taught in the country. In particular, when in 2009 the city of Buenos Aires (CABA)
incorporated English in primary school as part of its compulsory program of studies,
almost every school started teaching the British variant. This is a curious fact
because the government does not impose any coursebooks on teachers. That is to
say that school coordinators allow teachers to choose the material they consider
appropriate. Thus, in secondary schools in CABA, the choice of the British variant for
teaching English as a foreign language does not have a pedagogical motivation; this
choice is the result of historical, political, and economic reasons. One of these
reasons is the availability of British publishing houses in Argentina: most books are
British, and they include the British variant for listening activities, vocabulary and
grammar. Consequently, there are logical causes that led CABA to choose this
variant over the American one, which is related to the relationship between
colonialism and imperialism.

In order to understand the motifs that promoted the choice of British English
over American English, it is necessary to review the influence of the English
language in the country.

2. Theoretical framework

2.1. Brief history of English Language and influence in Argentina

1
Source: https://elpais.com/diario/1978/05/20/sociedad/264463223_850215.html
 English is the second most widely spoken language in Argentina, Spanish
being the first and only official language in the country. Johnson (2017) states that
English in Argentina is considered a prestigious language, and it is the most
important foreign language. The teaching of English as a Foreign Language gained
importance almost at the same time that Argentina became a nation. As Tocalli-
Beller (2007) states, “English is deeply rooted in the country’s history of
Independence struggles and its political relations with Great Britain.” This means that
the European country started to establish connections with Argentina from the
beginning.
Since the arrival of European immigrants during the nineteenth century, the
Argentine population has been influenced by different cultures, but unquestionably,
in those times, the dominant global power was Great Britain. Although there were
more Italian and Spanish immigrants than Irish, Scots, Welsh and British, British
immigrants “shaped the identity of the nation through their business penetration in
the railway and farming fields, among others” (Porto, 2014, p. 4). Even though the
United States had economic influence over Argentina in the 1900s, the American
population was not as prominent as the British population (Johnson, 2017).
Accordingly, there were historical and commercial factors that promoted Argentina’s
relationship with Great Britain. One important event was Argentina’s declaration of
independence from Spain in 1816 and subsequent wars until 1824. Britain helped
Argentina by providing the country with the supplies it needed in order to guarantee
its independence. Not only did Britain recognize Argentina’s independence, but it
also allowed commercial freedom for the British population in Argentina. Britain also
permitted the British population in Argentina to express their creed and culture,
which led many British settlers to arrive in the country (Tocalli-Beller, 2007). Another
important commercial event was the manufactured goods that the British merchants
sold in the country. The meat industry was also an English business. Apart from that,
Great Britain owned four banks (British Bank of South America, London Bank,
English Bank, Anglo-Argentine Bank), which promoted an active role of Britain in
Argentina’s finances. As English companies started to invest more in farmland, the
British influence grew in the twentieth century as well. (Johnson, 2017). These
episodes made Argentina’s economy increase the power of the English language
(Tocalli-Beller, 2007).
 All these political, cultural and historical events had an impact on Argentina’s
education system. Porto (2014) states that in the first half of the 19th century, the
objective of education was to reproduce the dominant European culture for the new
generations. This was fostered by Sarmiento, who is considered the father of
modern education in Argentina. He promoted the elimination of the linguistic, social
and cultural differences represented by many Indian languages at that moment.
English Language Teaching (ELT) and foreign language education introduced the
concept of linguistic and cultural imperialism in Argentina. In the same line of
thought, she points out that “English cannot be dissociated from the social, cultural,
historical, economic, political, religious, and other relations in which it exists” (p. 7).
This, she argues, can be conceived as an imposed expression of hegemony.

