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Every One of Us Has an Accent

8/28/2018

2 Comments

 
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Being perceived as having or not having a certain accent has profound consequences. (Tweet it!) Preconceptions about accents can lead to discrimination in job interviews, performance evaluations and access to housing, to name just a few areas. According to linguist Roberto Rey Agudo of Dartmouth College, “Too often, at the hospital or the bank, in the office or at a restaurant — even in the classroom — we embrace the idea that there is a right way for our words to sound and that the perfect accent is one that is not just inaudible, but also invisible.” But as Professor Agudo also points out, “No one speaks without an accent.” (New York Times)

The “standard accent” in the United States—the one we tend to hear in the media—is still an accent. Perhaps one key difference is that the standard accent is never mocked, unlike many nonnative accents or American variants, such as Southern Drawl, Valley Girl, or New York “Fuhgedaboudit.”
 
Such judgments are purely social, says Agudo. “To linguists, the distinctions are arbitrary. However, the notion of the neutral, perfect accent is so pervasive that speakers with stigmatized accents often internalize the prejudice they face.”
 
What we all must remember is that accent by itself is a poor measure of language proficiency (the linguistic equivalent of judging a book by its cover). It does not reflect strength of vocabulary, or capability to provide detail or to hold one’s own in an argument. Instead, we should become aware of our linguistic biases and learn to listen more deeply before making judgments.
 
Do you think you have an accent, and how would you characterize it? Do you think you have ever, perhaps unwittingly, pre-judged anyone based on their accent? To join the conversation, click "comments" above.
 
If you would like to read more about creating a habit around masterful communication, check out our book: Be Quiet, Be Heard: The Paradox of Persuasion

2 Comments
Nancy
8/28/2018 10:53:48 am

The famous accent question! Do I hear an accent? Do you have an accent? Where is your accent from? Questions I hear every time I speak! Sometimes depending on how I stress the syllable in the word, the word gets repeated to me...You mean??? to which my response is usually...No I meant exactly what I said. Sometimes the response I get are...You are so eloquent! where did you learn to speak English? All because I have an accent that is different from theirs!

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Susan
8/29/2018 09:49:05 am

So your experience, Nancy, is that when people comment on your accent, it's more a put-down than a compliment? Research suggests it goes both ways. Peter, for example, is from Brooklyn and that accent is on the lower end of perceived intelligence:) His mother often corrected his speech by saying: "You sound so Brooklyn when you say that!" -- even though her Brooklyn accent was quite thick. Thanks for sharing your insights with our community.

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