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The way we speak — our accent and dialect — is one of the most immediate markers of our social identity. It signals where we are from, what social class we belong to, and often (rightly or wrongly) how educated, intelligent, and trustworthy we are perceived to be. This lesson examines linguistic prejudice, the research that exposes it, and the arguments for and against greater linguistic equality.
Linguistic prejudice (also called linguicism) is discrimination based on a person's language variety — their accent, dialect, or use of a minority language. Unlike other forms of prejudice (racism, sexism, homophobia), linguistic prejudice is widely regarded as socially acceptable. People who would never publicly express racial or gender prejudice will freely describe certain accents as "ugly," "stupid," "lazy," or "common."
Key Definition: Linguistic prejudice (linguicism) — discrimination against a person or group based on their language variety, accent, or dialect. The term was coined by Tove Skutnabb-Kangas (1988) on the model of "racism" and "sexism," to highlight that language-based discrimination is a form of social injustice.
The linguist Rosina Lippi-Green (2012, English with an Accent) argues that linguistic prejudice is one of the last socially acceptable forms of discrimination. While most people have learned not to make public judgements about others based on race, gender, or disability, they feel entirely comfortable making judgements based on accent:
These judgements are not about language at all — they are about the social groups associated with particular accents and dialects. When someone says that a Birmingham accent sounds "thick," they are expressing a prejudice about the people of Birmingham, not making a legitimate observation about phonology.
The most important research method for studying language attitudes is the matched guise technique, developed by Wallace Lambert and colleagues at McGill University in Montreal in 1960.
Key Definition: Matched guise technique (Lambert et al., 1960) — a research method in which the same speaker is recorded using different language varieties, and listeners rate the speaker on various personal qualities. It reveals language attitudes by controlling for individual speaker differences.
Lambert's original study investigated attitudes towards English and French in Montreal. He found that:
The matched guise technique has been widely applied to study attitudes towards British English accents. Key findings include:
| Accent | Typical Ratings |
|---|---|
| RP (Received Pronunciation) | Rated highest for competence, intelligence, education, and authority; rated lower for friendliness and warmth |
| Urban accents (Birmingham, Liverpool, London) | Rated lower for competence and intelligence; Birmingham consistently rated the lowest |
| Scottish | Rated positively for both competence and warmth |
| Irish | Rated positively for warmth and friendliness; lower for authority |
| Yorkshire / Northern | Rated positively for friendliness, honesty, and trustworthiness; lower for ambition |
| West Country | Rated positively for friendliness; lower for intelligence (associated with rural stereotypes) |
These ratings have been remarkably consistent across studies conducted over several decades, suggesting that accent-based prejudices are deeply embedded in British culture.
Linguistic prejudice has real-world consequences, particularly in employment. Research has documented systematic accent bias in hiring decisions:
A major study led by Devyani Sharma at Queen Mary University of London found that:
In the UK, accent and dialect are not explicitly protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010. This means that, in theory, an employer can legally reject a candidate because of their accent — a form of discrimination that would be unlawful if based on race, gender, or disability. Some legal scholars and linguists have argued that accent discrimination should be recognised as a form of indirect racial or class discrimination, since accent is closely correlated with both race and social class.
The relationship between dialect and education has been a source of controversy since at least the 1960s. Key debates include:
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