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Tackling Accent Bias at the University of Leeds

All accents are welcome and valued at the University of Leeds

Everyone has an accent in any given language. Accents are an integral part of who we are, and can carry information about our identities, for example where we grew up, our socioeconomic background, or the languages we speak.

Our students and staff come from many different accent and language backgrounds within the UK and from all over the world. We celebrate and value this linguistic diversity.

We all have biases about people’s accents. We acquire our biases as we grow up and throughout adulthood. As they are often unconscious, we actively work to be aware of them and understand how they influence our behaviour. When left unchecked, biases can lead to discrimination.

We do not disregard what students or staff say because of their accent, we do not mimic or mock their speech, and we do not make assumptions about their background or ability. To ensure that everyone’s voice is heard, we respect how people express themselves, regardless of their accent, in both academic and social contexts at the University.

In line with the University of Leeds vision and strategy, respecting each other's accent and language background is an essential step towards ensuring that all students and staff feel that they belong, can thrive, and are valued.

 

The statement was co-produced by university academics, students and Leeds University Union representatives in July 2024 and approved by the University of Leeds in December 2024.

  • The Embracing Linguistic Diversity research group: Bethany Hillan, Bettina Hermoso-Gómez, Cécile De Cat, Clare Wright, Diane Nelson, Gisela Tomé Lourido, Helen Sadig, Julia Snell, Kashmir Kaur, Milena Marinkova, Niamh Mullen, Rasha Soliman, Sascha Stollhans, Sofia Martinho
  • Kelly Vera Diettes, Research Assistant
  • Elizabeth Pender, Director of Student Success in the School of Languages, Cultures and Societies
  • Alice Craigie, Jowanah Majeed, and Paulette Papapericleous, Linguistics and Phonetics Research Experience Scheme students
  • Students in the module “MODL3650 Minoritised Languages, Dialects and Cultures from Past to Present”, led by Diane Nelson and Chiara La Sala
  • Leeds University Union representatives: Rachel Cantlow (Liberation and Campaigns Assistant), Rimsha Khan (International and Postgraduate Officer) and Haryati Mohammed (Equality and Liberation Officer).

For more information, please see Tackling accent bias could improve student belonging in Higher Education.

For any further enquiries please contact Gise Tomé Lourido via email at g.tomelourido@leeds.ac.uk