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Should they? I can't tell if your comment covers any accent, or just very thick ones. English is my first language (I speak Hindi but am not very comfortable c
by bbgm 11y ago
Should they? I can't tell if your comment covers any accent, or just very thick ones. English is my first language (I speak Hindi but am not very comfortable carrying on a conversation in the language). I have lived in the US for almost 20 years, and at no point have I ever felt that my accent was holding me back.
- coreyp_1 11y agoIMO, slight accents are not a problem. Very thick ones are (such as not being able to understand individual words because the vowels and consonants are so badly mispronounced). I am a native speaker, but I have a regional accent. When I teach classes, I consciously minimize my home accent because it is difficult for non-native speakers to understand my English if they are not familiar with its sounds. Why shouldn't an ESL speaker do the same? When I go to other countries whose language I have studied, I try very hard to mimic the national accent, and people appreciate the effort. I think of it as a way of showing respect to them, their heritage, and their culture. If I disregard it simply because I don't have time or can't be bothered, then I am being extremely rude. And so, yes, when I have gone to Mexico, Brazil, France, and Germany, I have tried to speak those languages as authentically as possible.