Iran (IMNA) - You can speak with others effectively without having a beautiful English accent. Having a non-native accent might really be advantageous if you can communicate clearly and logically. When people find out that you are a non-native, they may start asking you about your nationality, and this is the moment your accent becomes an icebreaker for opening a conversation.
You don't have to alter any aspect of your identity in order to learn a new language, including your values or personality. So, you should be proud of your accent rather than attempting to hide it.
The phonetic patterns of our home language are so firmly ingrained when we study different languages as adults that it can be difficult to even recognize them.
Because of this, it might be difficult for us to substitute familiar sounds with those from the language we are learning.
Even after acquiring the right pronunciation, there will be certain deeply long-standing trends in the speech that will reveal us as non-native speakers. As a result, people are stuck with an accent that just won't go away.
So, what does this indicate about those who feel obligated to correct alleged mispronunciations in public? Nothing positive, from my perspective. It appears to be a pompous display of dominance that can only make the person with the "inappropriate" pronunciation look foolish.
People's ability to speak and enunciate words is heavily influenced by their linguistic background and experience. By correcting a pronunciation that you have genuinely comprehended but disagree with, you may be unwittingly, or perhaps purposefully, highlighting perceived shortcomings caused by disparities in socioeconomic status, culture, color, gender, and so on.
Fixing pronunciation might be considered an act of linguistic bias. This is not the same as correcting a language learner in a pronunciation lesson or asking someone for clarification about something you don't understand. Taking someone nicely aside is less intimidating, but you should still analyze your reasons.
Overcoming accent prejudice
The English we use now is a snapshot of time. For thousands of years, the English language, vocabulary, and pronunciation have flexed and changed.
What we consider to be proper English is like a yardstick in quicksand. The media, education, politics, and our personal devotion and loyalty to certain ways of thinking all help to strengthen concepts of standard English.
Standard English principles are so engrained and prevalent that we accept them as true even when they disadvantage us. People of ethnic minorities almost always consider white people to be the most intellectual group based on their accents.
So, what can we do to address accent bias? The first step is to become aware.
Let us reconsider terms like "they have an accent" (if you talk, you have an accent) or "they don't speak properly" as people. In truth, most individuals communicate in a way that reflects who they are—their origins, class, nationality, sense of identity, and life experiences. We shouldn't expect someone to leave these items at the door.
When we hear someone's accent, we rapidly categorize them and form opinions about them. This is something that all of us do. It is frequently unconscious and is not meant to be harmful. You may, however, question that immediate reaction as well as the sentiments and ideas about that individual that begin to rush within you. We can only begin to put an end to accent prejudice once we are aware of it and its role in perpetuating inequities.
The categorization procedure serves as the foundation for social judgments. When group membership is recognized based on accent, it is no longer only a marker of regional origin but is also tied to wider preconceptions. Accents are thus connected with being wrong or the lowest of the low, and these personality qualities are subsequently given to everyone who talks with an accent.
Such judgments are based on classism rather than linguistic features (no English dialect is fundamentally better, more beautiful, or more right). As a result, accentism frequently reveals hidden biases. When we assess someone based on their accent, we are not criticizing them on their own merits but rather making assumptions about their social status, education, and ethnicity based on how they speak. Needless to add, these assumptions are frequently incorrect.
Language discrimination associated with race and class is still a problem. The bright side is that linguists all across the world are actively working on developing research and resources to prevent accent discrimination.
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