2.2. Teaching English in CABA: early years

In 1904, an institution was created in order to train foreign language teachers,
the Instituto Nacional Superior del Profesorado en Lenguas Vivas (traditionally
known as “Lenguas Vivas Juan Ramón Fernández”). Apart from a teacher training
programme, this institution possessed a primary and secondary school, where
aspiring teachers could do their teaching practices, and test new methodologies.
This institution specialized exclusively in the education of foreign language
teachers (French and English, at the beginning). There was another important
institution dedicated to the education of language teachers, the Instituto Nacional
del Profesorado “Dr. Joaquín V. González”.
After those institutions were created, the demand for teachers increased little
by little. Thus, “teacher education programmes were created in response to a
demand for teachers generated by an expansion in the school sector” (Banfi &
Day, 2021, p. 174). Thus, a significant development took place at the Lenguas
Vivas with the creation of a two-and-a-half-year higher education programme to
train teachers specialized in foreign languages in primary schools. This
programme was the equivalent to the primary school teacher training programme
of that time, in contrast to the one for secondary schools, which was (and still is)
four years long.
The Lenguas Vivas’ idea of starting language tuition at the beginning of
primary school was adopted by some other state-run primary schools. This was
the case of the Escuela Normal Superior en Lenguas Vivas “John F. Kennedy”,
 founded in 1957 (now known as “Sofía Broquen de Spangenberg” or “lengüitas”).
It is important to notice that, at that time, ordinary primary schools did not have
any second language instruction.
Some years later, in the 1970s there was an important expansion of foreign
language tuition when the city of Buenos Aires incorporated foreign language
instruction from fourth grade, in primary schools. Consequently, foreign language
tuition became part of the public education system. This fact meant an increased
number of students involved, and the opportunity for all students (regardless of
their social condition) to access foreign language classes. (Banfi & Day, 2021).
Porto (2014) states that there were political and economic events that
played a crucial role in building the educational policies in the country. In
connection with nationalism, the Falklands War (Guerra de Malvinas) in 1982 had
an important role in shaping the national identity of Argentina.

2.3. The current teaching of English as a Foreign Language

Porto (2014) states that since the new National Law of Education was
promulgated in 2007, the education system privileges compulsory English language
teaching both in primary and secondary schools.
Since 2009, in CABA, English as a Foreign Language is part of the Diseño
Curricular (curriculum design) in all primary and secondary schools, both private and
state-run. Even though in kindergarten English is not compulsory, some private
kindergartens deliver English lessons. The Diseño Curricular (both for primary and
secondary schools) is articulated with the Common European Framework of
Reference for Languages (CEFR), which describes the skills and aptitudes that
students need to develop in order to become competent in a language.
English is compulsory from 1st year to 7th year of primary school, and also in
all years of secondary schools. In a part-day primary school, students have two
hours of English per week, while in a full-day primary school they have three hours
and a half per week. There are twenty-six multilingual schools, in which English
language is intensified, and students from 1 st to 5th year learn English for five and a
half hours a week, and students of 6 th and 7th year have English for four and a half
hours a week.
 In all years of secondary school (five years for all schools and 6 years in
technical schools) students have English two hours per week. In 2013 a pilot
program began so that nine state-run secondary schools have English by levels,
taking into account the CEFR.
As the demand for teachers has increased within the years, many of them do
not teach in schools. Instead, they work for language institutes as well as in-
company instruction. Alongside the formal education system, there has been a
development in extracurricular provisions (Banfi & Day, 2021). For example, there
are many private schools that offer extracurricular English classes. Apart from
English as a compulsory subject in schools, schools dependent on the Ministry of
Education in CABA offer classes of English language for primary and secondary
students of state-run schools. These twenty-five Centros Educativos
Complementarios de Idiomas Extranjeros (CECIEs, Complementary Educational
Centres of Foreign Languages) were founded in 1982, and are divided into two
groups: one for students aged nine to thirteen, and another from fourteen to
seventeen years old. Students can attend lessons either to reinforce what they have
learned at school or to expand their knowledge. Students must take a placement test
in order to be placed in a suitable group. There are six levels of English, and lessons
are taken two or three days a week. There are also English courses for teachers who
work in state-run schools in CABA.
In addition, there is a large number of private institutions that teach both
British and American English in Argentina. However, British English prevails because
most books and teaching resources are British 2. Even though British institutions are
independent of each other, the vast majority of them are coordinated by the British
Council. Porto (2014) explains that “the cultural influence of the British/English is
present nowadays through cultural associations devoted to the teaching of English
and the promotion of the British culture such as the British Council and the
Asociación Argentina de Cultura Inglesa (Argentine Association of English Culture)”
(p.4). Yet, as Tocalli-Beller (2007) states, it seems that American English is preferred
in the business field.
There are also private bilingual primary and secondary schools that have
English instruction. Since 2022, six state-run schools in CABA have incorporated the
bilingual modality in primary schools. This means that the language used for

2
Source: https://tefltastic.wordpress.com/2013/02/28/full-list-of-elt-publishers/
teaching and learning is English, and students have thirteen hours of English
instruction per week. These schools have adopted the Content and Language
Integrated Learning (CLIL) approach.
Lastly, regarding tertiary education, the city of Buenos Aires offers the
possibility of studying English at a teacher training college, both private or state-run.
In all cases, an entrance examination must be passed. These institutions offer two
degrees: one that qualifies teachers to teach at kindergarten, primary and secondary
levels, and another that besides those levels, graduates can teach at tertiary level.

