Do native speakers tolerate foreign accents?

Dear All,
Tom (one of the creators of this site) wrote an article about the importance of good pronunciation. He wrote something like that (sorry for not quoting it): native speakers regard good pronunciation as the most important thing, and will therefore judge your proficiency in English on the basis of your pronunciation. They can decide whether you speak good or bad English after having heard you utter a single word. Furthermore, they don't like talking to those who speak with a thick foreign accent.

Although there is some truth in these statements, I don't completely agree with that.
I think that pronunciation is really important. Sometimes it's more important than grammar, since it (as Tom wrote) makes the first impression of the speaker in the hearer's mind. Therefore, many people are inclined to think that a person who speaks with a broad foreign accent speaks bad English, too. Although pronunciation is part of our command of English, it's not everything. It's rather foolish to state categorically that people with a bad pronunciation speak bad English. Sometimes bad pronunciation and poor command of English coincide but it is not always so. I know many people who speak (otherwise) extremely good English with quite a thick foreign accent. It's important to know that not everyone is able to learn or acquire a native-like pronunciation. Some people are physically unable to produce certain sounds (which are in all likelyhood not found in their native languages). Everyone has a so-called "ceiling" - after reaching that making headway is almost impossible.

Despite their bad pronunciation, I do think that their English is not concidered to be "poor" or "bad" by most native speakers. The English nation is quite lazy (not in a pejorative sense, I don't mean to hurt you) in terms of language learning (I'd rather say English-speaking people, including the Americans of course - there are always exceptions though). I mean most of them don't see the point in learning foreign languages, for their mother tongue is spoken by pretty nearly everyone all over the world. And this might be the reason why they appreciate the efforts of foreigners to learn their language, and they admire those who speak it quite fluently. At least I have experienced this.

When I first spent some time in England, my fellow students told me that I spoke the language very well. They admitted that they would never be able to learn and speak a foreign language that well (for they aren't forced to do so). Although I spoke the language quite fluently, I had a relatively thick accent (they told me it was neither thick nor very slight). Maybe it was just a form of politeness, but they didn't say that I spoke bad English.
My pronunciation has improved a lot ever since. Now I'm said to have a native-like pronunciation in English (I really have doubts about it) but I don't think I'm (regarded as) a much better speaker of the language. Nonetheless, some people do think so.
And I also admire people who learn my native language (being a rather difficult one), and I don't bother about their thick accents. I do think that they are bad speakers if they are able to communicate.

Finally, just one thing about that topic. I don't think that friendships between native and non-native speakers depend on the pronunciation of the foreigner. There are many people who speak near-native English (or other languages) and are a torture to talk to. :-)

Well, what do you think?

…listen, a foreign English accent is something that most native people envy in secret, why? Because you are more noticeable, more different, more interesting, more obvious than a monotone native speaker, OK ?

I have a foreign accent and I live in the UK, every day I hear people asking me where is my accent from, a 50 something old taxi driver commented like, “I wish to have your age and your accent...” A foreign accent is OK, even cool, bad grammar is the BAD thing not the accent.

Here in the UK, you hear commercials on the radio faking a foreign accent like Italian, Spanish, French, for the extra appeal it has on people. etc.

An ACCENT is all about ACCENTUATION - the extra appeal you HAVE on people – some people would die for…

So take your accent insecurity out of your head…

Thick accent or strong accent are interchangeable terms??

accentric, people have different views on having a foreign accent. Americans have a hard time understanding foreign accents. That's why there are accent reduction courses online like AAT.

let's see what others have to say on this topic.

"Americans have a hard time understanding foreign accents."

well, Americans have a hard time learning foreign languages as well, they just have hard times in general, look at the news !

A foreign accent is not a handicap, unless you have a very strong or thick (as you wish) accent from China or Asia in general and people can barely understand you. In that case yes, you need to mediate your accent, otherwise – if people understand you -don’t touch it, let it be!

How can I mediate my accent? Yes, I'm from South Asia. I have a strong accent but not very strong. Americans ask me to repeat some sentences again because they don't understand them in the first place. And it is quite an embarrassing experience for me to repeat the same thing one more time. It proves that I have a problem with my accent. Two weeks ago I had a short conversation with an American male from New York on the phone and he told me that it was not my accent that was causing him to understand me -- it was my way of pronouncing vowels in certain words. Though I got a different review from another American - she told me that my accent was not easy to understand. So I am confused about whether I should focus on the facet of changing my accent or improving my pronunciation of vowels. One thing is clear, my accent is strong and I don't know how to soften it up.

Unfortunately Asian accents are very hard to understand, not just in English, but in most Indo-European languages. South Asian languages have nothing in common with Indo-European languages, in the first place, so the grammatical structure is very different, there are other vowels that don’t exist in both language families, the rhythm and feel of the Asian language is totally opposite compared with Indo-European languages.

