English and German as pluricentric languages in the Hungarian education system: Teachers' and learners' perceptions (original) (raw)

2022, Rudolf Muhr et al. Pluricentric languages in different theoretical and educational contexts. (2022) ISBN:0401384769

The aim of this study is to investigate and compare teachers' and students' perceptions of the pluricentricity of English and German and its role in language teaching in Hungary, and to explore the extent to which teachers and students are open to pluricentricity in language teaching. As part of a large-scale research project that consists of several components, the questionnaire survey that the present paper discusses is based on a national sample of 484 participants, including 134 teachers and 112 learners of English, as well as 104 teachers and 134 learners of German. Two hypotheses are used as a point of departure, namely (i) that learners are more open to different standards than their teachers, and (ii) that dominant varieties predominate over non-dominant ones. The statistical tests conducted confirm both hypotheses with a number of significant results. Furthermore, English teachers were found to be significantly more open than German teachers, but still lagging behind their students in this regard. As this discrepancy between teachers and students often causes conflicts that can undermine the success of the language learning process, this research provides a valuable message for many actors in the education system in Hungary and beyond.