Embracing Accents in Language Learning
What is an Accent?
As a linguist and Italian teacher who speaks different foreign languages daily, I am a big supporter of a more inclusive and accurate view of accented speech.
For me, it is important to understand that an accent does not determine a person’s ability to communicate effectively.
It happened several time: living abroad, trying my best to communicate and convey my ideas in a foreign language, and yet being mistaken for ignorant.
Emphasizing intelligibility over accent reduction can help create a society that appreciates linguistic diversity. Not only does this mindset challenge unfair biases against accents, but it also enhances communication in foreign languages.
Something that I always tell my students when they are worried about speaking with an accent is: an accent is proof that you speak at least another language.
Accents and Intelligibility
There is often a misconception about the relationship between having an accent and being understood. Research has shown that heavily accented speech can still be perfectly clear.
These misunderstandings often arise from prosodic errors like rhythm, stress, or intonation, rather than from phonetic ones, therefore contradicting the common assumption that a heavy accent automatically leads to a lack of clarity in speech.
Also, research on second language learning suggests that accents should not be the primary focus in teaching programs, and recent developments in second-language speech assessment are now emphasizing a multidimensional approach to spoken language that goes beyond accents or pronunciation.
These insights should encourage educators and researchers to focus more on improving the clarity and comprehensibility of speech, rather than focusing on reducing accents.
Psychological and Social Implications of Accented Speech
What I find relevant about this topic is the social and psychological impact of accents. In my experience as a language teacher, I’ve seen many learners limiting their speaking because they feel embarrassed about their accents.
This fear inevitably lead them to self-imposed communication barriers, as they avoid speaking in certain situations to hide their accent.
Research shows that accents negatively affect social perceptions of foreign speakers: speakers with heavy accents are seen more negatively than those with mild accents because their speech requires more cognitive effort from listeners, which appears to provoke adverse emotional reactions.
These biases come from social categorization – the “us versus them” distinction – and processing fluency – the way people process language. Sadly, these two phenomena fuel each other, and I will now explain why.
People with an accent are often perceived less favorably. At the same time, people tend to engage less in conversations with those who have an accent because it objectively requires more mental effort to understand accented speech.
Overcoming Biases
If you want to learn Italian and are fearing speaking for these very reasons, trust me: there is no need to. Do not avoid speaking in certain situations to conceal your accent.
Being able to speak more languages is a remarkable skill and efforts to learn a foreign language should be recognized and celebrated, not only for the positive cognitive effects of multilingualism, but also for its contribution in society.
Here, I listed some practical strategies for you and other Italian learners to navigate these challenges and enhance your learning journey:
- Accept Your Accent: embrace your accent as a natural part of learning a new language. It reflects your unique linguistic journey and should be viewed as a sign of your multilingual capabilities rather than a flaw.
- Prioritize Clarity: focus on being clearly understood rather than sounding like a native speaker. Learn about common mispronunciations in Italian and work on improving your pronunciation, intonation, and stress.
- Work on Prosody: prosodic elements like rhythm, stress, and intonation are crucial for being understood. Pay attention to how native speakers use these features and try to incorporate them into your speech.
- Seek Feedback: embrace constructive criticism to identify areas for improvement while reinforcing aspects of your pronunciation that are already strong.
- Engage in Conversations: practice speaking in real-life situations as much as possible. Interact with native Italian speakers to become more comfortable with your accent and improve your overall communication skills.
- Stay Patient and Persistent: language learning is a gradual process that takes time and effort. Be patient with yourself and keep practicing. Celebrate small progress steps.
- Educate Your Listeners: understand that listeners may have biases against foreign accents. Use these moments to educate them about the benefits of multilingualism, fostering a more inclusive attitude towards accented speech.
- Maintain Confidence: believe in your language skills. Your willingness to learn and communicate in a new language is an achievement worth celebrating.
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.
