A person’s accent refers to a specific set of pronunciation features such as the articulation of vowels and consonants or the production of speech melody or cadence. As Lippi-Green aptly put it, a speaker's accent marks them “as someone from someplace else” (p. 45). Whether they speak their mother tongue or an additional language learned later in life, everyone speaks with an accent. In most daily situations, as we encounter family, friends, colleagues, and strangers in work and public spaces, we are surrounded by a rich tapestry of diverse accents. However, in many situations, including the workplace, accented speakers – especially those who speak with various regional and second language accents – are often perceived as less credible, competent, or intelligent compared to speakers of "standard" accents. As a community of language researchers and teachers, we wish to document and appreciate the diversity of language accents. We also work to understand why accent bias takes place and find ways to mitigate it.
We are a team of Canadian language researchers and teachers with a deep interest in speech accents. We represent a broad range of languages, experiences, and skills but we share a focus on promoting the appreciation of accent diversity and minimizing accent bias and discrimination in society. [meet the team]
As anyone who has looked for a job can tell you, finding one isn't the easiest process. This experience can be even more challenging if you're new to a country and speak with what is perceived to be a “foreign” accent. An accent can often impact how we are viewed and judged by others. [read more]
Tout le monde s’accorde pour dire que la recherche d’emploi n’est jamais simple. Cette expérience peut s’avérer d’autant plus difficile pour les personnes immigrantes qui ont un accent. Un accent peut souvent avoir une incidence sur la façon dont les autres nous perçoivent et nous jugent.
Dans les grandes métropoles, les citoyens sont depuis longtemps exposés à différentes cultures et langues. Au quotidien, ils y côtoient des gens de plusieurs origines. Ce contexte multiculturel change également le visage du monde du travail. Les candidats ayant des accents étrangers arrivent-ils à se frayer un chemin vers les emplois au même titre que les personnes francophones ou anglophones? [plus de détails]
Canada is one of the world's top immigration hubs, welcoming more than 400,000 people annually. Following this large immigrant influx, human resource professionals are seeing more foreign-born candidates in their applicant pools than ever before. Despite often having the appropriate education, training, and varied experience, foreign-born candidates are commonly considered less valuable on the job market by virtue of speaking with an accent. [read more]
An accent is a specific set of pronunciation features associated with a particular geographic region or previously learned languages. Everyone speaks with an accent, even in their first language.
A dialect includes all aspects of speech associated with a particular region. While pronunciation is one aspect of dialectal speech (ie, a regional accent), dialects also include particular vocabulary and grammar. Dialects can be written or spoken.
“Foreign accent” and “nonnative accent” suggest that the person’s accent is flawed or “imperfect” and that the person should aim for a “native” standard. “Second language accent” is more inclusive and avoids labeling speakers as outsiders or deficient.
A person's accent can tell us where the person is from, where they grew up, where they have lived. In many parts of the world, accents also provide information about social class, with marked differences between more and less “posh” accents. Accents don't reveal many things about a person including their abilities, intelligence, or character.
There is no such thing as a "better" accent. However, speakers of some accents, including second language accents, enjoy more privilege in certain places. For example, in North America, second language speakers of English whose accents suggest that they come from countries like France or Germany may experience more privilege than speakers whose accents indicate that they come from India. This is based on person- and context-specific social evaluations and has nothing to do with the accent itself.
No accent is in itself more difficult to understand—this always depends on the listener. We sometimes perceive some accents as harder to understand than others because they are more distant from the pronunciation that we expect for a given word or language. Therefore, the more familiar we are with an accent, the easier it is for us to understand it, because our brains learn what to expect very quickly.
Most people will speak a second language with an accent, and accent reduction programs are generally ineffective at reducing second language accents.
Speaking with a relatively strong accent does not necessarily make a person less understandable. A speaker's comprehensibility can be reduced if they produce many dysfluencies such as hesitations or if they emphasize the wrong syllable in a word. Grammar and vocabulary errors can also lead to reduced understanding. It is recommended that speakers focus on these factors as opposed to trying to get rid of their accents.
In general, it becomes easier to understand second language accents with more practice. This includes spending time listening to and interacting with a range of speakers.
In general, a person's accent is not associated with their proficiency in their second language. A person can be a highly proficient user of a second language and still speak it with a heavy accent.
We would encourage employers to consider the types of scenarios in which the individual will need to perform and potentially assess their ability to do the relevant tasks successfully. A general language test provides relatively little information about how well someone will perform their job.