2.4. Linguistic differences between American English and British English

Received Pronunciation (RP) and General American (GA) are the most
prevailing standard languages taught in educational systems in the world. Those
varieties correspond to Great Britain and the United Stated, respectively. For the
purposes of this study, they are referred to as British English and American English.
Thornborrow (2004) explains that Received Pronunciation (RP) was the
accent of the educated and wealthy people. He says that the link between this
accent and the British Broadcasting Corporation was so strong that RP was referred
to as “BBC English”, which is now known as “mainstream RP”. The use of this
accent is related to the perceived status of RP as an accent which demonstrates
authority.
Fromkin (2014) explains that language purists believe that one variant of a
language is better than others, and they think that there are correct forms and
grammar that educated people must use in order to speak properly. This prestige
dialect prescribes the rules of a “standard” language. She affirms that “linguistically,
prestige and standard dialects do not have superior grammars” (p. 12). There is no
scientific or linguistic evidence to state that a language’s dialect or variation is
superior or inferior to another.
Recently, there has been a discussion on critical pedagogy, which helps
teachers foster students to find their own voice in the English language. This is a
different way of conceiving the language, “which is more inclusive, pluralistic, and
accepting than the traditional, monolithic view of English in which there is one
correct, standard way of using English that all speakers must strive for”.
Incorporating different varieties of English is seeing “the detail and complexity of the
world”, which can help have a better understanding of English as an international
language (Matsuda, 2003, p. 727).
Although this research does not focus specifically on the differences between
American and British English, a quick overview of some of their main differences is
necessary: it is important to determine whether American English could be easier to
learn for secondary students in CABA. As in any language, each variant is different
from the others: there are grammatical, phonological and lexical aspects to mention.

2.4.1. Grammatical aspects

One important difference to be mentioned is the construction of the past

simple tense. Muhaamed (2019) points out that whereas in British English there are
some verbs that are treated as irregular in the past simple form, in American English
they are regular, thus having -ed form. “Current AmE is clearly leading world English
in the regularization of irregular past tense and past participle forms like burned,
leaned or spelled: in the American corpora, the regular forms account for well above
90 per cent of all instances” (Hundt, 2009, p. 24). Chart 1 illustrates this aspect. As
regards first language acquisition, Fromkin (2014) explains the concept of
overgeneralization, by which children treat irregular verbs and nouns as if they were
regular. This process accounts for the children’s acquisition of the regular rules of a
language, but their unawareness of exceptions. This process of overgeneralization
can be observed in students learning a second language: it is common to perceive
them treating irregular verbs as regular.
Verb British English American English

Learn learnt learned

Dream dreamt dreamed

Spoil spoilt spoiled

Chart 1 (adapted from Muhaamed, 2019)

2.4.2. Phonological aspects

Even though a word can be spelled in the same way in both variants, its
pronunciation can vary in terms of stress change and vowel and consonants sounds.
 One of the most salient differences as regards phonology is the pronunciation
of the letter “r” at the end of a word. Whereas British English eliminates the /r/ sound,
American English pronounces it (Muhaamed, 2019). Chart 2 summarises this
aspect. As Spanish is a phonetic language 3, it could be easier for Spanish-speaker
students to pronounce the words as they are written.

Word British English American English

finger /’fɪŋgə/ /’fɪŋgər/

poor /puə/ /puər/

here /hiə/ /hiər/

Chart 2 (adapted from Muhaamed, 2019)

2.4.3. Lexical and spelling aspects

American and British English also have differences as regards the spelling of
some words (Golyanskaya & Anikina, n.d). American English spelling and
vocabulary are closer to Spanish spelling and vocabulary, as can be observed in
Charts 3 and 4:

British English spelling American English spelling Spanish translation

colour color color

humour humor humor

realisation realization realización,

comprensión

industrialisation industrialization industrialización

Chart 3 (my own examples)

British English word American English word Spanish translation

lift elevator elevador, ascensor

flat apartment apartamento,

departamento

trousers pants pantalones

holiday vacation vacaciones

3
A phonetic language is a language in which the same letters and combinations of them are usually
pronounced in the same way. That means that the language is usually pronounced as it is written.
 pub bar bar

mobile phone cell phone teléfono celular

Chart 4 (my own examples)

