An evening of thought-provoking conversation will explore how the way we speak shapes our identity and experiences.
The free public talk, taking place at The Hive in Worcester on Wednesday, May 6 from 6pm to 7pm, will examine the role of accents in reflecting our backgrounds, shaping perceptions, and influencing communication.
Led by University of Worcester lecturers Lorna Williams and Isabelle Schafer, the event is designed as an open discussion rather than a formal lecture.
Isabelle Schafer, PGCE Modern Languages secondary lead at the university, said: “This isn’t a lecture.
“It’ll be a discussion with the audience joining in. We’ll ask them what they think, and there’ll be a chance to learn from other people’s experiences and insights.”
The speakers will explore both the positive and negative associations people may have with accents, as well as the assumptions and biases they can face.
Ms Schafer said: “Sometimes it’s lovely when someone notices your accent – it can tell people a lot about you and your background, but sometimes accents can make us an ‘other’ in a social situation, and that can make the speaker feel uncomfortable so it’s not always a positive.”
The second part of the talk will focus on the impact of accents in early childhood education, particularly in teaching phonics and literacy.
Lorna Williams, Early Years Initial Teacher Training course leader at the university, said: “I’ll be talking about how accents affect how we teach phonics to children.
“We all have accents, and sometimes when you’re around children, as a parent or a teacher, you might need to adjust the way you speak to them to connect with them in their locality.
“This will be a discussion around how we explore those inclusive approaches.”
She added: “This talk is for everyone who has an accent, and that’s all of us.”