PowerPoint Presentation Polish Immigrants in Ireland Accent and the Dynamics of Social Mobility

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Ewa Malczuk

Polish immigrants in Ireland: Accent and the dynamics of social mobility

Postgraduate Research Seminars 2016 Ewa Malczuk

Postgraduate Research Seminars 2016 Ewa Malczuk 2

Background of the Research

Proposed Research Study

Methodology

Content


Standard language Non-standard language

correct incorrect

superior inferior

having power and prestige lower status and lower socioeconomic perspectives

promoted stigmatized

speakers viewed as competent, intelligent and successive

speakers often discriminated against and viewed as less competent and less intelligent

positive judgments / stereotypes negative judgments / stereotypes

Social ideology of standard language (of any language)



An accent - phonology or a way of pronunciation of a language.

An accent is an indicator of social identity. It can be an identifier of a different nation or different cultural group.

For many people, different accent becomes the first silent marker to identify social outsiders (Lippi-Green 1994).

Speaking a language with a different accent can be a reason for discrimination.

Accent - Social Creation



Accents of English

British English (Received Pronunciation)

Foreign-accented English

New Englishes (with reference to British

and American English)

Regional accents/dialects

General American English

Standard Irish English

Standard-accented English

Non-standard-accented English

Accents of English



Irish-English-accented speech, if compared to the British and American accent capital, is perceived as less valuable capital and an inferior variety of English.

Irish-English was stigmatised and treated as a peripheral rather a legitimate language (Nestor et al 2012).

The Celtic Tiger period which led to immigration influx into Ireland, frequently from Central and Eastern Europe, turned Irish-English into a more attractive accent.

The possession of competence in dominant Irish-English has begun to be seen for many as a valuable accent capital.

British and American accents The British and American accents are considered as the most powerful accents

(Nestor et al 2012; Waniek-Klimczak et al 2015).

The accent capital of British and American accents is constantly strengthened by those controlling powerful media outlets (CNN, BBC World, etc.), wealthy Hollywood movie productions, business and advertising (Phillipson 2001).

Irish-English accent

Accents of English - Accent Capital




The proponents of accent globalization are mostly the people who belong to the accent dominant group or those striving to join said group.

The ability to speak standard English, more precisely the use of the British or American accent which is considered as the dominant and most prestigious and valuable English language variant worldwide, is an indicator of identification with the dominant group.

An ability to speak standard English, in terms of the accent out-group, can be both the prerequisite and also a licence to join the accent dominant group.

The ability to speak standard Irish-English can be considered as a dominant and valuable English accent in Ireland. It is an indicator of identification with the dominant group. This refers not only to native-accented English speakers but also, and particularly for, non-native accented English speakers.

Lack of ability to speak standard English can be a factor contributing to exclusion and discrimination.



Areas for exploration

Do Polish-accented English speakers strive for a standard English accent as a means to join the dominant group.

Referring to social ideology of standard language, does the lack of ability to speak standard Irish-English by

Polish immigrants in Ireland contribute to discrimination.

The proposed research study will gauge the attitudes, opinions and experiences of Polish immigrants in Ireland in relation to standard accented English speech and their non-standard foreign-accented English speech.

Limitations of the research study

Further research is necessary to study the attitudes and opinions of standard native-accent English speakers on this topic.


Methodology

Research Approach/Paradigm

The multi-modal research approach/paradigm will be adopted. This will include:

Semi-structured interviews containing open-ended conversations with the respondents (to record the respondents’ insights, feelings and experiences)

Analysis obtained from secondary sources (articles, policy statements, statistical reports, etc.)


Methodology

Population of interest

Sampling method Sampling Group

Polish community in Ireland who have immigrated into Ireland after 2004.

Purposive sampling.

Snowballing sampling.

Forty respondents - (half male and half female).

Age 25 years and over - people in this age bracket have acquired proficiency in speaking English but their accent is mostly affected by Polish.

Middle class people who perform work on a professional, managerial, or administrative level.

The 18 to 25 years of age range - most of them acquired the ability in speaking Irish-accented English but their parents or relatives living in Ireland most likely speak Polish- accented English.

Students.


So what?

Globalisation means that Standard English is becoming even more powerful – if accent is being used as a simple way to differentiate and so discriminate, how can certain populations ever gain access to top levels of social ladder?

Linguistic colonialism – Frantz Fanon

Conclusion


Lippi-Green, R. (1994) ‘Accent, Standard Language Ideology, and Discriminatory Pretext in the Courts’, Language in Society, 23(2), 163-198.

Nestor, N., Ni Chasaide, C. & Regan, V. (2012) ‘Discourse ‘like’ and social identity – a case study of Poles in Ireland’, [online], available: http://www.academia.edu/4032999/Discourse_like_and_social_identity_-_a_case_study_of_Poles_in_Ireland [accessed 15 Dec 15].

Phillipson, R. (2001) ‘English for Globalisation or for the World's People?’ Globalisation, Language and Education, 47(3-4), pp. 185-20.

Waniek-Klimczak, E., Rojczyk, A. and Porzuczek, (2015) ‘Polglish’ in Polish Eyes: What English Studies Majors Think About Their Pronunciation in English’, Switzerland: Springer International Publishing.

References

PowerPoint Presentation Polish Immigrants in Ireland Accent and the Dynamics of Social Mobility

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