An Investigation of Pakistani English Speakers’ Perception about the relationship between Accent and Identity in English as a Lingua Franca Communication

Abstract

The aim of this qualitative inquiry is to investigate the relationship between accent and identity in English as lingua franca (ELF) communication from the perspective of second language (L2) speakers/ learners of English. Learners’ view point and overall orientation towards the learning process impacts the learners’ overall performance. Being a qualitative inquiry this research could not cover a large number of learners in its span. Ten English Students/ learners’ data about ELF communication experience was collected by semi- structured interviews at Karachi, Pakistan. The figures revealed a mix perception about the choice of accent in the participants: approximately 55% of the participants went for their natural accent, while about 45% of the participants chose British or American accents. This research is a small contribution to the little investigated relationship of accent and identity in EFL communication. It is recommended by the researchers that there is a need of conducting some quantitative studies seeking learners’ perceptions about language learning, which would cover divers and a large number of learns.