This week I read a very interesting article on the San Jose Mercury News website. The article, titled, "How Accents Define Us" (http://www.mercurynews.com/search/ci_5672461), discussed how the various accents of non-native speakers of English can result in various social problems, as well as in discrimination. In the Silicon Valley, the technology industry has brought together many people of different cultural and linguistic backgrounds. Thus the only common language is English. However, many non-native speakers of English retain an accent from their native language. This can lead to difficulties in communication, as well as job discrimination.
The article explains that native speakers of English often associate accents with their own cultural biases. For example the movie star Antonio Bandares has a "sexy latin accent", while the Vietnamese restaurant owner has a "a rude and obnoxious accent". In the same way, a Japanese store owner may refuse service to a foreigner, regardless of that persons ability to speak Japanese, because of that person's own bias towards foreigners (this has actually happened to me before). I think sometimes people use language ability and accents to break off communication too afraid or too lazy. This article shows how our cultural perceptions can effect cross cultural communication even when speaking a common language. It is also an important reminder of how stereotypes can lead to discrimination.
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4 comments:
Hi, Rolf. This is my first time to make coments on your blog.
As you know, Japanese people have accents like Japanese when they speak English. Actually, I do have terrible accents from my language,lol. When I was in U.S, my friends, especially my roommate, used to meke fun of me when I sound 'r'. haha Do you think non-native speakers should improve their accents like native speaker's? I personally think it's interesting that they have their native accents when they speak English or other languages. I think that accepting their accents is good start to have good cross cultural communication. Hope my English make sense, lol
I think there is a big difference between having an accent and being not understandable. I think its important to work at being more clear and concise when you speak a foreign language. But I think its also important for people to work hard to understand people even if they have an accent. People sometimes break off communication simply because they hear an accent. So I agree that acceptance is a key to having effective communication.
It is often said that Japanese speak " Japanese-English", butit is natural!! I think it is important to try to communicate with and understand people. However, I really want to speak English like native people! I'll try hard to speak English more naturally. I think it is one of the good idea to identify with the native English speaker☆ It'll be a plus factor!!
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