All English Accents Matter

Orelus' valuable study draws on the scholarly work of sociocultural and postcolonial theorists, as well as testimonies collected from study participants, to explore accentism, the systemic form of discrimination against speakers whose accents deviate from a socially constructed norm. Orelus examines the manner in which accents are acquired and the effects of such acquisition on the learning and educational experiences of linguistically and culturally diverse students. He goes on to demonstrate the ways and the degree to which factors such as race, class, and country of origin are connected with nonstandard accent-based discrimination. Finally, this book proposes alternative ways to challenge and counter the accentism that minority groups, including linguistically and culturally diverse groups, have faced in schools and in society at large. It will be of interest to all of those concerned with linguistic/accent-based prejudice and the experience of those who face it.

Do You Like the Way Your English Accent Sounds? How you sound in English matters. Research shows this very clearly. Native speakers judge people with clear, easy to understand accents as proficient in English (even if in reality they're only beginners). On the other hand, they judge people whose accents are hard to understand as being low-level (Even if they're

Adopting a central theme of variability, the book explores different aspects of native and non-native accents of English. The dominating perspective is that of a non-native speaker, although – as argued by some contributors – the very distinction between native and non-native English may need to be redefined. As the debate on the pronunciation of English as a lingua franca continues, this volume presents well-focused studies investigating the acquisition and use of the sound system by native and non-native speakers, problems with the choice and variability in pronunciation models and pedagogical aspects of pronunciation instruction. The issue of accents calls for a comprehensive approach; this book aims to provide such a broad perspective, based on expertise and experience of the contributors, who are specialist in linguitics, applied linguitics, phonetics, phonology and ESL. The book is divided into three parts. Part one discusses complex conditioning of production and perception of native and non-native accents. It contains acoustic and auditory studies investigating the effect of such independent variables as identity, L1 or contextual factors on the elements of the sound system. Part two links the accent variability studies to the pedagogical context by presenting problems with the pronunciation model, its choice and variability. The main focus of part three is on pronunciation teaching: papers presented in this section report on the methods and results of phonetic instruction in different settings.

This collection highlights new perspectives on the work of Erving Goffman, revisiting his place in contemporary social theory and interactional linguistics research and its impact in surfacing new insights in conversation analysis and our understanding of Goffman’s legacy. The volume outlines the theoretical foundations of Goffman’s research across linguistics and the social sciences. Bringing together a crossdisciplinary group of scholars, the book is organized around these themes, with sections on self and identity, participation, and bodily practices in social interaction. Each chapter comprises three perspectives— look back at Goffman’s original texts, their correlation in contemporary empirical research in conversation analysis, and a discussion of conceptual implications in relevant fields such as interactional sociolinguistics, linguistic anthropology, critical sociolinguistics, and related disciplines. Taken as a whole, the book not only offers a comprehensive critical overview of Goffman’s legacy in empirical work in conversation analysis and the social sciences but also the conceptual grounding for new studies to investigate his continuing role in contemporary scholarship. This innovative collection will be of interest to students and scholars in sociolinguistics, linguistic anthropology, and critical discourse analysis as well as sub-disciplines of sociology and psychology.

An analysis of accent in contemporary Britain.

Walsh, Caldwell and Jureidini offer an expansive linguistic perspective on the evaluative language prevalent in the world of professional sports. This book presents a close linguistic analysis of evaluative language in sport. Drawing on appraisal theory and data from three distinct sporting contexts – songs and chants in football stadiums, television commentary and coach discourse – it examines the critical role played by affectual, judgemental and appreciative language. In the spirit of sociolinguistics, this book also considers the history and culture of the respective sporting contexts. Connections are made between the evaluative language expressed by supporters, commentators and coaches and the invocation of power and solidarity. Evaluative Language in Sports gives insight into some of the key language practices that contribute to professional sports culture: a communal and combative world of winners and losers, ‘us and ‘them’. An innovative and valuable book that will appeal to students, researchers and sports enthusiasts interested in sports communication and language, sociolinguistics and media studies.

Drawing on a corpus of 113 narratives told by migrant workers who have returned to their home country, Ladegaard details Indonesian and Filipina (domestic) migrant workers’ experiences of homecoming after years of work abroad, separated from their loved ones. The narratives deal with two major themes: 1) Migrant workers’ experiences in the diaspora, which for many, particularly Indonesian workers, were associated with abuse and exploitation leading to trauma; and 2) migrant workers’ experiences of coming home, which include both the happy reunion with the family but also concerns about not ‘fitting in’ and the need to reinvent themselves because they are not who they were when they left. This is particularly true for workers whose migratory journeys have failed and who have come back to their hometowns without any financial award. Chapters also explore the major difference between Filipina and Indonesian migrant workers’ overseas experiences. The Filipina returnees share mostly positive stories while the Indonesian returnees uncover mostly negative stories, further illuminating what may explain these diverse migratory experiences. Finally, the book discusses how research on disenfranchised groups like (domestic) migrant workers can be used for social and political action. An excellent text that will appeal to academics, teachers and postgraduate students in the humanities and social sciences, particularly in sociolinguistics, applied linguistics, intercultural communication, anthropology, and migration studies.

The first comprehensive study of how English is pronounced by different people in different places. It provides an integrated and unified framework for existing scholarly treatments of regional forms of speech and makes many original contributions to the field.