STEREOTYPED ACCENT OF STUDENTS FROM SOUK AHRAS AT THE DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH, 08 MAI 1945 UNIVERSITY-GUELMA

Abstract

The present work examines stereotyped accents among students of different regions: Souk-Ahras and Guelma, at the Department of English, University of 08 Mai 1945, Guelma. The study attempts to focus on the connections between accents, stereotypes, prejudices, attitudes, and linguistic discrimination. The research aims at identifying the reasons behind the stereotyped accent of students from Souk-Ahras, in order to measure the acceptability of this accent, and to investigate whether students consider their stereotyped accent as a linguistic enrichment or insecurity. The data was collected using different techniques: Qualitative and quantitative, realized by means of a census questionnaire administered to both students and teachers. Data collection helps us a lot in understanding the reasons behind stereotyping students’ speech, and the reactions to such phenomenon. The findings thus show that both students from Guelma and Souk-Ahras are linguistically discriminated by others in terms of their accent; but they think of it as a linguistic enrichment rather than insecurities. As for teachers, they consider regional accents’ interference in speaking English as a learning error.