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Part of
Pragmatics of Accents
Edited by Gaëlle Planchenault and Livia Poljak
[Pragmatics & Beyond New Series 327] 2021
► pp. 229–244

In the ear of the beholder

How ethnicity of raters affects the perception of a foreign accent

| University of Alberta, Canada
| University of Alberta, Canada
| University of Alberta, Canada

In the present study, we tested whether a foreign accent activated different stereotypes, depending on the listener. Here, we explore whether ethnicity of a rater affects the perceived intelligence of a doctor speaking English with a Chinese accent vs. a doctor speaking English with a standard Canadian accent. As predicted, the results show an interaction between the ethnicity of the rater and the accent of the doctor: Chinese Canadians attributed lower intelligence to a doctor speaking with a Chinese accent than with a standard accent and, conversely, English Canadians perceived both doctors to be highly intelligent – which is consistent with previous research. We finally discuss how these stereotypes might be related to bias and interpersonal relations.

Keywords: foreign accents, stereotypes, prejudice, Chinese Canadians
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Methods: Evaluating the perception of a Chinese accent in a medical environment
    • Participants
    • Materials
    • Procedure
    • Analysis
  • 3.Results: A main effect of ethnicity in rating intelligence
  • 4.Discussion: Effects of stereotypes and accents on out-groups
    • Limitations and future directions
  • 5.Conclusion
  • References
  • Appendix
Published online: 11 October 2021
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/pbns.327.10set
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