Does Accent Define Identity (original) (raw)
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Foreign Accent, Identity and Accent Discrimination: A Literature Review
International Journal of Language Academy, 2023
This review paper aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the relationship between foreign accent, identity, accent discrimination, and second language acquisition (SLA). In this regard, the paper first examines the concepts of interlanguage and transfer, ongoing debates of nativeness and intelligibility principles as sound goals for language learning and teaching environments, and current perspectives on accent reduction, as well as the position of foreign accent in SLA. The next section introduces accent as an identity marker and discusses this concept, followed by an examination of the social dimensions of foreign accent and how it can affect identity formation. This includes discussions of how native and non-native speakers, and their foreign accents, are perceived by others in different contexts, the effects of foreign accents on NNSs' social experiences, sense of belonging, and their attitudes towards NS varieties. Then, accent discrimination and bias, particularly native listeners' perceptions of non-native speech, reported instances from employment situations, legal responsibilities and consequences involved are discussed based on the findings of reports and empirical studies. The paper also emphasizes the necessity of a more nuanced understanding of foreign accent and its role in language learning, as well as the importance of addressing the social dimensions of accent in language pedagogy. The study concludes with pedagogical implications of accent-related queries and ideas for further research.
CALA 2019 - Paper 12-1 - Methodology in Accent Perception Studies: A Review
The CALA 2019 Proceedings, 2019
Research in the field of Language Attitudes and Social Perceptions have proven associations between a speaker’s accent, and listener’s perceptions of various aspects of their identity – intelligence, socio-economic background, race, region of origin, friendliness, etc. This paper seeks to critically analyze the methodology and theories in the field of accent perception through a review of existing research literature across various disciplines that have studied it. After reviewing Social Identity Theory, Prototype theory, and theories regarding Ethnolinguistic identity, it points out various knowledge gaps and limitations of methodologies previously used. It then studies the implications for future research, in various domains, proposing a new theoretical paradigm using mixed methods studies. Keywords: accent, social perception, multicultural environments, verbal communication, social cognition, interdisciplinary studies
The Role of Attitudes and Identity from Nonnative Speakers of English towards English Accents
English as International Language Journal, 2009, 110-128
The present study looks at role of attitudes and identity from nonnative speakers (NNSs) of English from Indonesia, Malaysia, China, Korea and Iran towards their English accents and of other NNSs concerning their English accents and how the results fit into Jenkins’ (2005) ideas of lingua franca English which focused on their attitudes to identification with NNS and native speaker (NS) English accents, their perceptions of others’ attitudes and identification, and their beliefs about teaching these accents. From the ten participants, six of them are English teachers or tutors while four are non English teachers. The results of this study suggest that two participants did not like their own accents, while eight of them did not have any problems with theirs. Five participants favored the British English accents while others prefer the American and Scottish English accents; one even chose to like her own NNS English accent. Regarding other group’s accents; four participants accepted th...
Journal of World Languages , 2018
The study examines perceptions of nonnative speakers (NNSs) of English toward accented speech and its relation with identity from the perspective of English as an international language (EIL). The data were collected from 51 Iranian EFL learners by means of questionnaires and interviews. The findings revealed the participants' considerable uncertainty concerning the relationship between accent and socioeconomic and educational status as well as their reluctance to display their L1 identity through L1-accented speech. Furthermore, the results indicated that the participants are highly appreciative of NS accent, hold negative stereotypes of NNS accents and judge NNSs unfavorably. They exhibited a marked tendency to sound similar to NSs, regarding them as the best model of English accent to follow. The participants' negative evaluations of NNSs' accents of English are evidence of the dominance of Inner Circle speakers' norms among the Expanding Circle speakers with implications for learning and teaching English as an international language.
