Attitudinal research into Caribbean Englishes
New Englishes, new methods
Language attitude research is crucial for a deeper understanding of New Englishes. However, the most common
attitude research methods often cause problems when applied to New Englishes contexts. We discuss the benefits and challenges of
different methods used in two attitude studies on the perception of linguistic variation in Jamaica and Trinidad. Five major
issues arise out of the discussion: the careful consideration of abstract labels, the need for contextualized research and
authentic source material, the limited view of written data collection with closed questions, the crucial role of the researcher,
and the opportunities of mixed-methods research. These conclusions are particularly relevant for research on New Englishes but
also for language attitude research in general.
Article outline
- 1.Introduction
- 2.Research methods in language attitude research
- 3.Language attitudes in the Caribbean
- 4.Case study I: Language attitude attitudes towards linguistic variation in Jamaican newscasts
- 5.Case study II: Language attitudes in choral singing in Trinidad
- 6.Methodological conclusions
- Acknowledgements
- Notes
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References