First-Year Writing Competition (AY2526 Term 2)

A hot matcha latte rests on the left. Wired headphones frame the opposite corner. At the centre lies a bright red hardback copy of Haruki Murakami’s Norwegian Wood. This tableau has appeared on my Instagram feed more times than I can count. At first glance, it seems harmless, even charming. Yet the more I see it, the more I wonder: across social media platforms, books are more popular than ever, but is reading?

As communities such as BookTok grow, Singapore’s reading culture is shifting from a pursuit of knowledge into a curated aesthetic performance. With the rise of performative reading, where people want to look well-read rather than be well-read,  the deeper purposes of reading – developing critical thinking and empathy – risk erosion. To preserve these foundations, Singapore must focus on authentic engagement over viral validation.

Social-media reading prioritises aesthetics and virality over depth. BookTok heightens consumerist pressures around reading. Users confess to owning hundreds of unread books (Pierce, 2023). Videos showcasing massive book hauls gain the most traction (Manavis, 2024). We mistake consumption for comprehension, turning reading into a competitive sport. Many focus on how many books they can rush through, not how much knowledge they retain. In chasing numbers, we rush through books and compromise retention. If we are unable to remember anything we read, what’s the point? (Oppong, 2021).  

Engaging in performative reading forfeits the benefits reading can offer. Deep reading – slow and effortful engagement with complex texts – is one of the best tools for developing empathy and critical thinking (Harmon, 2025). Readers “transported” into fiction become more empathetic by inhabiting characters’ lives (Bal &Veltkamp, 2013), while critical thinking develops through holding multiple perspectives, built through effortful engaging with complex ideas through reading (Daimler, 2026).  Performative reading fosters superficial engagement, which cannot sustain these deeper processes. Stripped of these benefits, reading loses its purpose.

The problem is compounded by the ubiquitous use of AI. 59% of Singapore residents use AI (Google, 2025). As more people rely on AI instead of thinking for themselves, critical thinking and deep reading become even more valuable. Increased reliance on AI tools is linked to diminished critical thinking abilities (Jackson, 2025).  Reading should be our resistance. If AI already threatens to nullify the need for critical thinking, why should we further undermine it through performative reading?

Critics argue that BookTok revives interest in books. In Singapore, bookstores like Kinokuniya introduced dedicated BookTok sections, reporting that fiction sales rose by about 10 per cent after introducing them (Lim, 2024).  However, widening access to books does not guarantee meaningful engagement. Increased exposure without depth is like collecting gym memberships without exercising. It creates the appearance of self-improvement without the reality of growth.

One step is to join a book club.  Book clubs are a way for like-minded individuals to meet and discuss their current reads (Lim, 2024). NTU’s Professor Julien Cayla describes them as “communities of practice,” where learning deepens through active participation (Chan, 2025). By requiring readers to defend their interpretations, book clubs make superficial engagement difficult. This redirects reading from performance to depth.

As someone who has long taken pride in being a voracious reader, I admit there is something gratifying about seeing reading become “cool”. But my frustration lies in watching an activity that shaped the way I think, reduced to an aesthetic. Reading is at its best when it challenges our assumptions and deepens our empathy. To keep reading alive in its richest sense, we must choose depth over display. Otherwise, we risk losing not just the plot of our books, but the plot of what reading is meant to be. 
 

