Tackling accent bias could improve students’ sense of belonging in higher education institutions
Tackling accent bias at universities could improve students’ wellbeing and sense of belonging, according to new research exploring accent discrimination in higher education institutions
Tackling accent bias at universities could improve students’ wellbeing and sense of belonging, according to new research exploring accent discrimination in higher education institutions.
Accent discrimination is reported to be widespread at UK Russell Group Universities, and 41% of university students from the North of England express concern that their accent may affect their future success.
New research by Gisela Tomé Lourido, Director of Language at Leeds and a Lecturer in Sociophonetics at the University of Leeds School of Languages, Cultures and Societies, explores the accent-based disadvantages experienced by university students in the UK.
In an open survey inviting university students to share their experiences, a significant number of the 641 respondents reported feeling disadvantaged by their accent in academic and social contexts at university. Negative experiences were most frequently reported by students with accents from the North of England and students who did not grow up speaking English.
Disadvantages include having their accents mimicked, mocked, and commented on; feeling pressured to change their accent; reluctance to participate in lectures and seminars; feeling that their contributions are not valued; and being the target of explicit discrimination.
The research, which was funded by the Michael Beverley Innovation Fellowship, indicates that such experiences have a negative impact on students’ confidence, sense of belonging, mental health, careers, and lives, and may result in unequal opportunities.
To break this negative cycle, Gisela and colleagues from across the University of Leeds – Prof Julia Snell (Professor of Sociolinguistics), Dr Diane Nelson (Director of Linguistics and Phonetics), Sascha Stollhans (Pro-Dean for Student Education) and Niamh Mullen (University Belonging Academic Lead) – recommend that universities include a statement in inductions, signposting students to support and reporting provisions and implementing other context-specific actions to tackle accent-based inequalities.
Leeds University Union has published such a statement, and shared it with all clubs’ and societies’ committee members, to reduce discrimination and improve students’ sense of belonging. The statement has also been approved by the Faculty Student Education Committee (FTSEC) to be included in the student handbook and induction materials for 2024-25.
Dr Gisela Tomé Lourido, Director of Language at Leeds, said:
“Accent can function as a vehicle for discrimination against other characteristics, especially class, race and nationality, perpetuating existing inequalities. Beyond raising awareness, context-specific actions are also needed to tackle accent bias and discrimination, which would in turn improve student belonging and student success, and contribute to ensuring equal opportunities. We see the statement as a first step to engage in conversations about accent bias and discrimination in Higher Education institutions, a topic that remains overlooked at UK universities.”
Professor Andrew Thorpe, Executive Dean of the University of Leeds’ Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Cultures, said:
"At the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Cultures, we are fully committed to fostering an inclusive environment where every student feels confident in expressing who they are, engaging with academic discussions and socialising with their peers. This vital and timely research by Gisela and her team highlights the need to address accent bias at higher education institutions everywhere and to ensure that all students, regardless of their background, experience a true sense of belonging at university. By tackling this issue, we can help students thrive not just academically but personally too, enhancing their overall university experience."
Rachel Cantlow, Liberation and Campaigns Assistant at Leeds University Union, said:
"A key focus for Leeds University Union is ensuring that students at Leeds feel confident and empowered to engage with the many exciting opportunities open to them without discrimination or bias. Working in collaboration with Gisela to support the Accent Equality Statement has been such an important part of this goal. We are sharing this across multiple student-facing teams at LUU, on our social media and webpages, and physical areas, including our Advice Office and Liberation Hub, to promote the statement and its emphasis on inclusivity, belonging and valuing diversity."
The statement was co-produced with Embracing Linguistic Diversity – a University of Leeds group developing initiatives to celebrate linguistic diversity and tackle language inequalities – as well as LUU representatives and students.
