The differences in perception and use of American and British English vocabulary among Croatian high school students

master's thesis

• Author: Saša Budimski
• Mentor: Bojan Prosenjak (mentor)
• Committee member: Stela Letica Krevelj (predsjednik povjerenstva)
• Committee member: Renata Geld (član povjerenstva)
• Committee member: Bojan Prosenjak (član povjerenstva)
• Granter: University of Zagreb; Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences; (Department of English language and literature); Zagreb
• Defense date and country: 2024-09-30, Croatia
• Scientific / art field, discipline and subdiscipline: HUMANISTIC SCIENCES; Philology; Anglistics

Abstract

This thesis explores the attitudes, preferences, and consistency of vocabulary usage among Croatian high school students when choosing between British English and American English. Given that English remains the dominant global language, Croatian students are exposed to both varieties through formal education as well as media. The research was conducted on a sample of 184 students, analyzing their use of the two English varieties, as well as their beliefs and attitudes toward them. The thesis contains two main parts: the theoretical and the research section. The theoretical part investigates linguistic differences between British English and American English, particularly in terms of vocabulary, and examines perceptions of prestige, accuracy, and practicality of the two varieties, whereas the research section explores how consistent Croatian students are when presented with a choice between these varieties, as well as their perceptions and beliefs about them. The conclusions indicate that, although students show a preference for one variety, the blending of American and British English vocabulary is common, influenced by dual exposure from formal education and media. The results of our study contribute to a better understanding of how non-native speakers navigate the use of language varieties and vocabulary learning in a globalized context which is heavily influenced by media. For ESL teachers, these findings suggest the importance of raising awareness about the distinctions between the varieties while promoting consistency and comprehension in both.

Abstract (croatian)

Ovaj diplomski rad istražuje stavove, preferencije i dosljednost upotrebe vokabulara među hrvatskim srednjoškolcima pri odabiru između britanskog i američkog engleskog. S obzirom na to da engleski jezik i dalje dominira kao globalni jezik, hrvatski učenici izloženi su objema varijantama, kako kroz formalno obrazovanje, tako i putem medija. Istraživanje je provedeno na uzorku od 184 učenika, pri čemu se analizirala njihova upotreba obiju varijanta engleskog jezika, kao i njihova uvjerenja i stavovi prema tim varijantama. Rad podijeljen je na dva dijela: teoretski i istraživački. U teoretskom se dijelu istražuju jezične razlike, s posebnim naglaskom na vokabular, te percepcije prestiža, točnosti i praktičnosti pojedinih varijanta. Zaključci provedenog istraživanja pokazuju da, iako učenici imaju sklonost prema jednoj varijanti, često dolazi do miješanja američkog i britanskog engleskog vokabulara, što je rezultat istodobne izloženosti učenika kroz formalno obrazovanje i medije. Cilj je ovog rada doprinijeti boljem razumijevanju kako neizvorni govornici upravljaju upotrebom jezičnih varijeteta i učenjem vokabulara u globaliziranom kontekstu. Za učitelje i nastavnike engleskog jezika rezultati ukazuju na važnost podizanja svijesti o razlikama između varijanta te promicanja dosljednosti i razumijevanja obiju varijanta.

• Keywords: British English; American English; Croatian high school students; language perceptions; vocabulary use; linguistic variation; language preferences
• Keywords (croatian): britanski engleski; američki engleski; hrvatski srednjoškolci; jezični stavovi; jezične varijacije; jezične preferencije
• Language: english
• URN:NBN: urn:nbn:hr:131:710070
• Study programme: Title: English Language and Literature (double major); specializations in: Linguistics, Literature and Culture, Translation, TEFL; Course: TEFL; Study programme type: university; Study level: graduate; Academic / professional title: magistar/magistra edukacije engleskog jezika i književnosti (magistar/magistra edukacije engleskog jezika i književnosti)
• Type of resource: Text
• File origin: Born digital
• Access conditions: Access restricted to students and staff of home institution
• Created on: 2024-10-01 18:37:45