British or American English in Serbia, or both?

Abstract

It is the fact that English can well be regarded the lingua franca of the world that gathers linguists and other experts related to language learning and teaching to discuss the issue. Since the language, by its nature, is liable to modifications and changes due to numerous factors, there appears to be mutual interrelations and overlaps of not only different languages but also varieties within a single language. The two most prominent varieties of English, i.e. American and British, influence other languages but one another as well. That is the reason why the authors of this work conducted research in Serbia to determine how these changes affect foreign learners themselves. Consequently, we obtained some inevitable results, such as the fact that the highest percentage of the examined participants 'mix' the varieties, but also some unexpected ones, such as those that there was quite a discrepancy between teachers' view on the variety they use and the actual 'outcome' in the assessment sheet. Finally, we will conclude that this occurrence seems natural if we take into account an enormous impact of the media in today's information society, but also draw attention to the need of being consistent in using one specific variety.