It’s not an accent, it’s an identity

- It's not an accent, it's an identity. By shifting our mental model to this perspective, we can bring our whole selves to our communication, no matter what language we speak or accent we have. This means our goal is not perfect pronunciation, as if there were such a thing. Instead, our aim throughout these lessons should focus on clarity of your intention and your message. By freeing yourselves from worrying about your accent and focusing instead on this listener-friendly model of delivery, you'll be able to make greater connection with your audience with more confidence and authenticity. Embrace your accent as part of your identity, rather than trying to change it. Numerous studies going back 20 years and more show that learners can become more intelligible or comprehensible through instruction with no noticeable change in accent. Now, people often think that if someone can modify their non-native accent, they'll be more intelligible and comprehensible. But this is just a way to impose accent bias, which we will talk about in greater depth shortly. Evidence is accumulating that what's more important are the macroscopic elements, including general speaking habits like volume, stress, rhythm, syllable structure, and certain vowels and consonants. And not all vowels and consonants, some are actually more important than others. So we'll give you a list of the most important ones, and resources to help if you'd like to practice. Now, let's take a moment to remember that your language abilities are a strength. If you speak four languages, the word for that in English is quadrilingual. If you speak three, you're trilingual. If you speak two, you're bilingual. And if you speak one language, you're probably American, or at least a native English speaker. The reality is that most native English speakers don't learn the joys and frustrations of other languages because English is the world's most spoken language, especially in areas like commerce and travel. A recent poll conducted by YouGov.com concluded that 75% of Americans only speak English. A similar story appears in Britain, where a recent study shows that only 6% of Brits feel that they speak a second language with proficiency. So you already possess more linguistic skill than the majority of native speakers worldwide. As a result, you have the advantage of greater perspectives, an increased understanding of differences, and bringing those diverse experiences to your work environment. There are also numerous studies that suggest bilingual individuals are better at memory, problem-solving, critical thinking, concentration, multitasking, and listening. You have superpowers that monolingual people just don't possess. You should recognize those superpowers and claim them for your own self-confidence. So then why do we worry about accents when being multilingual is so unique and impressive? Well, perhaps as a non-native speaker of English, you're concerned that you might be misunderstood. Well, misunderstandings often occur between native speakers of the language as much as between native and non-native speakers. Or maybe you think that your accent prevents you from speaking English the right way. Even for native speakers of English, there is no standard way of speaking. An American speaker of English from Texas will sound distinctly different from a Scottish speaker from Glasgow, or an Indian speaker of English from Gudura. Also, non-native speakers of English outnumber native speakers by almost five to one. This creates a vast and varied use of style, pronunciation, grammar, and usage. So rather than thinking of English as a monolithic language, let's shift our terminology to global Englishes, the many different ways that English is used throughout the globe. And what is an accent anyway? I mean, linguists have a hard time defining the term, but they agree on one thing, that an accent is determined not by the speaker, but by the listener. This means that the way you speak will be perceived differently depending on who your audience is. We all have accents, no matter the language. Everyone. And you may prefer an Indian English accent over an Irish one, or an Australian accent over a French accent of English. Let's be honest, it's very difficult to completely remove your first language sounds from your second language speech. The American Council on Teaching of Foreign Languages lists five different levels of competency in speaking English. And even in the highest distinguished category, they write, "A non-native accent may still be present at this level." In our upcoming lessons, we will work on specific techniques including volume, stress, rhythm, and syllable structure to make your speech more intelligible and comprehensible for your listeners. So rather than trying to erase your accent, you'll embrace it.