Adapting the Verbal-Guise Technique: A STEM-Focused U.S. Campus Community’s Attitudes Toward Nonnative Englishes

ABSTRACTThis study evaluates attitudes toward nonnative Englishes among students, faculty, and staff at a STEM-focused U.S. university. The study utilizes the verbal-guise technique: Participants listened to and rated three summaries of the same short story as told by native speakers of U.S. English, Chinese, and Arabic. This adapted verbal-guise methodology allows for the inclusion and analysis of grammatical and lexical features—in addition to phonological features—in speaker recordings. Results reveal preferential bias in favor of native-speaker U.S. English, yet each nonnative English speaker was rated significantly differently. The native Arabic speaker was rated as less likeable and competent than the native Chinese and English speakers, while also receiving higher ratings in speech similarity and pleasantness than the native Chinese speaker. Participants’ attitudes toward and confidence with intercultural communication moderated ratings of the nonnative Englishes: Participants with more positive attitudes and greater confidence rated the native speakers of Chinese and Arabic higher on variables including speech pleasantness and willingness to interact. Findings suggest ways to improve attitudes toward nonnative Englishes on college campuses—STEM-focused campuses, specifically.KEYWORDS: Diversity and inclusionhigher educationlanguage attitudeslinguistic prejudicenonnative Englishesverbal-guise technique Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).Additional informationFundingThis research was supported by funding from the First-Year Research Experience (FYRE) program in the College of Arts, Sciences, and Education at Missouri University of Science and Technology. Special thanks also to Taylor McNamee and Anna Peacock, who served as undergraduate research assistants on this project through the FYRE program.Notes on contributorsSarah E. HerculaSarah E. Hercula is an associate professor of applied linguistics in the Department of English and Technical Communication at Missouri University of Science and Technology in Rolla, MO. She holds a PhD in English studies with a specialization in linguistics from Illinois State University. Her research interests include English language variation, language attitudes and ideologies, and linguistics pedagogy, among others. Her most recent book is entitled Fostering Linguistic Equality: The SISE Approach to the Introductory Linguistics Course (Palgrave Macmillan 2020).Jessica L. CundiffJessica L. Cundiff is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychological Science and Director of the S&T ADVANCE program at Missouri University of Science & Technology. She earned a dual PhD in Social Psychology and Women’s Studies at Penn State University. Her research examines stereotyping and discrimination, with a focus on gender bias and identifying effective strategies (and pitfalls) for addressing bias.