Variation and Learner Language Awareness: the Case of Moroccan EFL Students

The paper addresses variation from an educational perspective. It aims to determine which varieties of English, British or American, are used by Moroccan EFL learners (MEFLLs), whether this usage is conscious, and the relationship between teaching practices and the development of learner language awareness. To this end, a questionnaire and a test were administered to 54 Moroccan undergraduate EFL students from Mohamed V University, Rabat. The results show that MEFLLs use a mixture of British English and American English and that theyhave a limited language awareness as to what features distinguish each variety in comparison with the other. The findings provide corroboration for the adoption of the Language Awareness Approach to English language teaching which emphasizes the role of explicit knowledge in language learning and teaching.