To chat, the world's most profitable language learning app, in partnership with Dr. Alex Baratta, Senior Lecturer in Language, Linguistics and Communication at the University of Manchester, commissioned Ipsos MORI to conduct the largest global study to date on perceptions of accents and 'accent anxiety'.
The survey, conducted in November and December 2019, consisted of interviews with 7,500 respondents across the UK, US, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Poland and Canada (both English and French speaking). Respondents were asked for their opinion on the impact of non-native speakers' accents when trying their language (i.e. the French were asked for their opinion of Britons speaking French with a British accent).
Key results include:
British is the most likable accent globally, with 45% of respondents saying they enjoy hearing their mother tongue spoken with a British accent. First entry in nested list Poland is the only country where a British accent is not the most popular - in Poland the American accent is the most popular.
The British are second only to Americans when it comes to concerns about the perception of their accent abroad, with 49% of Britons saying they are concerned about their accent when speaking in a foreign language. 38% of Britons express a desire to drop their accent when speaking. a foreign language, and 46% of Britons believe their accent can be associated with negative stereotypes abroad.
When judged by other countries, British accents are most likely to be described as "sophisticated" (32%), "stylish" (30%) and "professional" (29%). Americans and Canadians are likely to find a British accent "sexy" (24% and 19% respectively), while French speakers find the British accent "cute". On the other hand, the British rate French accents as the "sexiest" (37%), although they feel an Italian accent is the most "passionate" (42%). Hispanic accents are considered the most "friendly" (39%), and American accents the most "funny" (14%).
Globally, 38% of respondents say they are concerned about their accent when speaking a foreign language. Conversely, Germans (23%) and French (24%) are the least concerned about their accent when speaking a foreign language.
Female respondents (42%) and younger respondents (47%) are more likely to experience accent anxiety than the global average (38%). Men (34%) and the elderly (31%) still feel anxious, but to a lesser extent.
Britons and Americans are more likely than any other nationality to overcome the fear of speaking foreign languages by memorizing common phrases.
Poles are most likely to feel they cannot speak because of perceived negativity related to their accent (73% of Poles report that their accent prevents them from speaking). This compares to 69% of people worldwide.
According to the 7,500 respondents in eight different countries, the following characteristics are most often associated with certain accents:
Dr Alex Student, teaches language, linguistics and communicationUniversity of Manchester, notes: “Accents refer to the use of specific sounds used in specific contexts. From a purely linguistic perspective, it is. However, from a sociolinguistic perspective, we go beyond a purely descriptive representation of sounds and discuss, for example, the Attitudes toward accents This is where accent biases and preferences come into play, with quick judgments along the lines of "his accent sounds sexy," "she sounds ordinary," "they sound working class," and so on and so forth. only accent that is inherently one or the other - neither good nor bad. However, in terms of societal attitudes, such judgments and stereotypes persist. However, it is important to remember that accent is a proxy for larger categories, such as race and class, and so attributing a judgment about someone's accent can mean making a judgment about race.The results of Babbel's research suggest that individuals who are keen to fit in and/or avoid negative judgments from others change their accents in versions that, for example, can be seen as less 'broad' and thus may be less reflective. listener negativity. This is perhaps nothing new and we could argue that we change our accent when we change clothes - to fit a certain context and this is just an objective answer. However, accent is more personal than clothing, and relatively more fixed, so an attack on our accent is an attack on more than just sounds."
Over dr. Alex Baratta
FAQs
Of foreign accents, the British accent is the #1 most liked, chosen by 69% of respondents. In addition to being the general favorite, it also ranked among the sexiest and most intelligent.
Which accent is more popular British or American? ›
Around 250 million people speak with an American English accent, while around 60 million people speak with a British English accent. If you want to go with the numbers alone, you would be much better off learning American English.
