“Say This, Not Diss”: The Story About Our Accents | Jennifer Xu | TEDxShanghai American School Puxi

Language & Identity - Accents are remnants of one's mother tongue, serving as powerful indicators of identity and culture [10][19] - Accents carry snippets of culture and help non-native speakers find community [19] - Villainizing accents increases societal divides and erases a sense of community [20][21] Accent Bias & Discrimination - Accents are used to justify that certain groups do not belong, causing biases in education and professional opportunities [11] - Accent biases are not uniform; some accents (e.g, French, Italian) are viewed more positively than others (e.g, Asian) [12] - Foreign accents like Chinese or Scottish are rated less credible [12][13] - Regional accents can lead to discrimination, with standard accents associated with higher social status [15] Accent Modification & Acceptance - Many people modify their accents to fit in, seeking advantages in professional and social settings [16] - Native English speakers constitute only approximately 7% of the world's population, indicating that most English is spoken with accents [18] - Normalizing accents promotes diversity and fosters connection [21] - Clarity in speech should be encouraged over emulating a specific way of speaking [25]