Turning Dr. Strangelove into George W. Bush: Determinants of accentedness

Some 40 million foreign-born people live in the United States, many of whom will speak English with an accent. But what does it mean to have an accent? Recent research identifies the underlying variables. One of the surprising findings: Accents are a matter of timing (among other variables). If the duration of a spoken vowel relative to the length of the word departs from the native "standard" then talkers are judged to have an accent even if the sound is right.

Source: Psychonomic Society News - June 2, 2015 Category: Neuroscience Source Type: news