By Claire Young Last May, an article in Chicago Magazine said the “Classic Chicago Accent” is on the decline. Edward McClelland wrote that piece (and the book How to Speak Midwestern), citing findingsfrom The Chicagoland Language Project that younger generations of Chicagoans are actively rejecting the Classic Chicago Accent because of its association with segregation in Chicago. I spoke with two sociolinguists who don’t exactly agree with that hypothesis, arguing that it’s a case of expanding sample size. “I’m not comfortable saying that it’s on the decline,” says Dr. Jill Hallett, visiting l…