People worry too much about their accents. Often times, I have met a lot of people who told me,” I want to sound like a native speaker.” When I heard that, I was so confused. There were so many questions came to my mind. Like, is it important? Is it really necessary to sound like a native speaker? Even more ridiculous way, I laughed. Why do people want to sound like a native speaker? Do they wish to be born in England or United States? Or what? Someone please explain to me.

Most of the people tend to say that I sound like an American when I speak English. Well, yeah. I trained my accent because I love it. I tried to sound like a British, but I failed. LOL. My goal of speaking English is not about showing how cool my accent is or how perfect I sound like a native. No, it is not. I just want to be understood. I just want to send a message that is clear and understandable. And if I sound like a native to you, I consider it as a bonus.

And the same goes to you. Honestly, accent is about comfort. It is about how comfortable you are when speaking English. Not only that, having a certain kind of accent is a part of your interest. And as the saying goes, “practice makes perfect,” of course you can train your accent. You can practice it. If you like a specific accent then go for it. But don’t worry too much about it. Your accent is not a problem. The fact that it reflects who you are, where you are from, several languages you speak, and the experiences that you have been through that have made you for who you are.

Nowadays, there are many people worry far too much about their accents. The real issue usually is not about the accent itself, but things like unclear sounds, flat intonation, speech patterns, or trembling voice that make it harder for people to understand you.

I have worked with many people and students who have thought that it was their accent that holding them back which is why it was quite difficult for them to be able to deliver their messages clearly and sometimes it led them to misunderstanding. So, let us change that perspective. Let us try to focus on certain sounds, rhythm, intonation, and how to manage our nerves so that we can speak clearer without worrying too much about our accent. Instead of chasing the idea of “sound like a native,” just focus on how to speak in a way that is clear, vocal, natural, and engaging. That is where people listen to you.

Again, everybody has their own accent. Embrace it. Speak with confidence and believe me, people will understand you effortlessly. Your accent is a part of your life, do not lose it. ***CND