Question

When giving a speech in front of her district supporters in Texas a member of the US House of Representatives emphasizes her Southern accent. However when speaking on the floor of Congress, she tends to speak without her accent. This behavior can be understood as:

Answer 1

The behavior of the US House of Representative member can be understood as code-switching between her Southern accent and standard English.

Step-by-step explanation:

Code-switching is a linguistic phenomenon where individuals alternate between two or more languages or language forms. In the given scenario, the US House of Representative member is intentionally using her Southern accent when giving a speech to her district supporters in Texas as a strategic appeal to her constituents. However, when speaking on the floor of Congress, she tends to speak without her accent, which may be because she wants to adapt to the formal setting and communicate effectively with her colleagues. This behavior can be understood as code-switching based on the context and audience.