EXPLORING UNIVERSITY STUDENTS’ RESPONSE TOWARDS VARIETIES OF ENGLISH AS INTERNATIONAL LANGUAGE (EIL)

This study explores university students’ responses toward varieties of English within the English as an International Language (EIL) framework, with a focus on pronunciation. Using a quantitative method, data were collected through a Likert-scale questionnaire adapted from Candan and Inal (2020) and distributed to English Education students at University of Muhammadiyah Malang. The findings highlight students’ awareness of the importance of pronunciation for effective communication, with varying responses to native and non-native English accents. While many students accept diverse varieties of English, native-speaker pronunciation remains a common reference point. Classroom environments and exposure to different accents play a role in shaping student responses. These results reflect a growing openness toward the global nature of English while pointing to areas where pedagogical strategies can support more inclusive pronunciation practices.