Lovely Accents: The World's Vocal Tapestry

Catalog description

Accents are a big part of what makes us human. Nothing showcases more vividly the vocal tapestry stitched and reflected in our voices like accents do. This course introduces students to the study of the way people around the world sound when they speak. Why do people have accents? Is it true that each person has an accent? Have accents always existed? What causes us to perceive some accents as "cool", and other accents less so? Can someone get rid of their accent? Should they? The course presents a general survey of human accents around the world. The course also discusses people's attitudes to accents different than those of their own.