Effects of Students' Contact With the English Language and Its Users on Students' Preferences for Global Englishes Language Teaching

Abstract

Studies on Global Englishes (GE)‐related pedagogical and curricular innovations emphasize the importance of exposing students to the diversity of English and its users. However, they do not provide direct evidence of changes in students' attitudes. The reliability and validity of existing quantitative instruments for measuring students' attitudes toward GE‐related ideologies in English language teaching (ELT) have not been thoroughly evaluated. Consequently, more rigorous research is needed to understand these attitudes and promote curriculum changes. This mixed‐methods study addresses this need by linking students' contact with English users, “traditional” ELT, and Global Englishes Language Teaching (GELT) attitudes. The study utilized 436 validated participant responses to validated scales and two focus group interviews within the Japanese English as a Foreign Language (EFL) context. Results from partial least squares structural equation modeling were supported by focus group data analysis, showing that student contact predicted their preferences for GELT. Additionally, the study found that this relationship was partially mediated by students' preferences for “traditional” ELT, adding complexity to GE‐related innovations in EFL contexts. This article discusses the pedagogical implications for addressing challenges in changing attitudes and provides recommendations for further research.