Description

In this thought-provoking episode, Hossan and Stanley dive into the world of accents with international speaker and communication coach Heather Hansen (@heather.hansen) — TEDx speaker, author of Unmuted, PhD candidate in linguistics, and founder of Global Speech Academy.

Inspired by Singapore’s national pledge, what if we added just one word — accent — to that iconic line: “Regardless of race, language, accent or religion…”
Wouldn’t that be a more inclusive promise?

In this conversation, we explore:

• Why accents are more than just sounds — and how they carry deep social, cultural and emotional weight
• What it was like for Heather adjusting to life (and lah) in Singapore, and the hilarious catch-no-ball moments she faced
• Why we form biases around certain accents — and how these snap judgments can hold people back
• How even positive bias can be damaging, and where imitation crosses the line into mockery
• What TV shows like Mind Your Language got wrong (and right) about accent representation
• The global implications of accent bias in hiring, leadership, and cross-cultural communication
• And what YOU can do to check your own linguistic assumptions — and help build a world that listens better

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