Have you ever been mistaken for
being from somewhere you’re not
based on your voice?
Or, have you ever tried to
put on an accent (successfully
or not)?
Was this in order to tell a more
compelling story, have a laugh
- or perhaps it was an
attempt to try to fit in
with a particular community?
These sorts of situations show
that our accents play a crucial
role in how we
perform our identity,
as well as how we’re
perceived by others.
Many aspects of our identity:
from where we grew up,
to our cultural background,
or our sexuality,
can be expressed and
perceived through our speech.
The connection between
our voices and who we are
has long been a focus of
study for sociolinguists.
Together in this
four-week course,
we’ll explore different accents,
people’s attitudes toward them,
and how accents relate to
the expression of identity.
I very much hope
you can join us.
