1887
Volume 25, Issue 1
  • ISSN 0155-0640
  • E-ISSN: 1833-7139
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Abstract

Some previous studies (eg Watson, 1978; Collins, 1979) have found that while Australian teachers are sensitive to traditional prescriptions such as the use of rather than in object function, and rather than Australian students accept language variation more readily. This paper aims to examine whether Australian teachers nowadays still display more conservative attitudes towards disputable usages than their students. Data were collected via several elicitation tests. In the first survey, 34 Australian English teachers and 54 Australian high school students were invited to participate in a judgement test. In the second survey, 73 Australian teachers and 207 Australian students were presented with a slot-filling test and a proofreading test. The findings showed considerable differences between teachers and students towards disputable usages. Australian teachers had a higher tendency to reject and replace items such as and dangling participles. This suggests that tolerance diminishes with involvement in teaching.

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2002-01-01
2025-04-27
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