Are errors or accents really blocking communication—or is it about how we listen?
That’s the question I want us to sit with.
As language teachers, we often talk about communication as the ultimate goal. But how often do we confuse communication with “sounding native”? How often do we correct a student, not because their meaning wasn’t clear, but because their accent or pronunciation wasn’t “perfect”?
And beyond our classrooms—what happens in our professional communities when we comment on someone’s accent, critique a colleague’s language, or even decide not to invite someone to speak because we think they’ll be “hard to understand”?
These questions matter. And they get to the heart of what kind of teachers, colleagues, and listeners we want to be.
The Myth of Native Pronunciation
In language education—and outside of it—there’s a hidden goal: that the ultimate achievement is to sound native-like.
We celebrate it, we correct for it, and sometimes we even penalize when it’s not there.
But here’s the reality: communication has two sides—expression and interpretation. And when we focus only on expression, we send the message that nativeness matters more than being understood.
Why Some Accents Feel “Easier”
Here’s where it gets tricky. Have you noticed that we don’t react the same way to every accent?
For example, we might describe someone with a French accent speaking English as “charming” or “easy to understand.” But someone with a Spanish or Asian accent might be called “hard to understand.”
Why? It’s not about the actual clarity of their words. It’s about our biases. Our perception of an accent is shaped by our exposure, by what we consider “standard,” and sometimes by stereotypes about the culture behind the accent.
In other words—our ears and our minds are not neutral.
Listening Is Not Neutral
I learned about Dr. Vijay Ramjattan because of my friend Meredith White. In a conversation Meredith had with him as part of FLAG webinars, he reminds us of something powerful: listening is not neutral.
Our ears are conditioned by what we hear most often. If all we ever hear is one “standard” accent, then yes—other accents may feel “harder.” But that doesn’t make the speaker incomprehensible. It simply means we need more practice as listeners.
So maybe our role as teachers is also to train ears, our student’s and our own.
What ACTFL Says About Accuracy
ACTFL defines accuracy as “the degree to which the individual can use linguistic features—grammar, syntax, vocabulary, stress, intonation, sociocultural knowledge—to convey meaning.”
But here’s the big question: do we measure accuracy only by the speaker’s production? Or do we also include how well the listener is interpreting the message?
Because when we talk about “convey meaning,” people don’t all experience that the same way. For some, one accent feels “easy,” while another feels “hard.” But both can be conveying meaning just fine.
That’s why we talk about sympathetic listeners at the novice level. But shouldn’t we be sympathetic listeners all the time—in our classrooms and in our professional communities?
Who Are We Listening To?
In a conversation I had a few months ago with Dr. Diane Neubauer and Dr. Reed Riggs, he reminds us that most of our daily communication is listening and reading, not speaking.
So let’s ask ourselves: Who are we listening to?
Are our students hearing multiple voices and accents? Or just one “standard”?
And what about us as professionals? Who do we listen to in our schools, our conferences, our webinars? Have we ever dismissed a speaker because we thought their accent would be too hard to follow?
I know you might be shaking your head—how could that be possible inside a community of language educators? But I’ve seen it. I’ve experienced it. I’ve heard teachers criticize my accent and my friends’ accents—whether in English or Spanish.
And it’s not okay.
If we want to raise better listeners, laborious listening isn’t something to avoid. It’s the mental workout that helps us grow stronger.
Comprehensibility Over Nativeness
Here’s the truth:
- We don’t need to erase our accents to be understood.
- Our students don’t need to have a perfect pronunciation to communicate.
The real goal is comprehensibility—being understood.
And comprehensibility is always a two-way street. Yes, the speaker works to make meaning clear. But the listener also has a responsibility to engage, adapt, and try.
When we focus only on how the speaker sounds, we miss half the equation. True communication happens when both sides—speaker and listener—do their part.
Takeaways for Teachers and Communities
- Check the hidden goal. Are we truly focusing on communication—or are we still holding on to a hidden goal of nativeness or a “preferred” accent? This shows up when we over-correct students or judge colleagues by how they sound.
- Promote diverse voices. Multiple accents and perspectives—both in classrooms and professional spaces—help us all become better listeners and more flexible communicators.
- Stop criticizing others’ language. In the classroom, give feedback that helps students communicate more clearly, but without judging their accent. And outside, let’s stop critiquing colleagues’ accents altogether. Judgment silences voices; listening lifts them up.
I know how it feels. I’ve had the privilege of people who supported me when I was criticized. But many don’t have that. Too many colleagues go home after being judged and cry—I’ve been there too. So let’s be the people who support, not the ones who criticize. And when we see it happening, let’s say something.
Final Thoughts
At the end of the day, the question isn’t “Is this person comprehensible enough?”
The real question is: “Am I willing to listen?”
Accents are identity, culture, and story. The more accents we and our students are exposed to, the stronger we become as listeners, communicators, and humans.
Let’s keep growing—and let’s keep listening. 🎙️✨
