Giles' Accommodation Theory

Who came up with the accommodation theory?

Howard Giles.

What is convergence?

‘Moving towards’ another person’s way of speaking

What is mutual convergence?

Where both speakers alter their speech in order to sound more like the other.

What is upward convergence?

Where a person attempts to match their interlocutor by making their speech seem more upper

What is downward convergence?

Where a person with speech that is regarded as upper-class adjusts their communication to downplay their social status, but their interlocutor remains static.

What is divergence?

‘Moving away’ from another person’s way of speaking.

What is mutual divergence?

Where both speakers alter their speech in order to sound less like the other.

What is upward divergence?

Where a speaker accentuates their higher social status through their speech in order to distance themselves from their interlocutor, and their interlocutor remains static.

What is downward divergence?

Where a speaker accentuates their lower social status through their speech in order to distance themselves from their interlocutor, and their interlocutor remains static.

What is maintenance?

Where a speaker refuses to change their communication style in any way.

What is over-accommodation?

When a speaker adjusts their speech too much, often sounding exaggerated or patronizing to the listener.

What is under-accommodation?

When a speaker fails to adjust their speech enough, which may come across as indifferent or dismissive.

What is intergroup communication?

Communication where people emphasise their group identity, often leading to divergence rather than convergence.

What is normative fit?

How well an accommodation aligns with social expectations; if it feels natural, it's more likely to be accepted positively.

What is subjective accommodation?

How the listener perceives the speaker’s adjustment; it may differ from what the speaker intended.