English Varieties and Pronunciation in Swedish Upper Secondary Education : A Mixed-Methods Study of Teachers’ Curriculum Interpretations and Students’ Attitudes Toward English Varieties

Sammanfattning

This study investigates how English teachers in Swedish upper secondary education interpret and enact the curriculum in relation to pronunciation and pronunciation teaching, and both teachers’ and students’ attitudes toward English varieties in a globalized linguistic landscape. Based on the frameworks of World Englishes, English as a Lingua Franca and Lundgren’s (1972) curriculum theory, the study examines whether and to what extent traditional native-speaker norms continue to shape classroom practice despite curricular shifts toward intercultural communication. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 5 English language teachers, which were then thematically analyzed and explored teachers’ beliefs about pronunciation, intelligibility and the role of English as a Lingua Franca in assessment and instruction. A verbal guise experiment was conducted with 63 upper secondary students, who listened to recordings which included five different English varieties from both the inner and outer circles. Students demonstrated generally positive attitudes toward inner-circle varieties, while outer-circle varieties were valued less favorably. The teachers value communicative success over correctness over conformity to native-speaker norms and a more holistic and ELF-oriented approach to teaching. This study highlights teachers’ navigation in an increasingly ELF-influenced environment and how teachers must rely on their own expertise as the curriculum gives limited guidance in pronunciation and World Englishes. The findings of the study have pedagogical implications for English teaching in Swedish education, as they highlight the need for clearer support in teachers addressing pronunciation, intelligibility and English varieties as well as greater exposure to diverse Englishes in teaching materials and classroom practice.