Reference List

Bal, P. M., & Veltkamp, M. (2013). How does fiction reading influence empathy? An experimental investigation on the role of emotional transportation.  https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0055341

Chan, G. (2025, March 6). As Singapore’s adult literacy levels decline, book clubs offer a solution. The Straits Times. https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/as-adult-literacy-levels-decline-book-clubs-offer-a-solution-through-community-and-conversation

Daimler, M. (2026, February 4). AI can’t replace critical thinking: reading is how you build it. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/melissadaimler/2026/01/15/ai-cant-replace-critical-thinking-reading-is-how-you-build-it/

Google. Ipsos. (2025, January). Google x Ipsos report: Our Life With AI: From innovation to application. https://www.ipsos.com/sites/default/files/ct/news/documents/2025-10/IpsosGoogle_our-life-with-ai_2025.pdf

Harmon, J. (2025, July 8). Maryanne Wolf: Deep reading a tool for attaining empathy, critical thinking skills - UCLA School of Education & Information Studies. UCLA School of Education & Information Studies. https://seis.ucla.edu/news/maryanne-wolf-deep-reading-a-tool-for-attaining-empathy-critical-thinking-skills/

Jackson, J. (2025, January 13). Increased AI use linked to eroding critical thinking skills. https://phys.org/news/2025-01-ai-linked-eroding-critical-skills.html

Lim, R. (2024, August 28). Singapore’s book clubs boom as social media sparks reading renaissance. The Business Times. https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/opinion-features/singapores-book-clubs-boom-social-media-sparks-reading-renaissance

Manavis, S. (2024c, February 8). On social media, books are trendy. Is reading? New Statesman. https://www.newstatesman.com/comment/2024/02/booktok-social-media-books-trendy-reading

Oppong, T. (2021). Performative reading: A modern habit that makes people forget 90% of what they read. https://medium.com/mind-cafe/performative-reading-a-modern-habit-that-makes-people-forget-90-of-what-they-read-e4213b8b84e6

Pierce, B. (2023, February 1). In the shallow world of BookTok, being ‘a reader’ is more important than actually reading. British GQ. https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/culture/article/booktok-tiktok-books-community

Dating used to mean slowly moving towards being exclusive, meeting parents and building a shared life. For Gen Z, it means enjoying dates and late-night calls, but never getting a clear answer to “what are we?”. We embraced that relationship model so much we even gave it a name. Situationships. For those still confused, it means more than talking but less than dating. Affection and intimacy? Yes. Labels and promises? Non-existent. (DiDonato, 2025)

By popularizing this in-between state, we replaced commitment with ambiguity, leading to widespread emotional distress and loneliness. My generation hasn't fixed dating, we’ve hollowed it out. The quickest fix? Simple. Normalise being upfront about intentions from the start.

I spent months in a situationship that wrecked me, spiralling every night dissecting texts till dawn, heart racing with dread that she would vanish. I never knew where I stood, read every emoji like hieroglyphs and avoided hard conversations in case I ruined the ‘vibe’. A Hinge study reveals 56% of Gen Z hesitate to define feelings from rejection fear (Nolan, 2024), trapping us in stress cycles my chest still recalls.

That's situationship’s first brutal toll. It breeds overthinking and anxiety. Gen Z reports highest distress rates, soaring 134% since 2010 (Brown and White, 2025) and mismatched expectations are worsening it (Chaffin, 2025). Why not just avoid situationships then? That's ambiguity's grip, hooking us via inconsistent rewards that spike dopamine harder than steady love and wiring us for the situationship trap (Rothenhoefer et al., 2021).

Beyond the immediate heartbreak, situationships have cursed my generation with a loneliness epidemic like never seen before. Research shows that a staggering 72% of Gen Z are lonely (Monaghan, 2025). We are hyper connected in today’s digital era, yet starved for real bonds with only a third of Gen Zers having experienced exclusivity (YPulse, 2023). Science explains the numbers. Affection triggers oxytocin also known as the bonding hormone, providing the illusion of closeness (Oxytocin: The Love Hormone, n.d.). However, when reciprocity and emotional security fails to follow, resentment festers and fear of commitment grows. Ultimately, loneliness creeps in.

I get the appeal. Situationships offer flexibility for chaotic Gen Z lives. No labels, no timelines and no drama, just vibes and intimacy. A Tinder survey found that 54% of 18 to 24 year olds liked situationships because they could “develop a relationship with less pressure” (Tinder, 2022). No upset partner while getting needs met, sounds perfect right?

