Foreign accent as a phenomenon of oral speech in bilingual communication
The article deals with the idea of foreign accent, its scope and relevance in oral speech practice of a bilingual speaker. The social effect of English non-native accents in bilingual intercultural communication is brought into focus. The article discusses linguistic (phonetic) markers of accents and the effects of non-native English accents on listening comprehension in communication. The role of foreign accent markers in establishing non-native speakers’ national and social identity is stressed.