Have you ever felt the need to tone down (or dial up) your accent depending on where you are? Do you feel more conscious of your words in certain scenarios? Then you might just be a code-switcher.
Code-switching is the process of shifting from one language or dialect to another, depending on the social context or conversational setting. Much of the research into this area has focused on bilinguals’ ability to switch between two different languages. However, researchers are increasingly analysing how people can alter the way that they talk even when they’re still speaking the same language.
Sense of Belonging
This phenomenon can often be observed in the United Kingdom. Whilst a whole host of indigenous and foreign languages are spoken here, English is considered the de facto official language, with around 58 million speakers. However, each county, city and borough puts its own unique twist on it. A Glaswegian accent is different to a South London accent, for example. A Brummie won’t sound the same as a Manc. We’re all speaking the same language, but regional variations have flourished over millennia.
More than one million people a year move from one region of the UK to another. This usually involves young people leaving the town or city they were raised in to pursue better job opportunities. Many of us will be raised in a different area from where our parents’ grew up, which means that, unlike previous generations, we have connections across the nation. For people who have an affinity with two or more areas within the UK, alternating between dialects feels like second nature.
Often done unconsciously, code-switching helps the speaker to navigate different aspects of their identity. For example, someone who was born in Lancashire to Welsh parents may adopt a Northern accent with friends and colleagues, but switch to a Welsh accent when visiting family. To them, both places are considered ‘home’ and both accents come naturally to them. Altering their voice merely fosters a sense of belonging. Code-switching gives the speaker the freedom to display both sides of their identity, rather than forcing themselves to conform to just one.
Additionally, code-switching is employed by those who have an affinity with two or more countries. Over hundreds of years, our societies have gradually become more multicultural because of improvements in transport, a greater knowledge of the world around us, a desire to seek new economic opportunities and the looming legacy of colonialism. This is no more apparent than in the UK. From the influx of Indian migrants after the collapse of the British Empire, to the Caribbean’s Windrush Generation and the increase in Polish immigration after Poland joined the EU, each wave of migrants brought with them their own languages and patterns of speech. Throughout the years, these have melded with English — the poem Look We Have Coming to Dover perfectly encapsulates this — forming a unique dialect within each diaspora. For the descendants of migrants, switching between standard English and the dialect prevalent within their particular community allows them to keep their heritage alive.
Accent, dialect and syntax all have a profound effect on how we view ourselves and others. In this sense, code-switching is imperative in our diverse society, helping us to connect with the communities that we are part of.
Masking Our True Self?
However, there is a case to be made that excessive use of code-switching can begin to mask one’s true self. Code-switching, particularly within the world of business, has negative connotations. A survey from The Sutton Trust in 2022 revealed that 46 per cent of employees in the UK have been mocked or criticised for their accents.
Accent bias and stereotypes about people from certain areas of the UK can be very damaging to a person’s professional development, reducing their chances of succeeding in academia and getting a job. Because of this, many feel forced to alter or tone down their regional accent to avoid condemnation from employers or their peers. Studies repeatedly show that Essex, Scouse, Birmingham and Black Country accents are associated with ‘low intelligence,’ likely due to a combination of historic class divides and negative representation on TV — think characters like Catherine Tate’s Lauren Cooper and Love Island’s Hayley Hughes. Even public figures, such as the presenter and former footballer Alex Scott, have faced criticism for their accents.
When it comes to dialects that deviate from standard English, such as Black British English and Multicultural London English, these are often looked down upon by employers. To advance their careers and avoid accusations that they are less intelligent, employees begin adopting a ‘more prestigious’ accent in their professional lives, such as the Queen’s English. This accent, despite only being used by 10 per cent of the population, was featured in 62 per cent of radio adverts in the UK in 2024. Unfortunately, this reduces the diversity of voices within the workplace, further enforcing the idea that there is a ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ way of speaking, which can have a detrimental effect on people’s self-esteem.
Code-Switching Pressure
Salina Cuddy is a lecturer of sociolinguistics at Queen Mary University. She says that the pressure to code-switch ‘is disproportionately placed on working class and ethnic minority speakers,’ rather than those from privileged backgrounds who are more acquainted with the Queen’s English.
‘[Code-switching] can allow people to avoid the negative perceptions that others may hold about their accent and ensure they are judged by their work, instead of their voice alone,’ she says.
However, she adds: ‘The effort of code-switching may affect how someone does their job. If they are spending their time thinking about how they need to present themselves, this takes cognitive resources away from the task at hand or the content that they are trying to communicate.’
When used as a form of self-expression, code-switching can be incredibly liberating. However, the problem arises when certain people are forced to alter their voice. The link between low self-esteem and accent bias is undeniable, but with more diversity in broadcasting and greater education on code-switching within the workplace, we can alleviate the pressure on marginalised communities to change the way that they speak.
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