„A Foreign Accent: The Sound of Bravery“
You’re in a meeting, surrounded by native English speakers. Your palms are sweaty and your heart is racing, but you speak up anyway. Yes, your words carry a foreign accent, but that’s not a weakness—it’s a sign of bravery.
As Amy Chua said, “A foreign accent is a sign of bravery.”
Think about it: speaking a new language means stepping outside your comfort zone. It’s a courageous leap into unfamiliar territory.
Every time you speak English with an accent, you’re showing the world your determination, your effort—and your willingness to connect across cultures.
So, next time you feel nervous about your accent, wear it with pride. It’s proof that you’re bold enough to learn, to grow and to keep pushing forward—even when it’s hard.
Remember: accents are not barriers; they’re badges of courage. Keep speaking bravely! 💪
Yes, that’s right, but I’m always afraid of the Germans in a round like this. The ones who roll their eyes at my mistakes. That makes me nervous. But it’s getting better. Not least with the wonderful round at your business speed dating event.
I’ve never thought about the accent before. I had more fun with native speakers when I didn’t pronounce something correctly.
Thank you so much for that.
Kind regards
Sandra
You think people laugh at your English, Sandra? I don’t believe it.
Many of my clients tell me, „My colleagues all speak English much better than me.“ Again, I don’t believe it.
Yesterday, I was on a train coming back from England and got talking to an interesting woman next to me. She’s running a workshop in Frankfurt today. She told me that most of her German attendees don’t speak English very well.
A lot of people feel the same way about their English. But remember. We all make mistakes. Learning English takes time. Don’t be too hard on yourself. Keep practising and you’ll get better. 🙂
Thanks for this reminder. Next time – I am pretty sure – I will speak with my German accent with pride 😀 thanks Christine
Exactly. That’s what I want to hear, Silke. Don’t worry about your accent. It might even change over time. And if not, who cares? But people will be more interested in you. For example, I love trying to detect where people originally come from. It’s always a good conversation starter. 🙂