One question many educators don’t want to comment on is the idea that you should – or shouldn’t – work to improve your accent. This is because among the three main reasons for improving your pronunciation, one of them requires thinking about something negative.
The Good Part
First, if you can work to speak more clearly, then you’ll be better understood. That makes sense, and it’s something I’d recommend you focus on. You’ll be more confident in asking for directions or striking up a conversation with people, and you’ll feel more at ease knowing that you can communicate comfortably. For example, imagine being able to speak clearly and naturally at a noisy pub or cafe with your friends in English – you’ll go home feeling great that you can do it.
Second, it’s true that if you can sound more natural, you’ll get on better with people. For example, I know a Czech girl in Melbourne who came to the city last year, and has already picked up an Australian accent. I warmed to her straight away. Sounding more natural helps build rapport with people and they feel like you’re ‘one of them.’
And The Bad..
Intolerance. Some people on this planet are intolerant, impatient or xenophobic. Therefore, speaking with an accent they are familiar with will probably help the interaction.
However, I really don’t want to recommend that this be the reason why you improve your pronunciation!
To give you a few examples of intolerance:
- Interestingly, the Czech girl who came to Melbourne told me that in the beginning she got some negative comments from people because she spoke with an American accent. I think this played a part in her striving to adapt her accent to be more accepted by Australians.
- In Prague some Czechs will be friends with a foreigner, but only if the relationship is in English or another foreign language. One reason for this is that they are uncomfortable with our speaking and mis-pronouncing ‘their’ language.
Improve Your Accent To Meet Cool People And Improve Your Interactions
The final take-away – aim to improve your accent for you, to help you communicate better with other people, make new friends, and to have more fun interactions.
But don’t do it to fit in with one or two people who don’t deserve your company.
Word Bank
Strike up a conversation – start a conversation
Warm to (someone) – take a liking to someone, basically like someone or have a positive impression of them
Build rapport – is a bit like improving how you get on together, that you are more ‘in harmony’ with someone
Strive to – to work hard to achieve something
It’s strange to think someone could not want to be friend with you because you make the effort to speak in their language and have a weird accent.
It can be exhausting if the accent is so bad you need to make the person repeat every sentence, but if it doesn’t prevent understanding, I really don’t see the issue.
I want to improve my English accent because I pronounce some words (like work) that it often prevents people from understanding. But that’s really the only reason.
Having a different accent is lovely, people often love it and if it doesn’t hinder understanding, this is actually a cute difference and something to fully embrace and be proud of.
Hi Benjamin
Please excuse my late reply, and thanks for your comment. I like your blog and thanks for the tip re: Audacity 🙂
To understand some of what I write, you * have * to live in Prague. It’s another planet there, everyone will tell you 🙂
Of course, as much as I’m glad to have left that place, I must say it was a rich experience to see how other people think and behave. Prague Czechs are not like Italians, Spaniards or the French, whose countries you can go to and speak the local language and be welcome.
Regarding accent, most people you meet anywhere in the world are cool and happy to interact with people from all over. However, I also know that the Czech girl I mentioned above was judged by a few Melburnians for having an ‘American accent’ and I can say the Prague Czechs also have a problem with English-speakers (in general).
In France, I didn’t really have a problem to be honest, even when my accent was very English. People were great.
I think the real problem is ‘small country syndrome’ – language learners encounter the biggest problems when they’re in a small, insecure country (eg Sweden, Holland, Czech Republic). In proud countries this is less likely to happen (Spain, France, Italy).
I barely know any Italian, but once I spoke a few phrases in Trieste, I got big smiles and people treated me a lot better. Travelled across Spain and got the same thing 🙂
Ah I have always wanted to go there. I certainly will, it’s not very far from Cologne.
It’s true that people usually completely change once you make the effort to speak their language. It was the same for me in Korea, people were amazed when I spoke Korean and always told me how amazing my Korean was (a lie but still nice to hear :D).
French people have the reputation of being rude, but usually if you make the effort to speak French at least a little, they will be much nicer.
P.S : it’s a shame you don’t use Disqus, It’s very practical to follow all the places where you post.
Hi Benjamin
Yeah, I know I should update this blog more including things like the commenting system. I’ve just downloaded audacity and already playing around with it 🙂 Re: Disqus, one thing I noticed though was that it includes a lot of links to other websites, readers can be distracted.
Re: your comment about Koreans, yeah, I had this experience in Spain and Italy. Even if I didn’t speak that well, it’s a much nicer way to motivate and interact with someone.
I found that while spending time in various cities in Europe, I would pick up the accents and start pronouncing words at the locals did.
I also DEFINITELY found better treatment when I told someone I was Canadian, versus them thinking I was American for example – Unfair, but a lot of Europeans seem to have it in for Americans.
While you mention warming to the Czech girl because she had a bit of an Australian accent, I actually also find I become attracted to those who have a different accent than me.
Call it a novelty factor… or just that I find accents to be sexy 😉