You should say you don't understand so you don't answer a wrong question. The person you are talking to probably realizes they have a strong accent and would p

You should say you don't understand so you don't answer a wrong question. The person you are talking to probably realizes they have a strong accent and would prefer to know right away when they are not being understood. When you say you were sharply criticized, do you mean by the person you were talking to (the one you misunderstood) or by your superiors/colleagues who don't have thick accents?