Within the sociolinguistic field of accent attitudes, it has often been shown that both native and non-native speakers show preference for certain accents, especially for native varieties. This ‘native speakerism’ can have a negative impact on second language speakers, as the stigmatisation they may experience can hinder their willingness to speak. The aim of this study was therefore to investigate accent attitudes of an English as a second language speaker group: Swedish L1 speakers of English, focusing on their attitudes towards their own English accents and their attitudes towards other Swedes’ English accents. The relationship between these attitudes were also examined. In doing so, the study drew on Standard Language Ideology and Social Identity Theory as the theoretical frameworks. In order to answer the research questions, data was collected through a questionnaire which collected 612 responses. Respondents’ answers were then quantified into descriptive and inferential statistics. The results showed that most respondents were positive towards their own and other Swedes’ English accents. However, there was a strong conformity to the Standard Language Ideology amongst the participating Swedes. The participants generally did not have a strong need to express their Swedish identity through their Swedish accents, which could also be attributed to the strong native norm. The results also showed that native norms were stronger in English L2 settings, while Swedish identity was more important for those living in a native English-speaking country. Finally, those who were positive towards Swedes’ English accents were more likely to value their Swedish identity, while those who were negative towards other Swedes’ English accents were themselves more likely to conform strongly to native norms.

The literature surrounding children's language attitudes has blossomed in recent years, but little is known about modern children's attitudes toward ethnic varieties of English. In addition, little is known about what factors may influence these attitudes. Here I investigate the language attitudes of children in kindergarten through third grade. These children in South Central Idaho have considerable experience with Spanish-accented English (SPE), but very little real-world experience with African American English (AAE). White, Latinx, and biracial participants were asked to evaluate samples of Standard American English (SAE), AAE, and SPE in relation to each other on scales of both status and solidarity. The status measure used a ladder task modified for children, and the solidarity task used a friendship-preference task and asked which variety the participant thought sounded like them. On the status task, children were more likely to rank SAE than SPE as the highest, and were more likely to rank SPE than SAE as the lowest. Native speakers of English were more likely than English language learners (ELLs) to rank SPE as the highest pick. Moreover, the reasons participants gave for their choices on the status task were found to be more positive and less negative for SAE than for either AAE and SPE. For the solidarity tasks, it was found that SAE was more likely to be chosen than both SPE and AAE as the variety that sounded like the participant, and ELLs responded similarly to native speakers. For the friendship-preference task, participants were more likely to choose SAE than AAE. Participants' race and grade level were not statistically significant factors for either the status or solidarity tasks. These findings add to the knowledge of the current state of American children's language attitudes and suggest that modern children have definite attitudes and beliefs about the different varieties, even varieties with which they have little real-world exposure. Additionally, this research confirms previous results that children prefer native, standard speakers to foreign-accented speakers as potential friends.