The aim of this study is to investigate language attitudes of Japanese university students towards native and non-native varieties of English, and the relationship between their attitudes and stereotypes. First the author examines previous studies concerning native and non-native speakers' attitudes toward English and varieties of English, including studies conducted in Japan. Next, the author describes the present study which employed the matched-guise technique and a questionnaire survey of 215 university students. The results indicate that language attitudes are related to the learners' stereotypes of varieties, and that learners have stereotypes of varieties. Moreover, the results seemed to indicate that the formation of stereotypes is influenced by the environments in which English is used in Japan and the tendency of Japanese learners to revere English spoken by 'native speakers.'

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