English language attitudes in Australia

Abstract This study investigates contemporary Australian attitudes toward a range of L1 and L2 English accents, building on prior research showing that standardised varieties are typically rated higher on status traits and non-standardised varieties are rated higher on solidarity. 138 Australian-born listeners rated audio stimuli from 12 male speakers representing 12 English L1 and L2 accents on seven attributes related to status, solidarity, and clarity. Results revealed a clear evaluative hierarchy: British RP was rated highest overall, General Australian was viewed positively across dimensions, while Broad Australian and L2 accents were rated more negatively. Contrary to past findings, Broad Australian did not show a solidarity advantage, suggesting sociolinguistic shifts in which General Australian now functions as both a status and solidarity norm. The persistence of negative evaluations for L2 English speakers underscores enduring accent-based biases in Australian society, with implications for equity in an increasingly multilingual context.