Tag: identity

Accent Envy

An old friend of mine called me the other day from London, after we reconnected on Facebook. “Shyam,” the voice said. “How are you? This is Jay, It’s been a long time.” It took me a few seconds to realise that this was indeed Jay, my Malayali friend who had previously spoken with a mild and pleasant Malayali accent. So what was this? Why was he sounding like Sir John Gielgud? Should I call him...
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Nobody Knows The New Rules

Unlike the rule of law, the rules of social conduct are often strictly obeyed. These “rules” ,obviously unwritten and silent,dictate the gamut of social behaviour, from socially appropriate body language, to gestures, mannerisms, pitch of voice in a particular social context, to clothing, dress,etiquette, and accent. Normally, the majority of people in any group or culture know the rules. But sometimes they...
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