A Short note on Accent–bias, Social Identity and Ethnocentrism
Advances in Language and Literary Studies
This paper discusses the interrelations among accent-based biases, social identity and ethnocentrism. Construction of social identity creates a set of ethnocentric values within a person, which indirectly or directly plays a pivotal role in generating accent related biases. Starting with Tajfel’s (1959) social identity theory and then the discussion of ethnocentrism, accent related biases have a long documented origin, development and consequences. People construct their social identity based on numerous variables and then their in-group and out-group memberships are established. Ethnocentrism, as a variable, influences listeners’ accent perception and subsequent judgment regarding their perceived accent. The degree of ethnocentrism is related to speakers’ potential accent biases. As legal safeguard against accent related biases is absent, active resistance and awareness-initiation are expected from speech language pathologists and the concerned community in general. Role of trainin...
Schumann’s (1986) Acculturation Model recognizes accent as a means of language learners’ identification with either their mother tongue (MT) culture or the target language (TL) culture which will consequently affect the learners’ language learning effort. Taking up a critical stance, the present study, thus, aimed to examine the role that learners’ attitudes and beliefs play in their adoption of MT (i.e., Persian) culture or TL (i.e., English) culture while speaking in the TL in an instructed foreign language context. The triangulated data were elicited from a number of 213 Iranian male elementary EFL learners, aged 12 to 19 years using a questionnaire consisting of both close-ended and open-ended questions, focus-group interviews and class observations. The questionnaire and the interview questions required the participants to voice their opinions freely regarding the accent they assumed and preferred when using the target language and the reasons for their preferences and the class observations focused on the participants’ reactions to MT-accented as well as TL speech of their peers. The findings revealed that 81.3% of the participants displayed strong preferences for the TL accent (i.e., English) while only 18.7% of the participants privileged speaking English with their MT accent. The rationale for the TL accent preference was found to be composed of nine categories of reasons with ‘intelligibility’, ‘beauty and effectiveness of TL accent’, and ‘resemblance to native speakers and avoidance of mockery’ cited as the most primary reasons. On the other hand, the major reason for assuming a MT accent was to reveal one’s identity through the MT accent. The study therefore highlighted the strong inclination among EFL learners to acculturate into the TL culture through assuming its accent.
Journal of Language and Social Psychology, 2019
Nonnative-accented speakers face prevalent discrimination. The assumption that people freely express negative sentiments toward nonnative speakers has also guided common research methods. However, recent studies did not consistently find downgrading, so that prejudice against nonnative accents might even be questioned at first sight. The present theoretical article will bridge these contradictory findings in three ways: (a) We illustrate that nonnative speakers with foreign accents frequently may not be downgraded in commonly used first-impression and employment scenario paradigms. It appears that relatively controlled responding may be influenced by norms and motivations to respond without prejudice, whereas negative biases emerge in spontaneous responding. (b) We present an integrative view based on knowledge on modern forms of prejudice to develop modern notions of accent-ism, which allow for predictions when accent biases are (not) likely to surface. (c) We conclude with implica...
The Perception of Accent in Nonnative Speakers of English: A Case of Identity
2018
Why is there a hierarchical structure for the acquisition and instructing of the English language? Why are some forms of English pronunciation (namely RP) still considered superior, better or just preferred? Is it prestige? Is it a marketing strategy? Is there research analysis to support this insight? The perception persists that native speakers of English are superior or default better teachers of the language than non-native speakers of English. The reality is a completely different story. Research has clearly demonstrated that competency and fluency in the target language, combined with refined pedagogical skills are the keys to success when instructing in a second language (Braine, 2010). The focus of this research is to explore non-native English teachers’ perceptions of their own accent in their professional development as educators, and what repercussions these self-concepts have in their quest for meaningful employment and personal growth. Sixty-five non-native Pedagogia e...
Social and linguistic stereotyping: a cognitive approach to accents
2001
Since the early 1960s, labels such as social markers and markers of social identity have been used to explain the findings of a large number of sociolinguistic quantitative studies. Recently, also the notion of linguistic stereotyping has appeared in a few works on accents, ideology and identity. This article examines the languageidentity link from the point of view of Social Identity Theory and Prototype Theory. Special attention will be given to the notion of stereotyping, a central issue in Social Psychology. The hypothesis is that if we consider both the cognitive process of accentuation and the cognitive model of metonymy to be operative also on the level of accentual features, we shall come closer to an understanding of how and why accents may be socially diagnostic: a combination of both processes will enable language users to establish links between linguistic features and social identities in rapid,