Australia is a multicultural country, attracting around 190,000 migrants from across the globe each year so, chances are, you know someone with a foreign accent.

But have you ever wondered what makes up an accent, or why someone might want to change theirs?

What can accents tell us about each other and the society we live in?

Having an accent tells people where we're from, so does modifying it erase our identity?

Gillian Aeria takes a deep-dive into the topic and meets people who are paid to change the way their clients speak.

Featuring: speech pathologist Sam Harvey; Ear and Speak linguistic consultant Dr Duncan Markham and his clients Leon* and Sam Yam; and McDonald Murholme employment lawyer Andrew Jewell.

*name changed at his request

PRODUCED by GILLIAN AERIA

MUSIC:

'Starling' and 'Across the River' by Podington Bear (CC BY-NC 3.0)

'Thread of Clouds' by Blue Dot Sessions (CC BY-NC 4.0)

From the Free Music Archive

Discrimination case referred to:

Philip v State of New South Wales [2011] FMCA 308 (10 June 2011)