English in Argentina: Attitudes of MBA students

This paper addresses the issue of English in South America through the investigation of attitudes towards English by a group of MBA students in Argentina. To investigate their attitudes, a survey questionnaire was administered. Its analysis and the relationship between attitudes and the socio–political environment are explored in this paper. The findings suggest a close association between English and the job market, while they also indicate a lack of sociolinguistic awareness vis–à–vis non–native users of English elsewhere. As part of the discussion, I make connections between the historical moment of Argentina and the perceptions of the role of a world language such as English. The paper concludes with a call for a more conscientious inclusion of issues pertaining to the sociolinguistics of the global spread of English as part of the classroom curriculum.