Judgement in the perception of foreign accents
Do you speak or are you learning a foreign language? Then I bet you have limited your speaking to hide your accent at least once in your life.
Psychological and social impact of accents
In my teaching experience, I often observe the challenges that learners face due to their accents, which lead to a self-imposed block in speaking. These biases are deeply rooted in social categorization and processing fluency: social categorization fosters in-group/out-group distinctions, leading to foreign-accented individuals being evaluated less favorably on social metrics. This is negatively reinforced by processing fluency, which refers to the cognitive effort required to understand accented speech.
Studies have shown that accents can adversely affect how foreign speakers are judged on social dimensions. Experiments reveal that speakers with heavy accents are seen more negatively than those with mild accents because their speech is harder for listeners to process and triggers more negative affective reactions.
The misunderstanding of accents and intelligibility
From my research and teaching experience, I found that the relationship between accent and intelligibility is often misunderstood, and scientific evidence confirms this. In fact, contrary to common belief, heavily accented speech can be perfectly intelligible. Possible misunderstandings arise more from prosodic errors e.g. intonation, rhythm or pauses, rather than phonetic ones, as the former affect intelligibility more. This challenges the common assumption that strong accents necessarily lead to low intelligibility.
Second language studies also show that accent itself should be a secondary concern: although non-native utterances require more processing time, they do not inherently correlate with increased difficulty in understanding. Moreover, second language speech evaluation has evolved recently, emphasizing the focus on multiple dimensions of speech rather than mere accents and pronunciations.
These findings highlight the importance of addressing biases against accented speech and recognizing the complex interplay between social perceptions and cognitive processing. Educators and researchers should focus on improving intelligibility and comprehensibility rather than reducing accent to better support second language learners.
Advice for educational practitioners
It is now clear that accents play a significant role in shaping the psychological and social experiences of language learners, especially due to biases that can deeply impact their learning path. This is particularly true for children and within educational settings.
The previously mentioned in-group/out-group dynamics often lead to reduced confidence, fear of judgment, and a reluctance to participate in class. Educational professionals should be aware of these negative effects on students’ self-esteem and take proactive steps to prevent them.
One way practitioners could do this is by promoting classroom practices that celebrate linguistic diversity. For example, teachers might encourage students to share their unique linguistic backgrounds and experiences, reinforcing the idea that having an accent is a “badge of multilingual capabilities” rather than a flaw.
EPs, in their work, might also address the common misunderstanding between accent and intelligibility, as discussed in the previous section. A strong accent does not necessarily lead to unclear speech, as it is not phonetic errors that affect intelligibility, but prosodic ones.
EPs can promote a more effective approach to language teaching by educating teachers to:
- Prioritise intelligibility over accent reduction
- Focus speech interventions on prosodic features such as rhythm, stress, and intonation
- Shift the focus from accent reduction to intelligibility enhancement and overall communication skills,
- Develop assessment criteria that prioritize comprehensibility over accent.
These interventions would help foster inclusive environments where all accents are respected, and would create an equitable environment where multilingual learners feel valued and supported.
Practical support for students is also crucial, both in and outside educational environments. Practitioners have the important role of encouraging students to embrace their accents and focus on effective communication. By teaching students to handle accent bias, young people can be empowered to navigate social situations more effectively and feel proud of their multilingual identity, reducing anxiety and building confidence.
A final but crucial action step EPs can take is educating the broader school community about the value of multilingualism, in order to foster empathy and inclusion regarding accents. EPs can work with school leadership to create policies that support linguistic diversity and encourage peer education programs to promote understanding and appreciation of different accents. In doing so, we can move towards a more inclusive society that celebrates linguistic diversity and reduces unjustified biases towards accented speech.
Practical advice for language learners
As a linguist and Italian tutor – as well as daily foreign languages speaker – I am committed to promoting a more inclusive and accurate perspective on accented speech. I believe it is crucial to recognize that a person’s accent does not define their communicative competence: fostering environments that value intelligibility over accent reduction can help create a society that appreciates linguistic diversity. Not only does this approach help mitigate unjustified biases, but it also enhances the effectiveness of foreign-language communication.
A sentence that I love repeating to my students who fear speaking is “accent is proof that you speak at least another language”. Efforts in learning a foreign language should be noticed and appreciated, which is why I have listed some advice to help language learners navigate these challenges and enhance their learning experience:
- Embrace your accent
Having an accent is a natural part of language learning. It reflects your unique linguistic background and should be seen as a badge of your multilingual capabilities rather than a flaw. - Focus on intelligibility
Prioritise being understood over sounding like a native speaker. Research shows that even heavily accented speech can be perfectly intelligible. For instance, I often provide my Italian students with a list of the most mispronounced Italian words to improve their pronunciation skills, intonation, and stress patterns. - Practice prosody
Prosodic features, like rhythm, stress, and intonation, are crucial for intelligibility. Pay attention to how native speakers of your target language use these elements and try to incorporate them into your speech. - Seek constructive feedback
Asking for constructive feedback helps you identify specific areas to improve while reinforcing the aspects of your pronunciation that are already good. - Engage in real conversation
Practice in real-life situations as much as possible. Engaging in conversations with native speakers will help you become more comfortable with your accent and improve your overall communication skills. - Be patient and persistent
Language learning is a gradual process that requires time and effort. Be patient with yourself and practice your speaking skills. Celebrate your progress, no matter how small. - Educate others
Listeners may have biases against foreign accents. Use these opportunities to educate them about the value of multilingualism. Your perspective can help foster a more inclusive attitude towards accented speech. - Maintain your confidence
Maintain confidence in your language abilities. Your willingness to learn and communicate in a new language is a significant achievement.
Remember, the goal is effective communication, not perfection. Your unique accent is part of your identity and contributes to the richness of global linguistic diversity.
References
Dragojevic, M., Giles, H., Beck, A. C., & Tatum, N. T. (2017). The fluency principle: Why foreign accent strength negatively biases language attitudes. Communication monographs, 84(3), 385-405.
Foucart, A., Costa, A., Morís‐Fernández, L., & Hartsuiker, R. J. (2020). Foreignness or processing fluency? On understanding the negative bias toward foreign‐accented speakers. Language Learning, 70(4), 974-1016.
Munro, M. J., & Derwing, T. M. (1999). Foreign accent, comprehensibility, and intelligibility in the speech of second language learners. Language learning, 49, 285-310.