Here’s where the fantasy crumbles. Human biology craves security beyond affection or intimacy (Shaver & Mikulincer, 2020). Situationships birth mismatched expectations and hopes, where one craves more. Hence, the “flexibility” of situationships devolves to emotional whiplash and feeling “not enough” (Walker, 2025). Situationships equate empowerment and true freedom? I disagree.

We Gen Zers have definitely ruined dating, but we can fix it starting today. The vital step? Normalize making intentions clear from day one. Ask the question of the century, "Casual or serious?". “Clarity does not ruin healthy connections. It strengthens them” (How to Avoid Falling Into a Situationship Through Clear Communication, 2025). So go ahead, demand it and poof, situationships dissolve, hearts align, loneliness lifts and real bonds bloom. No more constant overthinking and anxiety, it's that simple (Gupta, 2025).

My nights fearing being ghosted and being an emotional roller coaster end here. To my fellow Gen Zers, join me. Let us rebuild dating one honest conversation at a time.
 

Reference List

Brown and White. (2025, February 20). Editorial: Situationships, all the feels, none of the titles. The Brown and White. Retrieved February 13, 2026, from https://thebrownandwhite.com/2025/02/20/editorial-situationships-all-the-feels-none-of-the-titles/

Chaffin, C. R. (2025, January 3). The Danger of Expectations: How They Shape Our Lives. the-danger-of-expectations-how-they-shape-our-lives. Retrieved February 12, 2026, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/putting-psychology-into-practice/202501/the-danger-of-expectations-how-they-shape-our-lives?msockid=349f6717ef0768e00b5b711cee42691a

DiDonato, T. (2025, March 3). The Non-Relationship Situationship. Psychology Today. Retrieved February 12, 2026, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/meet-catch-and-keep/202411/the-non-relationship-situationship

Gupta, S. (2025, October 26). Situationship: How to Cope When Commitment is Unclear. Situationship: How to Cope When Commitment is Unclear. Retrieved February 12, 2026, from https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-a-situationship-5216144

How to Avoid Falling Into a Situationship Through Clear Communication. (2025, December 24). How to Avoid Falling Into a Situationship Through Clear Communication. Retrieved February 12, 2026, from https://2improveyourself.com/how-to-avoid-falling-into-a-situationship-through-clear-communication/

Monaghan, B. (2025, January 17). Study reveals a staggering 72% of Gen Z struggle with regular loneliness. Study reveals a staggering 72% of Gen Z struggle with regular loneliness. Retrieved February 12, 2026, from https://www.indy100.com/news/gen-z-loneliness-epidemic

Nolan, S. (2024, February 13). Hinge Releases Report on Gen Z & Rejection. Hinge Releases Report on Gen Z & Rejection. Retrieved February 12, 2026, from https://www.globaldatinginsights.com/news/hinge-releases-report-on-gen-z-rejection/

Oxytocin: The love hormone. (n.d.). Harvard Health. Retrieved February 12, 2026, from https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/oxytocin-the-love-hormone

Rothenhoefer, K. M., Hong, T., Alikaya, A., & Stauffer, W. R. (2021, March 8). Rare Rewards Amplify Dopamine Responses. Rare Rewards Amplify Dopamine Responses. Retrieved February 12, 2026, from https://www.nature.com/articles/s41593-021-00807-7

Shaver, P. R., & Mikulincer, M. (2020, March 20). Enhancing the “Broaden and Build” Cycle of Attachment Security in Adulthood: From the Laboratory to Relational Contexts and Societal Systems. PMC. Retrieved February 12, 2026, from https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7143531/

Tinder. (2022, november 28). TINDER’S YEAR IN SWIPE™. 2022-11-28-TINDERS-YEAR-IN-SWIPE-TM. Retrieved February 12, 2026, from https://www.tinderpressroom.com/2022-11-28-TINDERS-YEAR-IN-SWIPE-TM

