Andy Mering - Mid-Atlantic English in the EFL Context

Andy Mering

Mid-Atlantic English

in the EFL Context

Andy Mering

Mid-Atlantic English

in the EFL Context

A Large-Scale Sociolinguistic Study

Tectum Verlag

Andy Mering

Abteilung Anglistik

Pädagogische Hochschule Freiburg

Freiburg im Breisgau

Baden-Württemberg, Deutschland

Dissertation Pädagogische Hochschule Freiburg, 2021

Mid-Atlantic English – an Emerging Variety in the EFL Context?

A Sociolinguistic Study of the Role of British and American English in EFL Teaching

Von der Pädadogischen Hochschule Freiburg zur Erlangung des Grades eines Doktors der Philosophie (Dr. phil.) genehmigte Dissertation von

Andy Mering

aus Villars-sur-Glâne, Schweiz

Promotionsfach: Linguistik, Soziolinguistik, Didaktik der englischen Sprache

Erstgutachter: Prof. Dr. Matthias Hutz

Zweitgutachter: Prof’in Dr. Marita Schocker

Tag der mündlichen Prüfung: 05.07.2021

Die Deutsche Nationalbibliothek verzeichnet diese Publikation in der Deutschen Nationalbibliografie; detaillierte bibliografische Daten sind im Internet über http://dnb.d-nb.deabrufbar.

The Deutsche Nationalbibliothek lists this publication in the Deutsche Nationalbibliografie; detailed bibliographic data are available on the Internet at http://dnb.d-nb.de

ISBN 978-3-8288-4731-6 (Print) | 978-3-8288-7829-7 (ePDF) | 978-3-8288-7621-7 (ePub)

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN 978-3-8288-4565-7 (Print) | 978-3-8288-7620-0 (ePDF) | 978-3-8288-7830-3 (ePub)

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Andy Mering

Mid-Atlantic English in the EFL Context

A Large-Scale Sociolinguistic Study

394 pp.

Includes bibliographic references.

ISBN 978-3-8288-4731-6 (Print) | 978-3-8288-7829-7 (ePDF) | 978-3-8288-7621-7 (ePub)

Umschlaggestaltung: Tectum Verlag, unter Verwendung des Bildes # 196988351 von STILLFX | www.shutterstock.com

1. Auflage 2022

© Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft, Baden-Baden 2022

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Acknowledgements

While researching and writing the present doctoral thesis, I benefited from the assistance, guidance, and support of numerous people. First of all, I would like to express my special appreciation and thanks to my supervisor Professor Dr Matthias Hutz. He was an excellent mentor to me, who encouraged me to expand my research from various perspectives and gave me a great deal of leeway in implementing my research project. Thanks to his precious expert advice during useful long discussions and brainstorming sessions, I was able to grow as a researcher. Grateful thanks are also due to Professor Dr Marita Schocker, who accepted to be my second supervisor.

The present thesis would not have come to a successful completion without the invaluable and substantial help I received from my partner, Mr Hugo Lötscher. His moral support, constant encouragement, endless patience, his immense technical help and unwavering dedication to my large-scale, exciting project have been exemplary.

I am also deeply indebted to five extraordinary scholars, who devoted some of their precious time to answering my numerous queries throughout the whole drafting process of this dissertation: Professor Dr David Crystal, Professor Dr John Wells, Professor Dr David Britain, Professor Dr Mark Davies and Professor Dr Marko Modiano. Their expertise was also instrumental in gaining significant insight into my area of research.

In addition, I am very grateful to five upper secondary and university teachers who made their classes and seminars available for my empirical investigation: Professor Dr Matthias Hutz and Mr Rainer Jensen, Freiburg in Germany, Mr Patrick Jehle, Zurich, Mrs Gisela Burki and Mr Anthony Clark, Fribourg in Switzerland. Without their generosity, my project would not have come to fruition. I would also like to express my warmest and heartfelt thanks to the entire survey population, who accepted to participate in my extensive questionnaire-survey.

Nor shall I omit to mention my debt of gratitude to all those encounters with native and non-native speakers of English, who have always been an inspiration for me, linguistically and personally. Special thanks go out to Mrs Henriette Ludwig, Mr Michael Yates, Robert Mathews, Fred Maltby, Monique, Robin and Peter Schneider and Dr Robin Stockitt.

My gratitude also goes to my deceased parents, Dr Johannes Mering, MD, and Maria-Theresia Mering. I will be forever indebted to them as well as to my godmother Dr Wilhelmine Mering, MD, who was an extremely supportive mentor during my time as a school and university student.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements Acknowledgements While researching and writing the present doctoral thesis, I benefited from the assistance, guidance, and support of numerous people. First of all, I would like to express my special appreciation and thanks to my supervisor Professor Dr Matthias Hutz. He was an excellent mentor to me, who encouraged me to expand my research from various perspectives and gave me a great deal of leeway in implementing my research project. Thanks to his precious expert advice during useful long discussions and brainstorming sessions, I was able to grow as a researcher. Grateful thanks are also due to Professor Dr Marita Schocker, who accepted to be my second supervisor. The present thesis would not have come to a successful completion without the invaluable and substantial help I received from my partner, Mr Hugo Lötscher. His moral support, constant encouragement, endless patience, his immense technical help and unwavering dedication to my large-scale, exciting project have been exemplary. I am also deeply indebted to five extraordinary scholars, who devoted some of their precious time to answering my numerous queries throughout the whole drafting process of this dissertation: Professor Dr David Crystal, Professor Dr John Wells, Professor Dr David Britain, Professor Dr Mark Davies and Professor Dr Marko Modiano. Their expertise was also instrumental in gaining significant insight into my area of research. In addition, I am very grateful to five upper secondary and university teachers who made their classes and seminars available for my empirical investigation: Professor Dr Matthias Hutz and Mr Rainer Jensen, Freiburg in Germany, Mr Patrick Jehle, Zurich, Mrs Gisela Burki and Mr Anthony Clark, Fribourg in Switzerland. Without their generosity, my project would not have come to fruition. I would also like to express my warmest and heartfelt thanks to the entire survey population, who accepted to participate in my extensive questionnaire-survey. Nor shall I omit to mention my debt of gratitude to all those encounters with native and non-native speakers of English, who have always been an inspiration for me, linguistically and personally. Special thanks go out to Mrs Henriette Ludwig, Mr Michael Yates, Robert Mathews, Fred Maltby, Monique, Robin and Peter Schneider and Dr Robin Stockitt. My gratitude also goes to my deceased parents, Dr Johannes Mering, MD, and Maria-Theresia Mering. I will be forever indebted to them as well as to my godmother Dr Wilhelmine Mering, MD, who was an extremely supportive mentor during my time as a school and university student.