Cognitive Science 0223 - Foreign accent

When you meet a non-native speaker for the first time, you are immediately confronted with their accent. This often leads to questions like "Where are you from?", as well as ethnic and racial profiling (often not conscious). Despite the fact that we are constantly in contact with foreign accents and speak in a way that is foreign to others, we rarely ask how particular accents come about and why we are so drawn to them. Many can and want to simulate a British accent or that of a Russian spy. And many simulate foreign accents without even knowing it, e.g. when singing along or reciting lines from a movie. How do we do it? What are the implications? The aim of this course is to elucidate these questions through the study of linguistic theory. No prior background in linguistics is assumed.

Mind, Brain, and Information Writing and Research Quantitative Skills Multiple Cultural Perspectives In this course, students are expected to spend at least six to eight hours a week of preparation and work outside of class time. This time includes reading, writing, research.