Young Norwegian Learners’ Perception and Recognition of English Variants : Relationships with language exposure and media intake

2021

Master´s thesis in English (EN502) English as a tool of communication is emphasized in the Norwegian subject curriculum reform of 2020, and no competence aims are directly connected towards the choice of English variant. The present study investigates young Norwegian learners’ perception of differences between American English and British English and their ability to identify a specific variant, seen in relation to passive English exposure. The data collection comprised two parts: a questionnaire of exposure to English outside of school and a perception test of selected phonetic features contrasting the English variants under investigation. 40 students in year 5 participated in the study, a…