Methodology in Accent Perception Studies: A Review

Research in the field of Language Attitudes and Social Perceptions have proven associations between a speaker’s accent, and listener’s perceptions of various aspects of their identity – intelligence, socio-economic background, race, region of origin, friendliness, etc. This paper seeks to critically analyze the methodology and theories in the field of accent perception through a review of existing research literature across various disciplines that have studied it. After reviewing Social Identity Theory, Prototype theory, and theories regarding Ethnolinguistic identity, it points out various knowledge gaps and limitations of methodologies previously used. It then studies the implications for future research, in various domains, proposing a new theoretical paradigm using mixed methods studies.