English Teachers’ Attitudes Toward China English

Abstract

China English has garnered much attention lately as a growing trend of English variation. The study aimed to explore the language attitudes of Chinese English teachers towards the variety of English in China and further probe into the cause of their attitudinal evaluations. A mixed research method (Questionnaire survey and focused interview) was employed. A total of 23 English teachers participated in the current study. The study revealed that nowadays, many teachers still view standard English, either British or American, as the pedagogical teaching model in China. Since only Chinese English users can use and understand China English, there are better fits for a teaching paradigm than China English. However, most participants claim that some idioms are most effectively expressed in Chinese, and there should be a variety of English in China. The current study's findings may be necessary for English instruction in situations where English varieties are emerging in the globalized world.