Revisiting US Undergraduate Perceptions of Non-native English Varieties: From Millennials to Generation Z.

This article examines changes in attitudes toward global English varieties among US undergraduate Generation Z students compared to Millennial cohorts, replicating and extending Lindemann's (2005) study. Using surveys and speech rating tasks, the study found that Generation Z participants generally hold more positive perceptions of non-native English varieties but are somewhat more critical of their own US English. Ratings of English varieties were moderately correlated with judgments of actual speakers' speech, particularly for social attributes like friendliness and pleasantness, though linguistic correctness judgments were more influenced by the speech itself. The findings suggest that increased racial and ethnic diversity, along with Generation Z's digital nativity, may contribute to more favorable attitudes toward global Englishes, highlighting the potential for fostering intercultural competence to improve social evaluations of non-native English speakers.