Teaching Abroad Direct
No matter where you're from, you'll speak a language with an accent. Literally every single person has an accent, with between 20 and 40 different English accents in the UK and 25 across the United States. That's before you even start counting other English accents from around the globe!
Students who are studying English need to learn not just how to speak it, but how to listen across a wide range of English accents, adapt communication for context and communicate with people from a wide range of cultures. From a teacher's point of view, having an accent matters from the perspective of it being intelligible and easy for students to follow and understand, but having a 'native English' or RP accent neither matters, nor should it stop teachers who want to teach abroad from following their dream of teaching English.
English functions as a global lingua franca, with over 1 billion non-native speakers from many different cultures using it as a common bridge for communication. It acts as a flexible tool to connect people who do not share a native tongue, adapting to local contexts rather than strictly following native-speaker rules. As this language evolution continues, teaching practices need to evolve alongside it. Outdated practices and beliefs of a cut-glass English accent being important among educators are no longer relevant, and should be challenged. Instead, focus should be shifted from accent elimination to embracing intelligibility and diversity among the way people speak.
When English language learners listen to their teacher, they're not only processing vocabulary and grammar, but also making internal observations about identity, culture and authority. It's no secret that a teacher’s accent can influence how learners perceive their personality, credibility and competence. This is observed by previous research by Jenkins' 2007 study that argues that accent prejudice is one of the last widely accepted forms of discrimination in English language teaching. While this is generally improving with time, some learners still (even in the present day), unconsciously associate so-called 'native' accents with higher levels of proficiency and professionalism, while viewing other varieties of English less favourably.
These attitudes, though outdated, can have real consequences in the classroom depending on their prevalence. Teachers with regional or non-native accents may feel pressure to modify or conceal their natural way of speaking in order to be viewed as 'legitimate' language professionals. However, research suggests that the focus should not be on sounding native, but on being understood. Former research from Levis (2005) highlights the importance of the intelligibility principle, which prioritises clear communication over conforming to native-speaker norms. In other words, successful language teaching depends far more on whether students can understand their teacher, rather than whether a teacher speaks with a 'correct' or received pronunciation (RP) British, American, or any other recognised accent.
Teachers with diverse linguistic backgrounds offer many benefits to the students they teach. Students benefit from exposure to a range of English accents, which is more realistic in terms of how English is encountered and spoken around the world as a global language.
A teacher who speaks English with an Italian, Spanish, Vietnamese, or Nigerian accent for example, demonstrates that effective communication and professional success doesn't mean abandoning their unique linguistic identity. Non-native English-speaking teachers often bring additional strengths to the classroom, such as empathy for learners’ challenges because of the teacher's own first-hand experience of the language-learning process. Their success can motivate students by showing that fluency is achievable without sounding like a native English speaker.
Intelligibility and speaking naturally should always be prioritised, whatever accent you have. Teachers should strive to speak clearly and make their language accessible, particularly for beginners. Speaking clearly doesn't mean removing parts of or eliminating an accent. Instead, it involves refining pronunciation where necessary while remaining authentic.
When it comes to students, clarity, variety of phrasing and confidence in the teacher matter far more than native-like accents. While it's true that some students express a preference for native-speaking teachers, (especially in countries where English is associated with prestige), these beliefs are often linked to cultural stereotypes and social culture or marketing in that particular country. Such beliefs are rarely based on life experience alone.
When given the opportunity to work with non-native English speaking teachers, many students claim they're happy and satisfied with the way their learning is delivered, especially when the teacher demonstrates clarity, patience and understanding.
It's also understood that students who are exposed to a variety of accents generally become more confident speakers and better active listeners when communicating with others. Limiting students to just one accent that is considered native-like can actually hinder their ability to communicate English within international settings. Students who have plenty of exposure to real-world examples and accents will thrive in their training when compared to those who aren't.
A 2014 study of student perceptions in Vietnam and Japan examined Vietnamese and Japanese university students' views on learning English from native English-speaking teachers (NESTs) and non-native English-speaking teachers (non-NESTs). The findings showed that both teacher types had strengths and weaknesses. Students in the study valued NESTs for their pronunciation, accurate language use and cultural knowledge, but felt they were less effective at explaining grammar.
Non-NESTs were seen as stronger grammar teachers, and were able to use students’ first languages when needed. Students found non-NESTs were also easier to interact with and understand because of shared cultural backgrounds, although their pronunciation was often considered less accurate. Overall, many students suggested that both NESTs and non-NESTs played important roles, with the most suitable teacher depending on the learner’s proficiency level and the language skill being taught.