Why is the British accent so popular? ›
From its capacity to serve a breadth of communities and countries, to its unique combination of linguistic elements, to its fine pronunciation, the British accent has become a symbol of sophistication, class, beauty, and culture. It is truly a remarkable composition of language.
Does the United Kingdom have the largest variation of accents of any country in the world? ›
The UK has the most local accents of any English speaking country. As such, a single "British accent" does not exist. However, someone could be said to have an English, Scottish, Welsh or Irish accent, although these all have many different sub-types.
Which accent is widely used? ›
The American accent
This “neutral” American English accent is the most widely used in the world, but especially in cinema, TV series, and music. Compared to British English, American English is far more present on the international scene, as many political and business exchanges take place in this context.
What accent is most liked in America? ›
1: Southern Accent
Photo Credit: Depositphotos. Of the 1,000 individuals surveyed, 41% responded that they consider the Southern accent the most attractive in America. The Southern accent is known for its unique twang and vowel shortening in states like Mississippi and Louisiana.
Is it better to speak British or American? ›
Learning British or American English may be preferable if you are looking to work, live or study in Great Britain or the USA. American English is also more widespread, which makes it more desirable for many learners. Otherwise, it is a matter of what you personally enjoy.
What is the most common British accent? ›
Variously referred to as the 'Queen's English', 'BBC English' or 'Oxford English', Received Pronunciation, or RP for short, is the accent usually described as typically British. Find out more about its origins and its current status in the UK.
How is British accent different from American? ›
American English is different from British English in that it is mostly rhotic, while British English is mostly non-rhotic (Roach, 2009: 70). Rhotic accent refers to the way in which the sound /r/ is articulated after a vowel within a syllable, like in the words Narnia, barge, torn, or birth (Gomez 2012).
Why do Americans like British accent? ›
People tend to think a foreign accent is more interesting and more sexy, says Guy Winch, a psychotherapist from Britain who's long been based in the United States, “because in general we tend to value what's less common.” Americans associate a British accent with someone being “more intelligent, more sophisticated and ...
All of these languages influenced American English, as did the English-speaking colonists' origins in different parts of England, Wales and Scotland. Later, as metropolitan centers such as Boston and New York City had more contact with England, they adopted the then-trendy r-less accent of the English upper class.
Which countries like the British accent? ›
#1 The British accent
The accent proved particularly popular in countries like China, Sweden, India and the USA.
Where is the strongest British accent? ›
Geordie. People from Newcastle speak a dialect called Geordie, which is one of the strongest and most distinctive accents in England.
How did Americans get their accent? ›
They also came in more contact with foreign languages, those of the Native Americans and other settlers from Sweden, Spain, France, and the Netherlands. Both factors eventually led to changes in Americans' vocabulary and grammar, creating a new English dialect.
What part of Britain has the strongest accent? ›
Geordie is considered to be one of the strongest and most striking English accents. At the same time, the dialect is also known as one of the friendliest for its sing-song sound. Fut fact: the accent gets its name straight from George, which was one of the most common names of the coal miners in North East England.
What is the first most attractive accent? ›
The French accent has been considered for many years as being the sexiest accent in the world.
What are the top 5 accent? ›
Best Accents
- 1 British. Naturally the Brit accent should be first - after an English accent; after a London accent - but most of all the best accent by far is a smooth north London accent. ...
- 2 American. American accents! ...
- 3 Irish. ...
- 4 Australian. ...
- 5 Polish. ...
- 6 Italian. ...
- 7 Indian. ...
- 8 French.
Perhaps the two most iconic English varieties in the world are British and American accents. Both of them have a form of “general” accent which is perceived as more educated or correct than the other varieties, as if having an accent-free speech was a sign of social status.
Which accent is the most correct? ›
British English is 'correct' where it is spoken, and American or Australian English is correct in those areas of the world. While it might not seem clean and neat to have so many 'correct' versions of a language, that's just the way it is. Of course, all of these versions of English are perfectly interchangeable.
