Name: Contesting Linguistic Identities: Marginalisation and the Persistence of Standardised Pronunciation
Start: 2025-11-20 15:30:00
End: 2025-11-20 17:00:00
Location: Maison du Savoir (MSA) 3.110

Lecture Series (English & German)

Despite a global paradigm shift towards multilingualism and English as an International Language (EIL), and a recognition of linguistic diversity, the persistent adherence to “standardised” forms of foreign language pronunciation remains entrenched in contexts outside the Anglosphere. Standard varieties of English, often seen as a marker of cultural and symbolic capital, are often prioritised by educators, learners, parents, policymakers, and curriculum designers. Such normative expectations reflect deeper sociocultural ideologies that privilege particular accents as aspirational and unquestionable. This lecture interrogates the pervasive influence of mainstream and social media, as well as institutionalised education systems, in perpetuating pressures to conform to standardised pronunciation. It critically examines how these practices marginalise language learners by undermining their linguistic identities and perpetuating inequities. Drawing on critical ethnographic accounts, this lecture questions the systemic inequities embedded in the valorisation of standardised forms and argues that language educators play a pivotal role in fostering social justice and inclusion by challenging hegemonic linguistic norms.