The communication accommodation theory

The communication accommodation theory
Accommodation is basic human, and it is observable in verbal and non-verbal behaviour.
Focussing on verbal behaviour the communication accommodation theory was first presented
as a theory of accent mobility in the early 1970 by Howard Giles and colleges (Giles 1973,
Giles & Powesland [1975] 1997). Accent mobility refers to “the ability of an individual to
modify his accent or pronunciation” (Giles 1973:89). The theory has changed its name from
accent mobility, to speech accommodation to communication accommodation (Shepard, Giles
& Le Poire 2001), and the changes reflect that accommodation is not only limited to
pronunciation, but is also apparent in grammar and communication patterns. The heart of the
theory is still the same: A speaker is able to change the speech according to converge or
diverge towards his or hers partners in the conversation. It is also proposed that the speech
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partners can maintain the style of interaction.