Accent in action

Be it British, American, Canadian, Irish, Filipino, or any other accent, any platform, be it movies, televisions, or whatever, would always elicit debate and commentary. This is especially true when speaking a foreign language with an indigenous or local accent, much more in the case of a specific character in a film or play.

In a movie, for example, when a local character speaks in English with a local accent, it may appear unnatural to others. However, this is really dependent on the character's level of acquisition, such as a character who knows how to speak the foreign language but with a heavy accent of his native language. However, in some movies, the character is allowed to speak in his native language, but the film includes a translation feature.

A person's accent is influenced by their origins and, in some cases, their social and educational background. Someone from Australia, for example, will most likely speak with an Australian accent, but there are different accents in Australia due to differences in social background and education. This is generally true for everyone, everywhere in the world. Accents can differ even within the same country or region.

Accent refers to the distinct way a person or group of people employs the sounds of a language's phonemic inventory. Scholarly debates about accent have frequently centered on the "contradictory" twin principles of nativeness and intelligibility. Nativeness or native-sounding speech may be most desirable for speakers who want to learn a language to integrate themselves with a group or take on a particular identity associated with a particular accent. Speakers may try to blend in by sounding like members of their "social networks", such as friends, peers, neighbors, teachers, and so on.

Chai Fonacier, a Cebuano actor in Nocebo wants the character to come to life, bearing the unique identity and an impactful statement. One valid observation about her Nocebo accent controversy is “that there's nothing to it when we hear our K-pop idols speak in English with a Korean accent but why people are uneasy when they hear a Cebuano character speak English with a Cebuano accent?”

“Non-Cebuanos are afraid that 'Oh my God, we are going to be ridiculed'. Why? Is it because mainstream media in the Philippines has taught them to mock the Cebuano accent? There is no single Filipino identity, and there never has been. Philippines is a melting pot of many different languages and cultures. We need to learn to appreciate one another and stop laughing at each other's accents.”

Some speakers see language as more of a tool for accomplishing tasks. In those cases, intelligibility may be a more desirable goal than nativeness, especially if being understood is more important to them than being considered a member of a group. When the intent and message are well received and understood, communication serves its purpose.

In our ever-globalizing world, everyone deserves the confidence to speak English with their own accent.