The effects of accentedness on employability: Dutch and German listeners' evaluations of Spanish-accented and Arabic-accented English.

Simple item page
dc.contributor.advisorMeurs, W.F.J. van
dc.contributor.advisorFruit, E.
dc.contributor.authorKoivula, A.I
dc.date.issued2020-06-08
dc.description.abstractThe increase in cross-cultural communication has led to a growing number of people using non-native languages at workplaces. This raises a question of whether non-native accents have an impact on an individual’s career. Potential outcomes may be discrimination, feelings of being devalued and limited career advancement. The present study aims to gain insight into the impact of accents on the careers of speakers. Dutch and German participants evaluated speech samples in Spanish-, Arabic-, or Standard British-accented English in terms of speaker employability, comprehension and attitude towards the speaker. In the experiment, 211 Dutch and German participants evaluated one speech sample in one of the accents. Findings showed that speakers with Arabic-accented English were evaluated less positively in terms of employability, status and dynamism than speakers with Spanish-accented English or speakers with a Standard British accent. The speakers with a Spanish accent were evaluated less comprehensible than the speakers with an Arabic or a Standard British accent. The findings indicate that the accent of a speaker does have an impact on employability, comprehensibility and attitudes towards the speaker, and that different accents evoke different reactions in listeners.en_US
dc.identifier.urihttps://theses.ubn.ru.nl/handle/123456789/9699
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.thesis.facultyFaculteit der Letterenen_US
dc.thesis.specialisationInternational Business Communicationen_US
dc.thesis.studyprogrammeBachelor Communicatie- en Informatiewetenschappenen_US
dc.thesis.typeBacheloren_US
dc.titleThe effects of accentedness on employability: Dutch and German listeners' evaluations of Spanish-accented and Arabic-accented English.en_US
Files
Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
Koivula, Ainokaisa 1006881 Bachelor's Thesis.pdf
Size:
454.67 KB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Download
Collections
Faculteit der Letteren