Walker, A. M. (2025, June 15). Why Some People Stay Trapped in Situationships. Why Some People Stay Trapped in Situationships. Retrieved February 12, 2026, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/hidden-desires/202506/the-situationship-trap-why-we-stay-in-almost-relationships

YPulse. (2023, February 4). How Many Gen Z and Millennials Have Really Been in a Situationship. LinkedIn. Retrieved February 12, 2026, from https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-many-gen-z-millennials-have-really-been-situationship-ypulse

My friends howled hysterically at every scroll, and without thinking much, I laughed along. Reels blasting “We are Charlie Kirk” filled my feed while edits of faces morphing into absurd caricatures of his likeness (Owen, 2025) barraged us; we were swept up in delirious humour, never noticing how numb and automatic our responses had become.

Only much later did I realise how strange it felt to find myself laughing at something rooted in real human loss. That experience made one thing hauntingly clear to me: the memeification of visceral media has hollowed out how we engage with real-world events, leaving us apathetic to the very moments that ought to matter. To confront this, we must restore a deliberate engagement with what we consume and circulate; starting with a brief moment of thought before we react. 

Simply notice what we had all been scrolling past for far too long: the way serious real-world events are increasingly turned into punchlines. Today’s feeds are filled to the brim with memes that reduce meaningful moments to digital slop that sticks in the mind purely for their absurdity or shock value (Rykhlo & Orioke, 2025). When humour is arbitrarily attached to serious social messages in this way, it trivialises the original issue, and the rapid spread of such meme formats often drains these high-salience topics of their original emotional weight (Gandhi, 2025). 

What’s worse, the very architecture of social media platforms, on, e.g., TikTok and Instagram, only fuels this pattern! Their algorithms prioritise content that garners swift engagement; that is to say, whatever keeps us tapping and sharing (Milli et al., 2025). That’s no coincidence either: research highlights that it’s precisely because of its emotional immediacy that such content propagates more widely than material that demands reflection (Shifman, 2013). And this is detrimental because our feeds then become echo chambers of reaction loops that provoke nothing more than cheap, momentary laughter. 

But it’s not just that we laughed, it’s how how the humour was delivered. When visceral media is constantly reframed as nothing but senseless slop, repeated exposure begins to dull our emotional and cognitive responses (Carmona Pestaña et al., 2025). Over time, this repeated trivialisation desensitises us to significant concerns; in effect, when morbid humour replaces context, our ability to empathise with and feel real-world harm risks fading into a carnival of shoddy entertainment.

Of course, netizens may argue that the visibility memes bring itself constitutes a form of engagement, and posting humorous formats can lower barriers to entry for social issues by making them more approachable for culturally-diverse audiences (Sarwar & Younus, 2024). 

However, even if meme exposure increases participation metrics, e.g., awareness or expressed interest, people may still react to visceral media without genuinely exploring the underlying complexity of an issue or treating it with the gravitas that it warrants (Wu et al., 2024).

So, how do we stop ourselves from becoming zombies who endlessly consume content and react without thought? The way to go lies in a simple habit: think before you tap! Don’t just mindlessly double-tap and swipe; instead, take a second to question what you actually know about the reel, and ask whether it even has real meaning or is it just a prompting a knee-jerk reaction? When we make that short, reflective pause a norm, we weaken the emotional reflex loop that social media algorithms exploit and shift our automatic responses toward a more deliberate engagement of content (Nie, 2025). Perhaps, with this, figures like Charlie Kirk may finally rest in peace, and not exist unceremoniously in this digital detritus so many of us call ‘humour’.
 

