Abstract

This thesis examines whether accent-based biases associated with LE have been adopted by second language speakers. Accents in Britain are important markers of social identity, often shaping perceptions of education, authority, and competence. With the global reach of English and the prominence of its regional accents in media, it is important to understand how ESL speakers evaluate these varieties. A matched-guise survey was conducted. The study primarily involved Czech and Slovak participants. Participants listened to two audios, one in LE and one in Estuary. They then rated the speakers based on competence and social attractiveness. Estuary was rated higher in categories related to prestige and competence. LE was rated higher in aspects of social warmth. The qualitative responses were consistent with these results. LE was associated with more emotive descriptors, and Estuary with descriptors more associated with class. The findings suggest ESL speakers tend to adopt some accent-based biases when exposed to British media that contains these accents. These results display the need for more balanced representation of different varieties of English in media and language education. …víceméně