The Use of Non-Standard Varieties of English in Dutch High Schools

Abstract

Where language spreads, language changes, and in a globalizing world, new Englishes arise. The importance of the English language is evident to Dutch teachers of English, yet non-standard varieties of English are neglected in the classroom. To understand this issue, this study looked into the beliefs Dutch teachers of English have about non-standard varieties of English and the possibility of introducing those varieties in the classroom. By means of a Likert-scale questionnaire and interviews, the opinions about non-standard varieties of eleven Dutch teachers of English were mapped out. The results indicate that the standard varieties of English are seen as norm-providing as teachers want their students to acquire native-like competence. Standard varieties are believed to offer higher future educational and business success. Although teaching a non-standard variety of English was seen as inferior to teaching a standard variety of English, some teachers showed interest in the notion of communicative competence whereby conveying a message is more important than being able to speak a standard variety of English.