Evaluating and Imitating English Pronunciation Models: Language Attitudes and Language Use amongst Learners in Spain

Non-native-speaking students learning English at university generally strive for and are encouraged to achieve a native-like accent. This paper investigates the ways in which Spanish learners of English evaluate and imitate those varieties of English which are typically presented to them as British and American pronunciation models. The analysis is based on empirical data collected by means of questionnaire and sociolinguistic interview from a sample of 71 Spanish university students at various stages of their English language degrees. British English speech was evaluated more positively for features of competence, though American English speech competed strongly on the dimension of social attractiveness. British English speakers were rated as being significantly more competent than socially attractive, whereas the ratings of American English speakers did not differ significantly on the two dimensions. An investigation into learners’ pronunciation of the /t/ variable indicated that respondents’ realizations correlated significantly with sex, visits to Great Britain, usefulness of speech variety, variety of English taught at school and university, and preference for pronunciation class and accent. By adapting a model from Social Psychology, this study has revealed that learners’ attitudes are linked with their language use and are mediated by social and psychological factors