▁single ▁ge ographical ▁location ▁and ▁perce ived ▁by ▁the ▁language ▁users ▁themselves : ▁A ▁broad ▁acc ent ▁( s ometimes ▁equ ated ▁with ▁a ▁local ▁or ▁vern ac ular ▁acc ent ) ▁is ▁popular ly ▁perce ived ▁as ▁very ▁" strong " ▁or ▁" thick ", ▁highly ▁recogn izable ▁to ▁a ▁particular ▁population ▁( typ ically ▁within ▁a ▁particular ▁region ), ▁and ▁often ▁lingu ist ically ▁conserv ative ; ▁almost ▁always , ▁it ▁is ▁the ▁acc ent ▁associated ▁with ▁the ▁traditional ▁speech ▁of ▁the ▁local ▁people ▁or ▁the ▁working ▁class ▁( wh ether ▁rural ▁or ▁urban ) ▁of ▁a ▁given ▁region . ▁ ▁A ▁general ▁acc ent ▁is ▁perce ived ▁as ▁ge ograph ically ▁more ▁w ides p read , ▁not ▁particular ized ▁to ▁a ▁certain ▁population ▁or ▁location , ▁sound ing ▁more ▁" neut ral " ▁or ▁" weak ", ▁and ▁histor ico - ling u ist ically ▁innov ative ; ▁it ▁is ▁typically ▁associated ▁with ▁the ▁middle ▁class ▁of ▁a ▁given ▁region , ▁a ▁growing ▁process ▁of ▁standard ization ▁or ▁sup ra reg ional ization ▁that ▁trans c ends ▁local ▁boundaries , ▁or ▁more ▁" main stream " ▁speak ers . ▁▁ ▁Sometimes ▁a ▁third ▁category ▁is ▁also ▁distinguished : ▁a ▁cultiv ated ▁acc ent ▁that ▁is ▁considered ▁particularly ▁cult ured , ▁sty lish , ▁aff lu ent , ▁or ▁even ▁cont riv ed , ▁associated ▁with ▁the ▁educated ▁upper ▁class ▁of ▁a ▁given ▁region . ▁All ▁three ▁dist in ctions ▁are ▁well ▁studied ▁vari eties ▁within ▁South ▁African , ▁New