2.5. The relationship between language, culture and thought

Language is not an isolated phenomenon: It is always embedded in a social
context and history. For that reason, language teaching cannot be excluded from its
social context. (Morgavi, 2021). The variant of English taught in schools in CABA
may have an impact on students’ motivations when it comes to learning the
language because language and culture are strongly linked.
The linguists Edward Sapir and Benjamin Whorf explained in their Linguistic
Relativism Hypothesis that there is a close relationship between language and
culture, so the language we speak shapes our ideas and how we perceive the world
around us. Language and culture cannot be separated one from the other, and they
cannot be understood separately (Al-Sheikh Hussein, 2012). Sapir and Whorf
claimed that our culture determines our language, which in turn influences the
categorization of our thoughts and experiences of the world (Chandler, 1994). In this
sense, The United States and Great Britain are two countries that share the same
language. However, because of historical and geographical reasons, and because
they are different nations, they have different cultures. The English variety people
speak in those countries has been influenced by culture (Boumaza, 2018). Even
though proficient English speakers have a significant advantage over those who
cannot communicate in the language, there is a disadvantage: with the freedom of
communication comes the influence from another culture (Johnson, 2017).
When it comes to the education field, English teaching is a form of ideological
and cultural colonization because it is not possible to dissociate it from the social,
cultural, historical and political relations in which it exists. These values and norms
are imposed and transmitted as an expression of hegemony (Porto, 2014). In the
words of Singh (2004), “socially powerful groups can use language to perpetuate
their ideologies. Because we do not always interrogate language use, assuming it
instead to be a ‘natural, obvious’ medium of representation, we can become
normalized to the ideological perspectives that discourses encode, seeing them
instead as ‘common sense’” (p. 34).
 In the same line of thought, Basabe (2006) explains that the promotion of ELT
textbooks is produced by global commercial enterprises whose aim is to disseminate
ideas and language. Consequently, as the English language gains more worldwide
influence, there is a degree of cultural influence because language and culture are
inseparable, and “language is the core of culture” (Xue & Zuo, cited in Johnson,
2017). This cultural influence can be observed in the current celebrations of
Halloween, Saint Patrick’s Day and Valentine’s Day, which have gained more
popularity in the city of Buenos Aires within the last decades.
Regarding cross culture, Johnson (2017) explains that there are several
words or expressions borrowed from English that have been incorporated into the
Spanish language in Argentina. She names the examples of el shopping (in place of
centro commercial), el ticket (el recibo, el boleto), and los shorts (pantalones cortos).
In her opinion, this is due to the fact that the English language has become an
international and commercial language. She illustrates how the English language
can be found in the city of Buenos Aires: in street signs, store windows, and cafes.
Also, TV shows and films originally done in English are not dubbed, but subtitled.
Thus, as English has a significant influence on CABA, there is a constant influx of
American cultural influences.
Finally, Moirano (2012) recommends that teaching institutions should pay
attention when teaching language because they need to take into account culture.
She refers to the process of acculturation, which is linked to identity development.
There is a type of culture learning that emphasises the hidden patterns of human
interactions, which could be introduced to students in different levels of language
learning. She is convinced that language and culture are inseparable, so it is
necessary to include culture in language classrooms. Understanding this relationship
is crucial for the acquisition of a second language. In the same way, Matsuda (2003)
proposes to address the colonial past of the language in the curriculum, and the
power inequality associated with its history. He thinks that many global issues in EFL
books could be discussed in relation to globalization and internalization.

2.5.1. Students' motivation

Morgavi (2021) states that factors affecting students’ acquisition of a second
language include features of the input and motivation. When students’ needs and
interests are considered, their motivation increases, and meaningful and purposeful
learning takes place. Students’ motivation, therefore, is a crucial aspect of Second
Language Acquisition (SLA). Ushioda (2010) remarks that within language
acquisition, “the person cannot be meaningfully separated from the social
environment within which he/she operates” (p. 16). This means that in order to
increase students’ motivation, environmental and individual factors must be taken
into consideration. For instance, Morgavi (2021) explains that there are contextual
factors that have an impact on the students’ acquisition of different aspects of the
second language system. These variables include the role of interlocutors, tasks and
contextual linguistic forms. Also, “learners are likely to have more contact with the
particular variety of the target language used by their social setting” (p. 12).
Furthermore, Jensen and McConchie (2020) talk about the concept of “behavioural
relevance”, which plays a role in students’ readiness to learn. They affirm that
behavioral relevant input involves a reason to take action in the real world, and when
students acknowledge the behavioural relevance of new content, the probability of
remembering and internalising the skills increases, leading to learners’ autonomy.
Johnson (2017) points out that technology has encouraged the influence of
the English language in the country, and the Argentine population is more exposed
to English every day because of cable television and the internet. Even though
Spanish and English languages have a long history of linguistic contact, she
explains, the interaction between those two languages has increased significantly in
the past years because of the internet and the social media. Once again, it is
important to consider the exposure to the language the students have, in order to
provide them with meaningful input they can link to their everyday lives. In other
words, Bize (2017) states that “the teacher of English, the lingua franca per
excellence, perhaps the language with the highest social status nowadays, may find
himself or herself in a unique position to help students reflect on the inherent value of
all languages and cultures, those coming from distant countries and those found in
our own territory” (p. 70).