As a result, only few Asian people that have a musical ear can perceive the melody of a foreign language, and imitate it. Learning a language requires a skill (a talent sometimes) a natural inclination to learn a foreign language.

Some scientists say that certain languages require a different group of facial muscles to speak it, while other languages require a different group of facial muscles. If you start speaking a foreign language that requires a totally different group of muscles, you have to train those facial muscles first, to mediate the accent. Just practice it that’s all!!! Some languages are guttural (like Dutch) throaty, creating the sounds in the throat (neck). A friend of mine said something funny about Dutch ( I can’t learn Dutch, it feels like spitting :-)

Just think about the same difficulty for an Indo-European to learn an Asian language (even if is much rare situation)

Try to make your accent understandable and let it be that way, don’t mess with it anymore.

<< I can’t learn Dutch, it feels like spitting :-) >>

Everybody says that! And there's also German...

Well ,
I believe that Americans are the only ones who have hard time understanding foreign accents and they consider people with foreign accents od a lower quality, even less intelligent. And yes, they also believe that if one has a foreign accents, his/hers English is bad, even if they understand you. If someone is not like them or behave like them, that means less in quality, what ever that would be.
No where in Europe or other countries people would say that one's English is bad because of the accent.
I would like to know Brits opponion on that.
I wonde why Americans are like that..Are they too perfectionits? Are they actually complexed because they know they can't learn another language?
Americans automatically believe that one with a foreign accent hardly makes money.They were studies about that and actually it happened to me.

from OHIO - I heard your spiel last year. Yada yada, we Americans thinks those with foreign accents are of "lower quality". Please explain to me why I married my foreign husband. I'm sure you'll make something silly up like - "You felt sorry for him." or "You are not the normal American"

I have no idea where you are getting your perceptions, but obviously they are very limited and edging to become stereotypes. I don't know anyone who would think another was of lesser "quality" because they had an accent. If your story is true, I hope you feel sorry for those who do see things that way. But I hardly think you can generalize Americans.

Guest -
"Two weeks ago I had a short conversation with an American male from New York on the phone and he told me that it was not my accent that was causing him to understand me -- it was my way of pronouncing vowels in certain words. Though I got a different review from another American - she told me that my accent was not easy to understand. So I am confused about whether I should focus on the facet of changing my accent or improving my pronunciation of vowels."

This is the same thing. Your accent is your way of pronouncing things - this includes vowels. In your accent, your vowels are pronounced incorrectly according to them.

>I believe that Americans are the only ones who have hard time understanding foreign accents and they consider people with foreign accents od a lower quality..................No where in Europe or other countries people would say that one's English is bad because of the accent. I would like to know Brits opponion on that.<

I think that you are generalizing the Americans too much, however there is a grain of true in your idea. Simply in Europe you have the highest density of foreign languages that intermix in everyday life. The European Union has 25 official languages!!!!! So people speak and are used with many languages and foreign accents, it’s our way of life.

On the other hand Americans being culturally isolated are far more egocentric and sceptic toward foreign accents, it’s that simple. See the “Latino syndrome”

>>As a result, only few Asian people that have a musical ear can perceive the melody of a foreign language, and imitate it. Learning a language requires a skill (a talent sometimes) a natural inclination to learn a foreign language.<<

That sounds nice, it's almost... poetic...

>>On the other hand Americans being culturally isolated are far more egocentric and sceptic toward foreign accents, it’s that simple. See the “Latino syndrome”<<

That sounds cruel, it's almost... crap...

Pete

>>On the other hand Americans being culturally isolated are far more egocentric and sceptic toward foreign accents, it’s that simple. See the “Latino syndrome”<<

That sounds cruel, it's almost... crap... <<

its true, americans are more egocentric and chauvinist nationalistic than most nationals, its a fact dont deny it.

<it's almost... crap...>
yes it is. At least in California. Let's face it. So if you are:
1)skillful in your profession and work hard;
2)rich and successful in your business -
NOBODY will give a shit whether you have a heavy accent or you don't.

Statistic of the minorities shows that newcomers in their first generation are more successful than the natives are.

>Statistic of the minorities shows that newcomers in their first generation are more successful than the natives are<

1.Yeah, because they came there for $$$ money.

>At least in California. Let's face it. So if you are:
1)skillful in your profession and work hard;
2)rich and successful in your business -
NOBODY will give a shit whether you have a heavy accent or you don't.<

2. If you are RICH you don't even need to speak english, your translator sure does ! lol

>americans are more egocentric and chauvinist nationalistic than most nationals, its a fact dont deny it. <

3. Most of the time !

So you choose: whether to be rich or skillful and hard worker in your profession. And maybe you can be both. And BTW everybody knows that people in Europe are far more xenophobic than the americans.