The study of foreign accents and their acceptance of native English speakers has become the favourite topic for this scale study. Therefore, the purpose is to find out if there are differences between the reactions of British and American English native-speakers towards foreign accents. An accent is linguistically known as “a method of pronouncing words common to a certain region. It can also refer to the stress on a certain syllable” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accent, cited 11th November 2005). Consequently, a foreign accent in a different language is a method of pronouncing words common to the speaker’s mother tongue. The British and American nationalities were chosen because they both have English as their first language. Thus, ten questionnaires were prepared which contain questions regarding the age, gender and nationality, whether the participants like or dislike foreign accents in general and their reactions to special foreign accents. Altogether, five British and five Americans of similar age and of equal distribution in terms of gender were asked to complete the questionnaire. The German, French and Indian accents were chosen because all three are very different regarding their intonation, rhythm and pronouncement and can therefore easily be differentiated.
Hence, the remainder of this scale study is divided into four sections, the procedure and the reasons behind the structure of the questionnaire, the results of British and Americans respondents including a comparison and analysis of the results, a discussion of the findings in relation to former research and finally, the conclusion.
Table of Contents
1. Procedure and reasons behind the structure of the questionnaire
2. Results of British and Americans respondents including a comparison and analysis of the results
3. Discussion of the findings in relation to former research
4. Conclusion
Objectives and Topics
The primary objective of this study is to investigate potential differences in how British and American native speakers of English react to various foreign accents, specifically focusing on German, French, and Indian accents.
- Comparison of British and American attitudes toward foreign accents.
- Analysis of perceived characteristics (e.g., precise, soft, rhythmic) of specific accents.
- The influence of demographic factors on accent perception.
- The role of exposure and familiarity in the acceptance of foreign accents.
- Methodological approach using questionnaires and comparative analysis.
Excerpt from the book
The five British participants were 26 to 45 years old and the majority likes foreign accents in English. Mostly the French and Indian accent is liked while the German accent is disliked by more than two respondents. In most cases similar adjectives are used to describe the reaction towards these three foreign accents. The German accent is often described as precise, hard, cold, strict and aggressive. This is completely contrary to the French accent which is characterized as soft, romantic, sexy and gentle. In almost the same way British respondents describe the Indian accent as soft and rhythmic. However, one participant describes this accent as difficult to understand. For the British respondents it was very important not to categorise the people behind these accents but to base their reactions only on the accents which obviously complies with the objectives of this scale study. Generally, other soft European accents are the ones mostly liked whereas African accents are disliked. To sum up the British participants in general like foreign accents in their language, some more some less. Undoubtedly they mostly have the same opinion regarding different foreign accents independent of their age or gender.
Summary of Chapters
1. Procedure and reasons behind the structure of the questionnaire: This chapter details the design of the survey, the selection of participants, and the methodology used to gather data on attitudes toward foreign accents.
2. Results of British and Americans respondents including a comparison and analysis of the results: This section presents the empirical findings from the British and American participant groups, highlighting similarities and differences in their reactions to the German, French, and Indian accents.
3. Discussion of the findings in relation to former research: This part contextualizes the study's results by comparing them with existing linguistic research, exploring factors like syllable stress and phonetic differences.
4. Conclusion: The concluding chapter summarizes the main study findings, acknowledging limitations such as the small sample size and suggesting directions for future research.
Keywords
Foreign accents, British English, American English, language perception, phonetics, intonation, questionnaires, native speakers, German accent, French accent, Indian accent, linguistic attitude, cross-cultural study, language acceptance, speech characteristics.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research?
The study investigates the reactions of British and American native English speakers toward various foreign accents to determine if there are significant differences in their attitudes.
What are the central thematic fields covered?
The research covers linguistic perceptions, the impact of phonetic differences on the listener's impression, and the sociological factors influencing how foreign accents are accepted in English-speaking nations.
What is the primary goal of the study?
The main goal is to identify whether British and American respondents differ in their preferences or repugnance toward specific accents like German, French, and Indian.
Which scientific method was applied?
The author utilized a questionnaire-based scale study, surveying a small group of British and American volunteers to gather qualitative and quantitative data.
What topics are discussed in the main body of the work?
The main body examines the survey structure, presents the comparative results between the two nationalities, discusses phonetic reasons for these perceptions, and relates the findings to previous academic research.
Which keywords best describe this research?
Key terms include foreign accents, linguistic attitude, native speakers, phonetics, British English, and American English.
Why were the German, French, and Indian accents specifically selected?
These accents were chosen because they exhibit highly distinct intonation, rhythm, and pronunciation patterns, making them easily distinguishable for the survey participants.
What did the author conclude regarding gender and age influence?
Within the scope of this small-scale study, no significant differences were found in the reactions of participants based on their gender or age.
How does the author explain the "hard" sound perception of the German accent?
The author suggests this perception potentially results from specific phonetic features, such as the use of voiced stops and the pronunciation of "qu" clusters.
- Quote paper
- Nicole Brand (Author), 2005, Reactions to foreign accents in the English language, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/49142
