Belonging: Accent Equality

The University of Leeds is committed to creating a space that embraces everyone’s accents, encouraging students and staff to bring their whole selves to the university. Everyone has an accent. These accents are part of the rich tapestry of human language that reflects cultural and social diversity. Accents are an integral part of who we are, and can carry information about our identities, for example, where we grew up, our social class background, nationality or the languages we speak. We want all of our staff and students to be proud of their accents and identities, and we want to promote the value their diverse perspectives bring from across all corners of the UK and the world.  The University has adopted an Accent Equality Statement (below) and work is ongoing to create a culture where all voices are valued and accent bias can be tackled:

 

Accent Equality Statement

All accents are welcome and valued at the University of Leeds  

Everyone has an accent in any given language. Accents are an integral part of who we are, and can carry information about our identities, for example where we grew up, our socioeconomic background, or the languages we speak.

Our students and staff come from many different accent and language backgrounds within the UK and from all over the world. We celebrate and value this linguistic diversity.

We all have biases about people’s accents. We acquire our biases as we grow up and throughout adulthood. As they are often unconscious, we actively work to be aware of them and understand how they influence our behaviour. When left unchecked, biases can lead to discrimination.

We do not disregard what students or staff say because of their accent, we do not mimic or mock their speech, and we do not make assumptions about their background or ability. To ensure that everyone’s voice is heard, we respect how people express themselves, regardless of their accent, in both academic and social contexts at the University.

In line with the University of Leeds vision and strategy, respecting each other's accent and language background is an essential step towards ensuring that all students and staff feel that they belong, can thrive, and are valued

 

The statement was co-produced by university academics, students and Leeds University Union representatives in July 2024 and approved by the University of Leeds in December 2024.

• The Embracing Linguistic Diversity research group: Bethany Hillan, Bettina Hermoso-Gómez, Cécile De Cat, Clare Wright, Diane Nelson, Gisela Tomé Lourido, Helen Sadig, Julia Snell, Kashmir Kaur, Milena Marinkova, Niamh Mullen, Rasha Soliman, Sascha Stollhans, Sofia Martinho
• Kelly Vera Diettes, Research Assistant
• Elizabeth Pender, Director of Student Success in the School of Languages, Cultures and Societies
• Alice Craigie, Jowanah Majeed, and Paulette Papapericleous, Linguistics and Phonetics Research Experience Scheme students
• Students in the module “MODL3650 Minoritised Languages, Dialects and Cultures from Past to Present”, led by Diane Nelson and Chiara La Sala
• Leeds University Union representatives: Rachel Cantlow (Liberation and Campaigns Assistant), Rimsha Khan (International and Postgraduate Officer) and Haryati Mohammed (Equality and Liberation Officer).

For more information, please see Tackling accent bias could improve student belonging in Higher Education.

 

Accent-related biases are often not considered or addressed, and people can be unaware of how attitudes towards and stereotypes linked to accents can benefit some and disadvantage others. It is important to become aware of and question assumptions we make about accents. Consider:

• What does your accent mean to you?
• Why is your accent important?
• What do you learn from people with other accents and linguistic backgrounds?
• Are there any accents you like or dislike? Why might that be? Do your preferences and assumptions influence your behaviour towards people who use those accents?
• Can you think of examples of accents that are given more status and less status in our societies? What problems can this cause?
• What does respecting people’s accents and linguistic backgrounds look like in practice?