Svitlana S. answered 12/10/24
Veteran ESL Educator: 20+ Years Excelling in Language Mastery
English gets so much focus on accent reduction because it’s a global language. A clear accent helps people from different countries understand each other, especially in business or media, where English dominates. There’s also a common belief that the less noticeable your accent, the better job you can land—particularly in roles like customer service or public speaking.
Here’s an interesting fact: in the early 1900s, British actors trained in "Received Pronunciation" (the Queen’s English) to sound more "refined." This created the idea that some accents were “better,” which still influences how we think about accents today.
But here’s the thing: if you’re highly skilled in another field, like programming, your “accent” in Python or Java will matter much more than your English pronunciation. Companies will grab you with open arms for your expertise, not your accent. The goal isn’t to sound perfect—it’s to communicate clearly and confidently while letting your skills shine!