Accommodation Theory is a sociolinguistic theory that explains how people adjust their language use to fit the social context and the people they are communicating with. This theory was first proposed by Howard Giles in the 1970s.
According to the theory, people have a natural tendency to adjust their speech style in order to be more similar to, or more different from, the person they are speaking to. This is called accommodation. Accommodation can occur in terms of pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, and other aspects of language use.
Accommodation can take several forms. Convergence occurs when people adjust their language use to be more similar to the person they are speaking with. This can happen when people want to show solidarity, express friendliness or respect, or to reduce social distance. On the other hand, divergence occurs when people adjust their language use to be more distinct or different from the person they are speaking with. This can happen when people want to show their independence, assert their identity, or to create social distance.
Accommodation theory also includes the concept of overaccommodation, which happens when a speaker adjusts their language use too much in an attempt to accommodate to the other person. For example, speaking very slowly or loudly to someone who is elderly or has a hearing impairment can be seen as overaccommodation.
Accommodation theory has been used to explain communication in a variety of settings, including intercultural communication, communication between people with different accents or dialects, and communication between people with different social status.
In intercultural communication, accommodation theory helps explain how people adapt their language use to the cultural norms and values of the people they are interacting with. For example, a tourist may attempt to learn some basic phrases in the local language in order to show respect and build rapport with locals.
In communication between people with different accents or dialects, accommodation theory explains how people modify their language use to be more understandable to the other person. For example, if a person from the south of the United States is speaking with someone from the north of the United States, they may adjust their accent slightly to be better understood.
In communication between people with different social status, accommodation theory explains how people adjust their language use to show respect or assert dominance. For example, a boss may use more formal language when speaking with an employee, while an employee may use more informal language when speaking with a boss.
Overall, Accommodation Theory is a valuable tool for understanding how language use is influenced by social context and how people adapt their language use to communicate effectively with others.
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Prepared by :
Biplob Prodhan
Founder of EDNOUB.
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Bibliography:
Study Guides, Text Books, Wikipedia, Internet.
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