Reference List

Carmona Pestaña, A., Herrera-Peco, I., Jiménez-Gómez, B., & Suárez-Llevat, C. (2025). Internet Memes as Drivers of Health Narratives and Infodemics: An Integrative Review (Preprint). JMIR Infodemiology. https://doi.org/10.2196/77029

Gandhi, S. (2025). Memification of Serious Issues: Irony and Desensitization in Digital Culture. An International Journal in English, 16, 976–8165. https://www.the-criterion.com/V16/n6/2025V16n6018.pdf

Milli, S., Carroll, M., Wang, Y., Pandey, S., Zhao, S., & Dragan, A. D. (2025). Engagement, user satisfaction, and the amplification of divisive content on social media. PNAS Nexus, 4(3). https://doi.org/10.1093/pnasnexus/pgaf062

Nie, Z. (2025). The Psychological Mechanisms and Legal Regulation of Information Manipulation on Social Media. Lecture Notes in Education Psychology and Public Media, 123(1), 50–57. https://doi.org/10.54254/2753-7048/2025.ns27539

Owen. (2025, November 18). “We Are Charlie Kirk” by Spalexma. Know Your Meme. https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/we-are-charlie-kirk-by-spalexma

Rykhlo, S., & Orioke, O. (2025, June 5). The Midwood Argus. The Midwood Argus. https://www.midwoodargus.com/blog/2025/5/28/the-rise-of-brain-rot

Sarwar, D., & Younus, M. (2024). EXAMINING THE IMPACT OF MEMES ON POLITICAL PERSPECTIVE WITHIN SOCIAL MEDIA; SURVEY OF TEENS. Journal of Media Horizons, 5(4), 22–36. https://jmhorizons.com/index.php/journal/article/view/35?

Shifman, L. (2013). Memes in a Digital World: Reconciling with a Conceptual Troublemaker. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 18(3), 362–377. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcc4.12013

Wu, X., Song, Y., & Zhao, X. (2024). Exploring Memes as a Form of Illness Trivialization in Young People: Social and Psychological ConsequencesA Literature Review. Communications in Humanities Research, 64(1), 50–55. https://doi.org/10.54254/2753-7064/2024.18988

“Would you like me to narrow down one of these ideas and create a preliminary outline?”

I stared blankly at my screen. It was 2 in the morning. I had spiralled down a rabbit hole of preparation: reading previous winning entries, analysing the assessment guidelines, with AI generating more topic ideas than I could ever write about in my lifetime. I was doing everything, except writing. One might call me Socrates without his pen, a thinker who only thinks.

But I know I’m not alone.

In Singapore, we have rebranded the idea of overpreparation as “due diligence”. However, when we spend more time preparing to begin than actually beginning, we are not being prudent, we are unknowingly procrastinating.

This all boils down to the fear of failure. Singaporeans’ “Kiasu” mindset drives a hyper-competitive culture, where even minor blunders are perceived as significant setbacks. In fact, 72% of Singaporean students reported being afraid of failure (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, 2019). This study reflects a wider cultural norm that prioritises avoiding failure and uncertainty. More often than not, the paralysing fear leads to our hyper-fixation on an optimal start. So, can one really fault me for wanting a perfect topic before writing?

Unfortunately, yes. Psychologists coin this phenomenon as the “pre-crastination trap” (Rosenbaum et al., 2014). By indulging in low-stakes research and over-optimisation, we are essentially choosing an immediate, easier task to reduce our cognitive load.

In our merciless academic landscape, we would rather bear the burden of endless optimisation than face the paralysing possibility of a flawed first draft. Because as long as we remain in the safety zone of preparation, the task remains in a state of theoretical perfection.

In reality, the satisfaction I derived from doing my “due diligence” masked the fact that I still had a blank document. Every second spent planning was a second I could have spent learning. Most people have lost hours mistaking preparation for progress, oblivious to how much time was slipping away.

Critics may argue that “just starting” is reckless. After all, if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. This is especially true in our cutthroat society, where optimisation is not a choice but a survival strategy. Hence, it would be myopic to consider preparation unnecessary in our path to success. In fact, studies show that metacognitive preparation strategies such as organising and planning are actually top predictors of Singaporean students' reading success (Wong et al., 2025).

