Implementing the CIRCE project allowed the following achievements: i) a clearer understanding of accent discrimination in four different European countries, via a shared experimental protocol, both for ESL teaching and national language(s) teaching; ii) the development of findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable (FAIR) tools and resources to innovate school curricula; iii) the creation of materials that enable teachers and educators to accommodate accent variation in their classrooms and other learning settings; iv) widespread consciousness-raising among students, teachers and the general public about the pervasiveness of accent discrimination, through targeted awareness campaigns on CIRCE social media, CIRCE newsletters, events, initiatives and competitions. Raising awareness on accent discrimination in high school and university setting supported a) developing appreciation of linguistic diversity; b) enhancing (inter-)cultural communicative competence.
Language-related discrimination is among the most insidious forms of discrimination. If left unchecked, discrimination related to linguistic issues (and accent in particular) can seriously affect not only the life outcomes of individuals but also broader social dynamics amongst social groups. The school environment is a hotspot for addressing accentism: students are exposed to different accents and form and reinforce attitudes towards them on the basis of peer pressure; teachers are confronted daily with regional and non-native accents of the national language, and are at risk of unconsciously succumbing to prejudice and negative evaluations of non-standard varieties. CIRCE emerged from the observation that accentism cannot be afforded by a single organisation in a single country. When it comes to accent discrimination the perspective ought to be supranational and intersectional. Therefore, discrimination against non-native accents must be considered in relation to discrimination against local and regional accents, with teaching practices, and with overt belief/overt attitudes expressed by teachers and students.