3. Importance
This investigation expands on the work of Porto, and continues in the line of
her previous findings. Furthermore, this work adds the opinion and experience of
teachers and students in CABA. Consequently, this could be a valuable opportunity
to reflect upon the relationship between language and culture, and how this
relationship can affect students’ motivation. Hopefully, this investigation will have an
impact on further investigations and on teachers’ practices in the classroom.

4. Methodology
This research is a mixture of both quantitative and qualitative approaches. For
the quantitative part, an online survey addressed to eighty teachers of secondary
schools in CABA was conducted. The questions that the educators answered were
related to the variant of English they were taught at school and at teacher-training
college, and the variant they teach in secondary schools. These were multiple-choice
closed questions related to their practices, in which they had to choose only one
answer among all the possible options (see below). These surveys were conducted
because the teachers’ valuable opinions helped illustrate the hypothesis stated at the
beginning. Furthermore, an online survey addressed to 140 students in CABA was
conducted in order to know about their needs and preferences. This also included
multiple-choice closed questions related to the students’ experience.
As for the qualitative part, a teacher was interviewed with open questions. He
was also asked about the role of this variant in the teaching of English. Given his
vast experience and qualifications, his knowledge has enriched this work by proving
the hypothesis of this research paper.

4.1. Subjects, instruments and data collection

The participants of the surveys were personally invited to take part in this
study. They were informed about the nature of the research and the anonymity and
confidentiality of the data that would be collected.
The instruments used in this investigation are divided into two groups:
1. Surveys (Ad-hoc multiple-choice questionnaire):
a. 80 teachers of English who are working or have worked in CABA
b. 140 students attending secondary schools in CABA aged 13-18
2. Interview
a. Hernán Piperno, (teacher of English in Oral Expression I, II and III in
teacher training colleges number 88, in San Justo and number 24, in
Bernal. Professor at Universidad Nacional de La Matanza and Universidad
Nacional de San Martín)
 Both the surveys and the interviews addressed to teachers asked questions
about the variety of English they teach and were taught, the variety that the society is
more exposed to, and the books they use in their classes. Also, they were asked
about whether there is a correct variant, a more useful variant, and students’
motivation to learn.

As for the surveys addressed to students, they were asked about the year in
which they are, the reason why it is important to learn English, their awareness of the
existence of different varieties, and the usefulness of the variants for them.

5. Limitations
This research is not exhaustive by any means. It should not be generalized to
the whole country, as it is restricted to the City of Buenos Aires. Moreover, because
the samples are based on 80 educators and 140 students in CABA, further
investigations are advised in order to expand on this work.

6. Discussion
6.1. Analysis of surveys and interviews
6.1.1. Teachers’ surveys and interviews
As can be observed in figure 1, the vast majority of the teachers consulted
teach British English in their EFL classrooms. These teachers speak RP (Received
Pronunciation). This result is not surprising given the fact that most teachers were
taught British English at the teacher training college, and also because “traditionally,
in the teaching of highly standardized languages, particularly the so-called
languages of culture such as English, French, German and Spanish, the monitored
speech of educated native speakers has been set as the target appropriate for FL
learners” (Valdman, 1989, p. 15). It is worth mentioning that the current Diseño
Curricular does not specify any particular variant to be taught, and even so most
teachers use the British variant.
As regards the interviewee, teacher Piperno, he teaches Received
Pronunciation in his classes because he was trained with that variant and because
he lived in England for some time. However, he insisted on the fact that he does not
oblige his students to stick to that variant because he does not believe that there is
any better or worse variant. As long as they are standards, they are all valid.
According to his view, a standard is needed in order to achieve communication,
especially for teachers of English. In this sense, an international or global variant 4 is
a possibility.
The purpose of this question was to illustrate the enormous difference
between the two main variants taught in EFL classrooms.

Figure 1

As illustrated in figure 2, most of the teachers were taught British English

when they were studying at the teacher-training college. This might be the reason
why they teach British English in their classrooms. However, some of the teachers
consulted were taught American English or even a combination of the two variants
(fifteen teachers). When teacher Piperno was asked about the variant of English he
was taught at the teacher training college, he explained that it was RP (Received
Pronunciation), a variant that is now usually called “Estuary English” 5. He was also
asked about the role of teaching British English in Argentina and the reasons why
this is the most taught variant. In his opinion, this fact is related to the tradition that
exists in Argentina: teachers were traditionally trained in British English. Initially, the
variety that must be taught and learned was prescribed by the Ministry of Education,
so British English was the only option to be transmitted. However, he believes that
this is not the case anymore.