That said, a wise woman once sang, “Too much of anything can make you sick”. Preparation can indeed yield substantial gains in performance, but only up to a certain point. Excessive planning can burden cognitive resources, leading to unnecessary delays (Misuraca et al., 2024). A sharpened pencil is a good pencil. An over-sharpened pencil leaves you with nothing to write.

We must stop decorating the starting line. For your next endeavour, limit your preparation to 30 minutes. When that timer hits zero, take one tangible albeit potentially embarrassing action. Write that messy first paragraph. Pick up a new hobby with sub-optimal equipment. Maybe even talk to your crush without rehearsing a pickup line.

The goal isn’t to eliminate uncertainty, it is to confront it. Not because planning is useless, but because we shouldn’t let fear steer the wheel. The very struggle to conquer a challenge without a sure-win blueprint is what allows for more robust learning (Bjork et al., 2011).  

Today, I made the decisive change to ghost my best friend, Gemini, and you should too. Do not confuse movement with progress. Sometimes the best action to take is simply to start.

Reference List

Bjork, R. A., & Bjork, E. L. (2020). Desirable Difficulties in Theory and Practice. Journal of Applied Research in Memory and Cognition, 9(4), 475–479. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jarmac.2020.09.003

Misuraca, R., Nixon, A. E., Miceli, S., Di Stefano, G., & Scaffidi Abbate, C. (2024). On the advantages and disadvantages of choice: future research directions in choice overload and its moderators. Frontiers in Psychology, 15, 1290359. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1290359

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. (2019). Singapore: What 15-year-old students in Singapore know and can do (PISA 2018 country note). OECD. https://www.oecd.org/content/dam/oecd/en/about/programmes/edu/pisa/publications/national-reports/pisa-2018/featured-country-specific-overviews/PISA2018_CN_SGP.pdf

Rosenbaum, D. A., Gong, L., & Potts, C. A. (2014). Pre-Crastination: Hastening Subgoal Completion at the Expense of Extra Physical Effort. Psychological Science, 25(7), 1487–1496. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797614532657

Wong, L.-H., King, R. B., & Haw, J. (2025). The secret behind Singapore’s success: identifying the top predictors of student reading achievement using machine learning / El secreto detrás del éxito de Singapur: identificación de los principales predictores del rendimiento lector de los estudiantes mediante el aprendizaje automático. Infancia y Aprendizaje, 48(2), 426–454. https://doi.org/10.1177/02103702251323477

On paper, I can give William Shakespeare a run for his money. I’d toss in complex words from my mental pantry and cook up a literary concoction complete with a dash of semantics, a smidge of an analogy, and perhaps a pun here and there. Surely, this means I can engage in routine conversation? Not exactly.

It wasn’t until the day I moved to a predominantly English-speaking country at 17 that I realised how easily my roots gave me away. My accent, thick as tar, served as a real-time cipher, setting me starkly apart in a sea of rapid “Singlish”. Suddenly, I found myself hesitating to speak at all. Being highlighted, particularly in university when all you want to do is blend in, is alienating. Accent bias—the unconscious tendency to judge someone’s competence or social status based on their accent—is everywhere, and it’s proven to inflict anxiety and self-consciousness in 35% of university students, the highest out of any other demographic (Ilbury, 2022). With social and psychological consequences, accent bias has rendered bilingualism a double-edged sword, and it’s time we dulled the blade to improve student success and well-being.

Bilingualism itself isn’t harmful. In fact, I wouldn’t be where I am if it wasn't for my proficiency in English. By blurring linguistic borders, bilingualism opens doors to new opportunities, cultures, and communities (IL Centres, 2024). With a dedicated section for language proficiency on LinkedIn, it has become a valuable asset for boosting one’s trajectory (Burton, 2024). Beyond social mobility, having a second language in your arsenal can include cognitive benefits like greater flexibility and problem-solving skills, which contribute to better academic performance (Bialystok, 2001).

