Does speaking like an Aussie make you sound insecure? | Head to head

That was the conclusion of a new study? Alex McClintock and Rae Earl debate the merits of the Australian upward inflectionAlex McClintock: Perhaps the English just haven't mastered it yetAustralians have long known the value of adding an upward inflection to the ends of our sentences. It makes everything sound a bit like a question, doesn't it?The "high-rising terminal" (or the Australian Question Intonation, if you want to get all racial about it) is getting a bad rap in Britain, though: 85% of managers surveyed by UK firm Pearson found the trait "a clear indicator of a person's insecurity or emotional weakness".But far from indicating insecurity, some studies suggest that the AQI is often used by powerful people when speaking to their subordinates (thereby explaining why Australians use it when talking to Britons). The theory is that it's much more acceptable for a boss to ask an employee whether they understand something than vice versa. Linguists also believe the high-rising can serve other purposes. A rising intonation at the end of a statement (giving directions, for example) implicitly asks the listener to confirm that they understand what they've been told. Alternatively, it can be used to stop an anticipated interruption.Besides, it's obvious why Britons would want to talk like Australians. The upward inflection lends us an air of mystery, while we continue to sound sophisticated enough for Americans to mistake us for English people. And it's a proven fact that all e...
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