Experts in language and learning will explore how our accents tell the story of where we come from and who we’ve connected with in a free talk at The Hive in Worcester.
The talk, on Wednesday 6 May, from 6-7pm, will explore how we relate to our own accents, and why the way we sound matters. It’ll also examine the challenges speakers may face, which can include bias and assumptions about us.
Lorna Williams and Isabelle Schafer, both lecturers at the University of Worcester, will host the event which will be presented in two sections.
“This isn’t a lecture,” said Isabelle, PGCE Modern Languages Secondary Lead at the University. “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.”
She added: “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.”
In the second section, the talk will explore how accents shape the way we model phonics in early years settings when teaching children literacy skills, to help the audience reflect on how the sounds we use can influence children’s understanding and confidence as they begin their reading journey.
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,” she added. “This will be a discussion around how we explore those inclusive approaches.”
Lorna said: “The event is aimed at everyone; it’s an opportunity to learn more about how we interact with the language we speak.”
Isabelle Schafer said: “This talk is for everyone who has an accent, and that’s all of us. While they’re something we all have in common, they’re also the thing that makes us unique, so it’s such a fascinating area for discussion.”
To book your free ticket to the event, head to The Hive’s website.
For information on courses at University of Worcester visit www.worcester.ac.uk or for application enquiries telephone 01905 855111 or email admissions@worc.ac.uk