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Accents, as representations of language contact on the phonetic-phonological level, are characterised by great variance. This variability stems from various sources, including language systems, psycholinguistic factors, and individual idiosyncrasies, resulting in both qualitative and quantitative distinctions. However, it is only in perception that accents acquire their indexical function and sociolinguistic significance. They become powerful factors in social interactions because they are associated with attitudes that activate sociocultural stereotypes concerning the speakers' origins (e.g. Giles & Watson (eds.) 2013; Moyer 2013). Therefore, research on attitudes towards accents has traditionally been listener-centric, predominantly focusing on well-established sociolinguistic categories (Garrett 2010).
Nevertheless, recent studies have shifted towards considering personal experiences with multilingualism, subjective language theories, individual concepts of accents, and sensitivity to discrimination as crucial factors in accent evaluations (Hansen 2020; Roessel, Schoel, & Stahlberg 2020). But even this evolving approach is grounded in the perspective of a dominant language community where the particular language is spoken with different accents.
Yet, what about the individuals who bear these accents? What attitudes do they form on response to accents that serve as markers of their origins? What role do their language acquisition experiences and accent-related beliefs play in shaping these attitudes?
The paper aims to address these questions by drawing on the findings of two perceptual linguistic studies on Slavic, Polish- and Russian-based accents in German. Against the backdrop of data on the evaluation of Slavic accents by external German-speaking observers, we will present the results of self-assessments, which will be linked to the individual accent theories and multilingualism experiences of Slavic-speaking individuals. This comparative approach, examining both self-perception and perception by others, intends to fill a research gap that carries potential relevance, particularly in light of ongoing discussions about latent anti-Slavic sentiment within German society.