London: A study held in the UK about the discrimination people faced over their English accent found African-Caribbean and Indian accents to be the least prestigious while people who speak BBC English or 'the Queen's English' is rated as the most prestigious accent.
The study shows the public perception of the accent has not changed over the past 50 years, underling the grip of the hierarchy of 'accent prestige' in British society.
The study focuses on how 'accent prestige' influences British employers who belittle the working class or people who use regional English accents as not worthy of employment because of their accents.
This in effect, creates a fear of losing their employability chances in young people from the north of England and the Midlands compared with people from the south of England (other than London), the study said.
The report authored by Prof Devyani Sharma, of Queen Mary University London, implies the need for tackling the fear by employers.
Among adults in the survey, 25% said their accents had been mocked or criticised at work, while 47% of university students and 46% of adults said their accents had been singled out or mocked in social situations.
About 44% of sixth-formers from the north of England said their accent had been criticised or highlighted, compared with 30% in Scotland and 24% in the south of England.
The report wanted employers to look into accent bias seriously lest it shall not become another form of discrimination.