Teaching English varieties: a study of the attitudes and perceptions of a group of high school students

The purpose of this thesis is to analyze the role of the English language in today's globalized world, particularly its process of standardization over time and the spread that has allowed English to become a global language. In relation to this topic, the paper then relates the importance of English in the world to the role it plays in the educational field. The thesis consists of three main chapters. The first chapter provides a general overview of the rise of English as an international language in the contemporary world, with particular emphasis on the historical process of English language standardization, its spread overseas, and the emergence of new varieties of English. The second chapter focuses on the consequent teaching of English today, as the emergence of these varieties has made it difficult to choose which type of English to teach. The important dichotomy of standard/non-standard and native/non-native is highlighted. Finally, the third chapter is dedicated to the study of the attitudes and perceptions of a group of students from a high school near Turin, with the aim of analyzing how English is perceived by students nowadays.