What is it about?
The study investigates the “heritage accent” in 24 bilingual heritage speakers of Russian in Finland as well as the attitudes of heritage speakers towards accents. Results show a wide range of individual variation in phonetic production in both languages and the existence of the “non-native” accent in Russian and Finnish. The results confirm that HSs generally strive for native-like pronunciation themselves. However, they are very tolerant towards accents in other people’s speech.
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Why is it important?
Our findings give the evidence of phonetic advantage in heritage language speakers, however they show that accent often accompanies multilingualism.
Perspectives
Heritage language speakers are often assessed on pronunciation by native speakers. As a result, HSs receive judgements that evoke negative feelings, so some bilinguals experience accent anxiety. This may affect their personal and social well-being. Research shows that the presence of a foreign accent does not directly correlate with language proficiency; an accent often accompanies multilingualism. In intercultural communication settings, intelligibility is more important than a native accent. In language educational practice, adopting a more flexible approach to accentedness may be difficult at first, but it can also be liberating. It could be of crucial importance for the cognitive, personal, and social well-being of the students.
Olga Nenonen
Tampereen yliopisto
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Accents and Attitudes. Investigating the Heritage Accent: Insights from Bilingual Heritage Speakers of Russian in Finland, September 2024, Brill,
DOI: 10.1163/9789004702325_011.
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