4
“International English is the concept of using the English language as a global means of
communication similar to an international auxiliary language, and often refers to the movement
towards an international standard for the language”. Source:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_English
5
English Spoken in South East England.
Figure 2

When they were asked about the variant that they think the society is more
exposed to, 61 out of the 80 subjects agreed that American English is the prevalent.
Only 19 teachers think that the society is exposed to both American and British
English. This was the expected result, given the fact that the United States produces
the most popular content on Netflix 6. If people consume more American films and TV
shows, why is British English the predominant variant taught at schools in CABA?
This result supports the hypothesis that there is a purposeful reason for the choice of
the British variant over the American. When teacher Piperno was asked this
question, he affirmed that the variant Argentinian society is exposed to is definitely
the General American because of the role of the media, and some platforms, such
as Netflix, and some institutions like Hollywood, for example. This variant, he
believes, is more influential these days. For him, in the second place, it would be
British English. This is illustrated in figure 3.

6
Sources: https://www.whats-on-netflix.com/news/what-countries-produce-the-most-popular-netflix-
shows-and-movies/
https://surfshark.com/best-rated-netflix-shows-and-movies
https://www.the-numbers.com/movies/production-countries/#tab=territory
Figure 3

Since Argentina included the English language as a compulsory subject in

secondary schools, the vast majority of schools have taught English through British
books (figure 4). This fact might be related to the historical and political causes
mentioned, which made the city choose this variant over others. As noted above,
these causes respond to the relationship between Argentina and Great Britain, and
colonialist and imperialist reasons.
When the participants were also asked about the books they use in their
classes, sixty-four teachers said that they use British publishers, while only seven
use American publishers. There is a percentage that do not use books in their
classes, too. This fact is related to the publishing houses’ offer in Argentina:
Cambridge University Press, Oxford University Press, Macmillan English and
Pearson ELT are the largest ELT publishers, and they are all British companies 7.
Furthermore, many international exams, such as IELTS, CAE, FCE and more are
offered by British universities; they also offer different books to study for those
exams. Moirano (2012) observed that textbooks frequently deal with the British
culture and occasionally with the American culture, and there is almost no emphasis
on other cultures. And this is important because, as she explains, “textbooks are an
integral part of language learning in the classroom” (p. 73); they are the visible part
of ELT programmes. Some studies have demonstrated that many ESL textbooks are
culturally biased, and many teachers do not notice nor address it. Furthermore, she

7
Source: https://tefltastic.wordpress.com/2013/02/28/full-list-of-elt-publishers/
analyses the reasons why most teachers use British books: in her opinion, there is a
traditional tendency of the middle-class Argentinians to see themselves as being
Europeans. Most middle-aged teachers do not see European books as foreign.
Matsuda (2003) suggests that teachers can expose students to different
varieties of English by introducing different types of activities, including e-mail
exchanges, projects that require students to explore websites in several varieties,
and by working with movies with different speakers of English. Teachers can use
different teaching materials, including chapters of books from different publishing
houses; this allows different English varieties in the classroom. It is also important to
remember that through the books used in class, students are always exposed to
systems of representations. Thus, teachers should examine these books carefully
because there is a direct relationship between the attitudes and values present in the
texts the students work with and the values and attitudes that the learners express
(Basabe, 2006). In the same line of thought, Moirano (2012) proposes to evaluate
the type of textbooks teachers use, and the kind of culture it provides.

Figure 4

The majority of the teachers consulted agreed that there is not a better variant
to be taught at school. However, more than the 12 percent of them think that British
English8 is a better variant for teaching. A small percentage considers that American
English is the better variant to be taught. These results show that most teachers
8
For the purposes of this study, Received Pronunciation is referred to as British English, as stated in
page 10
agree with Fromkim (2014) when she states that there are no better or superior
variants. Teacher Piperno stated that he does not think that there is a variant more
useful than others. Naturally, what is important is that they are intelligible and
understandable. Any variant, if it is standard, is useful. In his opinion, there is not a
“correct” or better variant to be taught: all the variants are simply different, but not
incorrect or wrong. He thinks, though, that “it might be convenient to stick to the most
influential variants: the American and the British because, in that sense, the students
will be able to find it easier to communicate or to understand different speakers.” 9 It
is a question of how many people students can communicate with, and how many
people they can reach. The outcome can be observed in figure 5.

