Language Does More: Multilingualism
For a country without an official language, the United States has a very peculiar outlook on multilingualism and the accents come along with it. To many Americans, knowing multiple languages displays intelligence and is regarded as being very useful, with many American businesses looking to hire people who are multilingual. And it would seem that there are ample opportunities for hiring multilingual workers: there are about 350 different languages being spoken in homes around the U.S.! Despite all this linguistic diversity, English still reigns supreme as the standard for "professionalism” in the workplace. And not just any English: fluent, unaccented English.
Americans have a complicated relationship with multilingualism. In many other countries, multilingualism is the standard. As of 2022, 67% of Europeans spoke at least one foreign language. Conversely, from the Washington Post, “According to the U.S. Census Bureau, only 20 percent of Americans can converse in two or more languages”. So why isn’t multilingualism the standard in the United States in the same way as it is elsewhere in the world? Despite the reputation of the American “melting pot”, a pervasive anti-immigration mindset influences the way we view non-native English speakers.
As explained by the National Library of Medicine: “Although most of the world is multilingual, the use of two or more languages in the United States has historically been marked as a complicating factor rather than a benefit. Attitudes toward languages other than English have been confounded with attitudes toward immigration and cultural diversity, resulting in a wealth of mythology surrounding language learning and language use.” To many Americans, theoretically, knowing multiple languages is a benefit, but in practice, much of the U.S. carries expectations of how they want English to be spoken, and have biases about people who speak English with an accent. This belief hinders Americans in the business world, because it both discourages workers from learning another language, as well as overlooking a possibly well-suited person for a job because of an accent. Likewise, it puts English as a second language speakers at a disadvantage simply for the fact that they are not a native speaker.
Many speakers of English as a second language have gone to the extent of taking accent reduction classes, just to fit in with the American business world. It makes sense that many people feel pressured to reduce their accent when working in the U.S., because according to Goh Chiew Tong and Monica Pitrelli from CNBC, “A study published in 2022 found that job candidates who speak with “standard accents” — that is, the accent generally accepted in a given region — are more likely to be hired. The research found this was due to a perception that other accents thwart communication, to accent prejudices — or both.” This reality brings to mind the central issue surrounding linguistic diversity: AGENCY vs IDENTITY.
If you are a non-native speaker of Standard American English in the US, you are encouraged to downplay your true linguistic identity so that you can increase your agency (ability to excel at your job) in the workplace. This is just as true for native Spanish speakers as it is for native speakers of Black English (African American English, AAE), native speakers of Southern American English, or native speakers of any other “foreign” language.
Is it really necessary for IDENTITY and AGENCY to be pitted against each other, forcing non-native speakers to choose one or the other, but never allowing them to hold both? Given the rest of the world seems to balance these two elements more effortlessly, perhaps the U.S. is missing out.
But let this be the turning of the tide: with increased awareness of the importance of all types of diversity in the workplace (including linguistic diversity), American companies now have the opportunity to redefine what the language expectations should be for their employees - starting with what truly constitutes “professional” language.
By refusing to see multilingualism as a trade-off with efficacy in the workplace, we open the door for truly diverse work environments that benefit everybody.
