Understanding Accent Discrimination

• Accent bias leads to discrimination in housing, education, and employment, affecting individuals’ opportunities and perpetuating social inequalities.
• Experiencing accent bias can cause stress and self-esteem issues, leading to social isolation and professional setbacks for non-native speakers.
• Combating accent bias involves focusing on content over delivery, challenging personal prejudices, and promoting inclusive language and diversity training.

However subconsciously, people are commonly judged by how they speak.

After all, accents can reveal much about a person’s life, such as where they’re from, the people they hang around, and their socioeconomic status.

But accents, an important part of our rich global tapestry, can be subject to stereotypes that can lead to accent bias.

Such discrimination can result in unequal access to housing, education, employment, and more.

Keep reading for more about accent bias and ways to combat it, including accent neutralization.

What is an Accent?

An accent is how someone pronounces a language, particularly as it relates to a particular country, region, locality, or social class.

What is Accent Bias?

This is the proclivity to make assumptions about a person’s social class, competence, or intelligence-based entirely on their accent.

Accent bias frequently leads to unfair treatment that can affect access to areas such as employment.

These assumptions are particularly prevalent when the person’s accent differs from the area’s dominant one.

They can present themselves as judgment of the speaker’s intelligence, trustworthiness, or competence.

For example, a job candidate with a noticeable accent might be considered less intelligent or competent during an interview, despite their qualifications.

The same judgment is often made of offshore call center agents, many of whom speak with accents that are widely viewed as “too foreign” or “unpleasant.”

In turn, these agents are commonly subject to rude behavior by callers, leading to frustration all around.

That’s where accent neutralization, offered by Sanas.ai, can make a real difference.

Then there are property landlords who might be less likely to rent to someone who has a strong accent.

The Psychological and Social Effects of Accent Bias

It’s common for non-native speakers to feel frustration or shame when faced with accent bias.

As a result, they can experience stress and self-esteem issues that can hamper them in many ways, including socially and professionally.

For example, they may isolate themselves to avoid ridicule or opt to remain in the background of presentations and projects.

Ultimately, accent bias can lead individuals to prefer the accent associated with their own social groups, in addition to those they consider positively.

Minimizing Accent Bias

There are ways to minimize accent bias, including by focusing on content rather than delivery.

Instead of becoming distracted by a person’s accent, home in on the substance of their words and what they seek to convey.

It’s also important to look inward and challenge any preconceived ideas you may harbor toward those with non-native accents.

In addition, you can promote awareness by educating yourself and others about accent discrimination and its prospective unfavorable consequences.

Active listening is also key.

Practicing listening skills such as maintaining eye contact and demonstrating active engagement show respect for the speaker.

Another way to help minimize accent bias is to always use inclusive language when speaking to others, particularly at work.

And try to not make assumptions about a person’s background based on their accent.

Diversity training can also help. To heighten awareness of accent bias, companies should be certain to incorporate this form of prejudice in broader diversity training.

It’s true that accent bias is generally not as well-known as some other forms of prejudice, including gender, race, and religion.

However, it is real and can have far-reaching effects.

Fortunately, there are actions people can take to minimize such bias.