So why do “foreign-accented” students, myself included, struggle to truly harness these benefits? Professor Grosjean from Neuchâtel University says bilinguals are almost always saddled with a “foreign accent”. It's the anxiety that comes with it that hinders the true joys of being bilingual. Oftentimes, this anxiety rarely has anything to do with actual English proficiency but the fear of being judged or dismissed (Lopez, 2025). However, this fear is not without grounds: studies show it takes us less than 30 seconds to linguistically profile someone and assign prejudiced intelligence levels or socio-economic status (Agarwal, 2021). We’re afraid of being judged precisely because we know how quickly judgment happens.

While differences in pronunciation can hinder social acclimatisation, being perceived as less competent only intensifies the struggle. Post (2025) found that students were reluctant to participate in class when they felt their academic contributions weren’t valued due to their accent, indicating that bias creates a ‘silent barrier’ that defeats the very purpose of engaging with like-minded peers in university.

Since bias occurs unconsciously, we must make conscious efforts to dismantle it. Research indicates listeners can learn to adjust to accented speech patterns within minutes (Clarke & Garrett, 2004). Although snap judgments are instinctive, this means recognising bias when it occurs and slowing down enough to make conscious efforts to listen can ensure accented speakers feel seen, not just heard. By reframing judgements into empathy, you might just discover a friend dumbed-down by their accent.

For those of us with a ‘foreign accent’, the pressure to code-switch only furthers cognitive burden (Post, 2025). it is important to recognise that it is the hierarchy that needs to be lost, not our accents. Our accent is representative of our roots. To dull it, is to dull ourselves. So keep the harsh r’s and t’s, because speech that’s seasoned with tajin, cardamom, or anything in between is better than no speech at all.

Reference List

Agarwal, P. (2021, December 10). Accent bias: How can we minimize discrimination in the workplace? Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/pragyaagarwaleurope/2018/12/30/bias-is-your-accent-holding-you-back/

Bialystok, E. (2001). Bilingualism in development: Language, literacy, and cognition. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511605963

Burton, N., MA MD. (2024, July 5). Why you should learn another language. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/sg/blog/hide-and-seek/201807/beyond-words-the-benefits-of-being-bilingual

Clarke, C. M., & Garrett, M. F. (2004). Rapid adaptation to foreign-accented English. The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 116(6), 3647–3658. https://doi.org/10.1121/1.1815131

Grosjean, F., PhD. (2011, January 25). Most bilinguals have an accent in one of their languages. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/sg/blog/life-bilingual/201101/bilinguals-and-accents

Ilbury, E. L. D. S. C. (2022, November 9). Speaking up - the Sutton Trust. The Sutton Trust. https://www.suttontrust.com/our-research/speaking-up-accents-social-mobility/

IL Centres. (2024, October 9). How being bilingual can boost your career across industries: Unlock global opportunities and maximize success. IL Centres. https://ilcentres.com/post/how-being-bilingual-can-boost-your-career-across-industries-unlock-global-opportunities-and-maximize-success

Lopez, M., & Lopez, M. (2025, June 26). Accent Anxiety at work: Speaking Up Without Self-Sabotage — CBT techniques to silence the inner critic triggered by language barriers - Refresh Psychotherapy. Refresh Psychotherapy - THERAPY FOR NEW YORKERS. https://refreshtherapynyc.com/accent-anxiety-at-work-speaking-up-without-self-sabotage-cbt-techniques-to-silence-the-inner-critic-triggered-by-language-barriers/

Post, H. G. (2025, August 20). Tackling accent bias in Higher Education could improve students’ success, sense of belonging, and wellbeing - HEPI. HEPI. https://www.hepi.ac.uk/2025/04/17/tackling-accent-bias-in-higher-education-could-improve-students-success-sense-of-belonging-and-wellbeing/