Linguistic Mistakes or a Distinct Variety? How L2 Speakers Influence English in International Contexts

Authors

  • Mateusz Urbaniak State University of Applied Sciences, Krosno, Poland

Abstract

The study aims to examine the development of localised varieties of English within the Expanding Circle of World Englishes, as defined by Kachru (1992), based on an example of the Polish speech community. Employing a questionnaire consisting of translation and phonological items, the research explores how native Polish influences manifest themselves in L2 English language use. The translation task revealed common patterns of linguistic interference, such as calques and grammatical structures imported from the participants’ native language, while the rhyming task highlighted phonological deficiency in distinguishing vowel length differences. Results indicate that Polish speakers tend to employ non-standard linguistic forms due to cognitive influences from their native language, suggesting that these recurring patterns, if properly identified, could potentially evolve into distinct features of a Polish variety of English. The findings underscore the need to adapt teaching methodologies to better address the specific challenges faced by learners. The study concludes that while the emergence of a Polish English variety remains speculative, acknowledging and addressing such linguistic interference could enhance both our understanding of language evolution and language instruction practices. Future research should incorporate more interactive tasks and larger samples to further investigate these phenomena and compare findings across different linguistic contexts.

Keywords: World Englishes, varieties of English, Expanding Circle, linguistic interference, L2 English, native language influence

Author Biography

Mateusz Urbaniak, State University of Applied Sciences, Krosno, Poland

Mateusz Urbaniak is an undergraduate student of English Philology and Translation Studies at the State University of Applied Sciences in Krosno, Poland. His primary areas of interest include translation of classical literary works and the problem of translatability of idiomatic expressions and proverbs. His academic endeavours revolve around English, German, Polish and Portuguese languages, in which he demonstrates varying levels of proficiency. He also aspires to explore the work of a translator from multiple perspectives and to establish himself in a field that is being increasingly menaced by advancements in AI technology.

Downloads

Published

2025-01-30

Issue

Vol. 11 No. 1 (2025): Proceedings from the 8th Global Issues Conference

Section

Global Issues Conference Proceedings

License

The Global Partners in Education Journal (the “Publisher”) and the Author(s) agree as follows:

1. Author(s) hereby grant to Publisher all right, title, and interest in and to the Work, including copyright to all means of expression by any method now known or hereafter developed, including electronic format. If Publisher does not publish the Work within two (2) years of the Effective Date, copyright shall revert back to the Author. Publisher agrees to always credit Author(s) as the author(s) of the Work.

2. Publisher hereby grants Author a royalty-free, limited license for the following purposes, provided the Work is always identified as having first been published by Publisher.
    • The right to make and distribute copies of all or part of the Work for use in teaching;
    • The right to use all or part of the material contained in the Work in a book by the Author(s), or in a collection of the Author(s)’s work;
    • The right to use and distribute the Work internally at the Author(s)’s place of employment, and for promotion and any other non-commercial purposes;
    • The right to use figures and tables from the Work for any purpose;
    • The right to make presentations of material from the Work;
    • The right to use and distribute the Work on the Author(s)’s Web site and on the Author(s)’s university’s institute repository;
Such license shall be effective when the Work is first published in the Journal of Curriculum and Instruction.

3. The Author(s) represents and warrants that the Work: (a) is the Author(s)’s original work and that Author(s) has full power to enter into this agreement; (b) does not infringe the copyright or property right of another; (c) contains no materials which is obscene, libelous, defamatory or violates another’s civil right, right of privacy, or is otherwise unlawful; and (d) has not been previously published, in whole or in part. Author(s) shall indemnify and hold Publisher harmless against loss or expenses arising from breach of any such warranties.