The present review seeks to bridge research on accents, stigma, and communication by examining the empirical literature on nonnative accents, considering the perspectives of both speakers and listeners. The authors suggest that an accent, or one's manner of pronunciation, differs from other types of stigma. They consider the role of communicative processes in the manner in which accents influence people and identify social and contextual factors related to accents that affect the speaker, the listener, and the interaction between them. The authors propose a framework of stigma of accents and possible future avenues of research to examine the social psychological and communicative effects of accents. They also discuss implications for stigma of other types of accents (e.g., other native, regional, and ethnic). Understanding how stigma of accents and communication affect each other provides a new theoretical approach to studying this type of stigma and can eventually lead to interventions.

Whereas past research on nonnative accents has focused on the attitudes and perceptions of listeners, the current research explores the experiences of speakers with nonnative accents. Two studies investigated the role of nonnative accents and their strength in perceptions of stigmatization and discrimination, problems in communication, and feelings of social belonging. Study 1 demonstrated that individuals with nonnative accents experienced two different, but related facets of stigmatization: expectations of stigmatization and problems in communication. Study 2 extended this research by examining the effects of the experience of stigma and communication problems associated with nonnative accents on social belonging in the United States The results showed that speaking with a nonnative accent, but not a regional native accent, was significantly associated with feeling less belonging, and this difference was mediated by perceived problems in communicating.

White-Black relations have historically been the defining form of intergroup relations in the study of prejudice and discrimination. The present article suggests that there are limitations to applying this model to understanding bias toward other groups and proposes that a comprehensive view of the dynamics of the Anglos' bias toward Latinos requires consideration of the distinctive elements of this form of intergroup relations. In four empirical studies, we experimentally document discrimination against Latinos (Study 1), explore the potential dimensions that underlie bias against Latinos (Study 2), and examine the effect of a particular social identity cue, accentedness, on perceptions of acceptance and belongingness of Latinos and members of other groups (Studies 3 and 4). These studies consider general processes of prejudice and identify how particular facets of bias against Latinos can shape their experiences and, taken together, illustrate how understanding bias against Latinos can reciprocally inform contemporary theories of prejudice.

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Past research has focused on demographic and skill-acquisition variables, such as age of arrival and length of residence in the host country, to predict accent strength in a nonnative language. The present research investigated the relationships between accent strength and social psychological orientations of nonnative English speakers in the United States. Employing causal modeling techniques, this research extended previous work by examining nonnative speakers' identification with the United States along with age and length of residence as predictors of both other-and self-perceived accent strengths. The research further investigated how accent strength may predict speakers' perceptions of communication challenges and lack of social belonging. The results supported the proposed over alternative models. The importance of taking into account sociopsychological factors as both predictors and consequences of accent strength is considered, along with implications for research on the stigma of nonnative accents.