8.30.2010
Accents and Credibility
Here is an interesting article that provides some evidence suggesting that messages spoken with an accent are perceived as less credible than messages spoken without an accent. I'm wondering, however, if there are occasions when accents increase the perception of credibility. I'm thinking of a French accented message about food or a German accented message about automotive engineering. All in all an interesting area to explore.
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One situation which comes to mind where an accent may actually increase the credibility of a non native English speaking individual would be in the case of an Italian born guide giving a tour of a local historical site in Italy, such as the ruins of Pompeii, to visitors from the U.S. who are non Italian speakers. In this instance, the Italian guide would be speaking English, but with an Italian accent. I feel that the fact that he is an Italian native would boost his credibility, as he would know a lot about local history because he is from, and/or lives in, the immediate area of the historic site about which he is sharing information.
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