We often make judgments about someone based on their accent, such as how old they are or where in the country they’re from. It’s common, too, for people to develop preferences for certain accents. All humans have these sorts of automatic associations and reactions, which are typically described as types of accent bias.
Please read the articles below and watch a video (Links to an external site.) created by Amy Walker, an actress, singer, and accent specialist, about bias in general accents. Then, attach a video (use Panopto) of yourself speaking for approximately two to three minutes addressing the following questions:
- What was intriguing/surprising in the video and in the articles?
- Do you think you have an accent?
- Have you ever felt judged for your accent or voice? If so, share your experience.
- Have you ever made assumptions about someone based on their accent or voice?
- Do you feel it’s important to help change the stigmas and assumptions associated with certain accents while honoring their uniqueness? If so, what can you do to help?