How can accent contribute to effective communication?

Question

English Language (phonetics)

Answer 1

I personally think that a lack of accent is best for effective communication. Accents, dialect, and even slang is making effective communication difficult.

I can't stand phonetics! I was a preschool teacher, and I witnessed children learning to read at a much later age than when I was in school, and having much more difficulty than we did learning by rote. I understand that this also has to do with parents not having enough time to read to their children, thus robbing them of the opportunity to memorize the story, and translate that into learning...

I'm so glad I'm not a kid nowadays!

Answer 2

We give a lot of credence to accent. For example, have you noticed the number of people on TV nowadays with accents from the British Isles? Somehow, we've come to "hear" that as a legitimate accent and , therefore, give more "ear" to the communication. In politics, many people respond to a Southern Accent because of the old notion of Southern gentility and hospitality. Contrast this to speakers with Northeastern accents, like Bostonians, which some people associate with liberal democrats and shut their "ears" to. I am not saying that these are "truths"; just trends.