Figure 5

There was no agreement when the subjects were asked if the variant of
English influences students’ motivation to learn. Teacher Piperno is not sure about
whether the variant that students are exposed to has any influence on their
motivation to learn. He thinks that it might be the case that if students play online
games and watch Netflix, for example, they may find it motivating that the accent
they are exposed to is the one that they are learning. A similar disagreement can be
observed when the teachers were asked if they would like to teach another variant,
different from the one they are currently teaching. It might be the case that teachers
who work in the same institution for many years are indoctrinated to the point of not

9
See Appendix
stopping to question the kind of education they are providing to their students
(Moirano, 2012). In figures 6 and 7, the results can be perceived.

Figure 6

Figure 7
Contrary to what had been expected, half of the teachers consulted think that
there is not a more useful variant for secondary students. Almost a 30% of the
teachers think that American English is more useful, and a small percentage
answered British English. Some teachers are not sure, though. Perhaps most
teachers are not aware of the close relationship between language and culture. As
regards the relationship between language and culture, teacher Piperno is sure that
a variety also teaches culture. He explains that RP is used by less than 3 percent of
the population nowadays, so if a person sticks to that variety, they are propagating
the idea that it is the most appropriate variety to be taught, while it is actually less
and less frequent, so he advises that maybe Estuary English is a better option.
Another possibility for this result is that the teachers consulted consider the
differences between American English and British English not significant, thus
unimportant. This can be observed in figure 8.

Figure 8

6.1.2. Students’ surveys

As stated before, 140 secondary students from CABA were surveyed.

According to the results, most of them knew about the existence of different variants
of English. However, not all of them can tell whether they are hearing American or
British English. Only sometimes are students able to distinguish between American
English and British English. This is illustrated in figures 9 and 10.

Figure 9

Figure 10

When asked about the most useful variety for them, the students’ answers
reflected the preference of American English. The objective of this question was to
prove the hypothesis that students are more exposed to American English, thus this
variant is more suitable for them. It might be the case that students find American
English more convenient because they consume films, series and videogames from
the United States. The results are illustrated in figure 11.
Figure 11

Finally, when asked about the reasons for knowing the language, the vast
majority of students agreed that knowing English is important in order to access to
better job opportunities. This is the expected outcome, given the fact that 70% of
jobs in Argentina require English skills for their employees. In fact, in a study
conducted in 2015 on the views of learning English, the majority of people consulted
believed that English was a necessary skill for greater employability. This is
translated as fewer job opportunities for people who do not possess English
competence (Johnson, 2017). Many other students answered that English is
important to study at university and even to travel abroad. Thus, English is
recognized as the international lingua franca. Consequently, having competence in
English is considered essential for the upward mobility of people and also for the
economic development of the country (Tocalli-Beller, 2007). In the post-pandemic
world, there are many more remote job offers than before, especially in English,
which represents a higher and more profitable income compared to local jobs. Most
of these job positions are offered by USA-based companies 10. This can be observed
in figure 12.

10
Source: https://www.infobae.com/economia/2022/07/26/boom-de-argentinos-que-trabajan-para-el-
exterior-en-forma-remota-puestos-mas-buscados-y-cuanto-cobran-en-dolares/
Figure 12

7. Conclusion and implications

The aim of this research paper was to prove that the choice of the variant of
British English in CABA responds to historical, political and ideological causes.
Furthermore, this work tried to compare the two main variants taught worldwide:
British English and American English, and to evaluate the suitability of teaching them
in schools in the city. For this purpose, several teachers and students were surveyed
to know their opinions. Other objectives of this investigation were to show the
relationship between language and culture to assess the need of teaching one
variant over another, and whether this choice has an impact on students’ motivation
to learn.
In the hope to influence teachers’ practices, this research attempted to
establish a relationship between the history of the teaching of English in Argentina
and the choice of the British variant. According to the results obtained from the
surveys, the interview, and the authors consulted, it seems that there are no
pedagogical reasons for teaching British English over American English in secondary
schools in CABA. Consequently, the reasons for this choice are related to the
tradition of the ancient British Empire and its influence that still prevails in the ESL
field.
Even though some Argentinian people may be resentful due to the United
States involvement in many dictatorships in Latin America, a considerable number of
them want to travel to work, live or have holidays there. Many Argentinians admire
the American lifestyle and they find in Americans a role model. A similar love-hate
relationship is perceived in relation to the British people. The invasion of the
Malvinas by the English people made Argentinians feel rancorous even nowadays.
Yet, as proved throughout this work, most teachers teach British English in their
classrooms, either because they were trained with that variant, or because of
tradition, or even because it is the “cradle” or the “original” language.
It is worth mentioning that students find American English more useful, due to
the cultural and geographical closeness between Argentina and the United States.
Students and teachers, then, should be given the chance to teach and learn
American English if they consider it the best option for their learning goals. This
variant could be more useful for students who plan to travel or work, given the
economic, cultural and geographic proximity of Argentina and the United States, or
even for those who aspire to get a remote job.
To conclude, it is also important to recall that the results obtained from the
surveys are restricted only to CABA (and not all provinces of Argentina) in the
current year 2022. As this work is not exhaustive, further investigation is advised to
continue investigating about the relationship between the variant of English and
students’ motivation to learn.
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Appendix

Interview*

Hernán Piperno

Are you currently working as an English teacher? If yes, where and what's
your position? And how long have you been teaching English?

