In the case of accented speech, it

In the case of accented speech, it is difficult to predict whether or not a listener will be consciously aware of the language difference. Depending on the person, the situation, and the specific accents involved, someone else’s accent may seem as if it stands out, or it may blend in imperceptibly. When it comes to other, less complex language differences, such as those in vocabulary or speech rate, it is even less likely that the listener will hold conscious awareness of those differences. You may not often realize when someone speaks more slowly than you do, but you may still have the vague impression that they are not quite “with it.” As this example suggests, awareness is not necessary for language differences to affect our judgment and treatment of other people. Sadly, this is what makes seemingly “minor” language differences particularly problematic. Unlike the earlier example in which the obviousness of the language differences held the promise of making people more tolerant of one another’s behaviors, the less perceptible differences are more diffificult to account for and cope with because of their relative subtlety. As a consequence, it becomes easier for us to put down and discriminate on the basis of language against someone who speaks our language differently than someone who does not speak it at all.