I asked Chat GPT to write an inspirational quote about pronunciation and its answer was “your accent is beautiful”
I was somewhat caught off guard with this statement. Thinking about my German accent as an English native speaker living in Switzerland, I don’t like the idea of myself having an accent. In fact when I travel to Germany I hope people will think I’m Swiss.
There’s something about having a foreign accent that I don’t like. Maybe I feel like I don’t belong with my accent, I’m different. I don’t want to be put in the same box as tourists and expats, here today, gone tomorrow. Maybe I don’t think people will take me seriously.
Thinking of your accent as beautiful takes a leap of faith that people will accept you as you are, a person with a different background and cultural upbringing but a valuable part of their social circle.
I don’t want to teach people that their accent is bad or wrong. Your accent is beautiful. It’s true. It’s an expression of the people who raised you, your ancestors over many generations and their environment that shaped the way they expressed themselves.
Don’t be ashamed of your English accent. Your accent is not a problem unless it makes your English difficult to understand. Communication can be hampered if you don’t know how spoken English works though. By learning to identify and emulate the melody and rhythm of English you can prevent miscommunications and be in a better position to get your point across.
Isn’t that the point of language? To enable us to connect with each other, share our experiences and communicate effectively so that we can work together better.
As a pronunciation coach I’m not here to judge the way you speak. My mission is to make it easier for you to be understood by and understand other people.
Love your accent. It’s beautiful!
Get in touch if you would like to know more about how I can help you with your pronunciation:
sally@sw-english.com
(+41) 077 489 1921
Sally