Yes, I am currently working as a teacher of English and working as a teacher of

Oral Expression I, II and III in different teacher training colleges: number 88, in
San Justo and number 24, in Bernal. Also, I am a professor at Universidad
Nacional de La Matanza and Universidad Nacional de San Martín. And I have
been teaching English since 2006 as a graduate teacher, and well, before that,
as an undergraduate teacher, of course.

Which variant of English do you teach? Which variant do you prefer?

Why? And which variant of English were you taught at the Teacher
Training College/university?

The variant of English that I teach initially was called “RP”, and today is usually
called “Estuary English”, meaning the English that is spoken in South East
England. Why? Well, basically because that’s the one I was trained with in my
teacher training college, and because then I had the opportunity of traveling to
England on a scholarship and living there for a year, so that's basically what I
learnt. So, is that the one I teach? Well, yes, because of that, but I don’t, by any
means, oblige my students to stick to that variant because I don’t think there is
any better or worse variant. I think that they all are valid as long as they are
standards, because you need a standard in order to achieve communication,
especially if you are going to be a teacher of English; but I never ask my
students to stick to the variety I use. However, it is impossible for me not to use
one, right?

Why do you think you were taught that variant? What is the role of
teaching that variant? Why do you think this is the most taught variant?

Because of the tradition that exists in Argentina, that RP has, you know, usually
been the variety that was taught in our country, so as I studied some years ago,
the teachers that taught me have also been trained that variant, and initially
because it was prescribed by the Ministry of Education, and so that’s what they
transmitted. These days, this is not the case anymore, but most of those
teachers that were my teachers were trained with that accent, and have learnt
following that accent and so that’s why I was also taught with that one.

Which variant of English is the society more exposed to, according to

your view?

33
Well, I think that it’s definitely the General American, the American variant,
because of the role of the media, right? And Netflix, and Hollywood, and the
media in general we’re exposed to. Secondly, that would be probably the British
variant, but I think that the American variant is much more influential these
days.

Which variant do you think is more useful for students in CABA? Why? Is
there any better or "correct" variant to be taught? Why?

I don’t think that one is more useful than other because as long as it’s intelligible
and understandable, I think that any would do. Any variant that is standard,
even if it is from Ireland, would do. For that reason, I don’t think that there is any
better or correct variant to be taught, right? They are all simply different.
However, I think it might be convenient to stick to the most influential variants,
that would be the American and the British because, in that sense, the students
will be able to find it easier to communicate or to understand different speakers,
right? Say, once again, highlighting the fact that none of them is incorrect or
wrong or better than or worse than the other, but it’s a question of how many
people you reach and how many people you can communicate with, or in any
case, you find it easier to communicate with, right?

Do you think that a variety, apart from a language, teaches culture?

And of course, a variety also teaches culture, yes, definitely, for example, I can
think of the example of “jail” and the different spellings for the word “jail” in the
American variety: “G-A-O-L” and “J-A-I-L”, just one silly example, but initially, an
example of the people in jail. Prisoners used it to mock the conventions, right?
So, of course, I think that, for example, if you stick to, in the case of RP, that is
used by less than 3 percent of the population these days, you are also kind of
propagating the idea that that’s probably the most appropriate variety to be
taught, while it’s actually less and less frequent, so maybe Estuary English is a
better option.

Do you think that the variant students are taught has any influence on
their motivation to learn?

I might be able to think that, for example, students that are exposed to online
games and Netflix and so on, might find it motivating that the accent they are
exposed to is the one they are learning, but I’m not really sure about that.

* My transcription from the original interview

Surveys:

34
- Teachers:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSey0iZWeeqYERRBaK3Opx
w_rURuqe9mlmluheN6MUYNQoogFA/viewform?usp=sf_link
PDF:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1N4lNQDSkyGG2qFez06UrpO5yZWzH3rg
r/view?usp=sharing
- Students:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/
1FAIpQLSeciPRRvg7I2wCTwSBN04n8ut5W-
5MaaMwrQfxa8Pw6pR3Jgw/viewform?usp=sf_link
PDF:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1xeMzitKNZcTuYkXjIVJ4CZ_SLIvq7LFw/
view?usp=sharing

35