The Influence of Accents in Communication
Over 7,000 languages exist worldwide, with English being one of the most commonly used with 1.5 billion speakers globally. However, the numerous English accents make it difficult for speakers to understand one another. This raises the question: How influential are accents in communication?
Shrek Accent Example
The animated film Shrek features the lead character, Shrek, who initially had a thick Canadian accent. Actor Mike Meyers initially performed this accent, but decided to switch to a Scottish accent for the character’s better fit. This demonstrates how accents can change and be adapted in animated films.
Sign Language Accents
Unlike spoken languages, sign language has accents as well. In the United States, there are strong regional accents between Buffalo and Boston that differ from those of other states’ sign languages.
Technology’s Struggle with Accents
Voice recognition technology faces challenges due to people’s different accents. As a result, results can vary when using voice assistants such as Siri and Google Assistant.
Amaryllis Gardener and the Scottish Wikipedia Page
An American teenager named Amaryllis Gardner spent seven years creating or editing 49% of all articles on the Scottish Wikipedia using a made-up accent. Interestingly, few people noticed that something was amiss with the page until a linguistic expert pointed it out.
Vladimir Lenin’s Accent
Russian politician Vladimir Lenin spoke English with a strong Irish accent due to the teacher who taught him the language being from Ireland.
Transatlantic Accent
The transatlantic accent is a dialect halfway between British and American accents. It was commonly used by the elites in old American movies, but its significance today remains uncertain.
Foreign Accent Syndrome
Foreign accent syndrome is a rare speech disorder that hinders an individual’s ability to make sounds correctly. This often leads listeners to perceive the affected person as speaking with a foreign accent, despite it being their native one.
Accent and Trust
According to a study by the University of Chicago, people tend to judge the trustworthiness of others based on their accents. This is because accents can affect cognitive fluency and make it harder for humans to trust people they cannot easily understand.
Accents in the UK
In Britain, there are around 40 different accents, with Yorkshire, Geordie, Scouse, and Scottish being among the most popular ones. The Birmingham (Brummie) accent is perceived as the least intelligent, while the Yorkshire accent is considered the most intelligent.
Gary Oldman’s Accent Change
English actor Gary Oldman, famous for his versatile acting style, once forgot how to speak in his original English accent. He had to seek the help of a speech therapist to regain it.
Inborn Accent Mimicking
A study found that humans have an inbuilt urge to empathize and associate with people they are conversing with, causing them to unintentionally mimic other people’s accents when speaking.
English Actor Dick Van Dyke’s Cockney Accent in Mary Poppins
In the 1964 film Mary Poppins, actor Dick Van Dyke tried to communicate in a Cockney accent. However, his attempt was widely considered bad and something he blamed other actors for not being aware of their accents.
James Franco’s Accent Training
Before his acting career took off, actor James Franco worked at McDonald’s and practiced different accents with customers. This practical training has proven useful in his career.
