Engleski A - 2024. ljeto, reading 4.

The way someone talks (25)

to their identity.

So why is it that some people lose their regional or national accent, (26)

for others it remains firmly in place?

You may consider your accent to be immutable, but research shows that at any point in our lives the need to conform may alter – on a conscious or subconscious level – our vocal production, (27)

we like it or not.

In the case of those whose accents do shift, the way (28)

which they speak may be of less importance to their sense of identity, or it may be that it is their need to belong to a social or professional group that causes the change.

As young children, we are exposed to a relatively small social group we learn to imitate. As we encounter wider societal groupings this same instinct to assimilate (29)

us to modify our speech patterns accordingly. The process can repeat itself multiple times in a person’s life as variations in work or location occur.

Of course, there are others (30)

voices remain impervious to change.

It is possible that this reflects a sense of security in cultural identity, or perhaps an urge to identify with (or even advertise) their original background rather than any new environment where they find themselves. In addition, (31)

a person possess the accent of what is deemed to be a prestigious group in society,

they will consequently feel (32)

pressure to abandon that advantage. This confirms speech’s crucial role in our sense of identity. Accents are all around us!