An accent can make it difficult for people to understand
A strong accent can make it difficult for people to understand newcomers, even if their English skills are good. Employers should not discriminate against people who have accents, but they may believe that customers and coworkers will have difficulty understanding you.
Your accent is part of who you are and there is no reason for you to lose it altogether. You can take steps to make sure people can understand you.
- Speak clearly and slowly. The more you speak English, the easier it will be for others to understand you.
- Let people know that it is okay if they ask you to repeat yourself.
- Ask friends, family or coworkers to help with your pronunciation and grammar.
- Resist the urge to spend time only with people who speak your native language. Look for opportunities to speak English with others and your language skills will improve at a faster rate.