In another study of attitudes towards regional British accents in EFL teaching published in 2022, five teachers studied claimed that students struggled to understand northern phonemes in given moments in a classroom. (For instance, many northern English accents pronounce the vowel in words like 'strut,' 'cup', and 'love'.) That said, the unfamiliar accent was often regarded with positivity and with linguistic curiosity.
One of the strongest findings from the survey concluded that while some students initially found regional British accents harder to understand, this didn't lead to negative views of the teacher. Researchers found that students often appreciated and even celebrated teachers whose accents differed from the southern British accents traditionally associated with 'standard' English. Exposure to different accents was generally seen as interesting rather than problematic.
Historically, Received Pronunciation (RP), also known as 'BBC English' or 'The Queen's English' was widely regarded as the standard model for teaching British English. Associated with elite institutions such as Oxford and Cambridge, RP became the accent most commonly featured in textbooks, listening and watching formats like radio and television, as well as English language examinations around the world.
As a result, many learners grew up believing that RP represented the 'correct' way to speak English, with regional accents seen as undesirable. Although attitudes have changed on this significantly over the years, this approach still influences perceptions of British English today and the way the language is taught.
Across the Atlantic, a similar pattern emerged with General American English. Often described as a neutral or standard American accent, General American is the variety most commonly heard in national news broadcasts, television programmes, films and higher education. For many learners, it serves as the default model of American English in the same way RP traditionally represented British English.
However, neither RP nor General American is truly neutral. Both are simply particular varieties of English that became influential because of history, culture, assumptions and media. In reality, native English speakers use hundreds of different accents and dialects, from Scottish and Welsh English, to Australian, Irish, Canadian, South African and more.
This diversity has led many teachers to embrace a more international approach towards teaching English. A teacher's accent is only one part of the picture. Whether you speak with an accent from London, Yorkshire or further afield like Canada, what matters most is that students can understand you.
There are several things teachers can do to help students understand their accent while they teach English in the classroom:
Research has generally suggested that many teachers are comfortable tweaking their accent for the benefit of the classroom. Over time, this slight accent adjustment becomes described as 'classroom accent', removing phonological features so the way words are spoken is clearer and easier to understand.
“I'm just so used to doing it now. It doesn't bother me at all,” claimed one teacher, who, among others, generally agrees that slight accent adjustment is an accepted practice that happens almost automatically. At the other end of the spectrum, some teachers with very regional English accents (such as a Liverpool accent) felt that accent adjustment was absolutely necessary, with one even saying: “I don't think that I would be having the jobs that I have if I spoke broader Scouse (Liverpool), to be honest. That's my personal opinion.”
If you're worried that your accent might affect your ability to teach English abroad, you're not alone. According to research from pronunciation specialist Mark Hancock, many English teachers experience what is known as 'accent anxiety', which is often rooted in a feeling that their pronunciation isn't good enough to serve as a model for students. Many teachers are often harder on themselves then they need to be.
One of Hancock's key observations is that teachers often judge their own accents far more harshly than learners do. Some worry that they don't sound like the voices in coursebooks, while others avoid teaching pronunciation altogether because they have a regional or non-native accent. It should be remembered that these worries are based on outdated assumptions about what a 'good' English teacher should sound like.
Hancock argues that the view of using RP or General American as standard models for learners no longer reflects how English is used today. English has become a global language spoken by millions of people from different linguistic and cultural backgrounds. In many international settings, communication takes place between speakers from entirely different countries, with neither speaker using a traditional British or American accent.
As a result, measuring every teacher against a narrow definition of 'standard' English makes less sense than it once did. Whether you're from Scotland, Canada, South Africa, India, Spain or Brazil... your accent doesn't make your English less valid. If you speak clearly and can communicate effectively, your version of English is just as legitimate as anyone else's. Teachers should shed any internalised views of feeling like an impostor who is trying to adopt or use pronunciation features that aren't natural to them, and just free their natural accent. If a teacher uses a short 'a' in a word like 'grass' for instance, they should embrace it and use it as a learning tool with their students.
You don't need to sound like a 1980s BBC presenter or an American news anchor to be an effective English teacher. Even BBC presenters in the current day are becoming more diverse in the range of accents they use. Take the BBC's political editor Chris Mason for instance, who has a distinctive Yorkshire accent and is one of the corporation's most prominent journalists. Although some people controversially took umbrage to Mason's hiring, calling his accent a 'slight speech defect', the backlash that followed and the BBC's shift in hiring attitudes has led to a more diverse range of television presenters with different accents.
What matters is that your students can understand you, learn from you and gain confidence using English themselves.
When it comes to British and English accents in ESL, the short answer is simply – no. You shouldn't change your accent. There is rarely any need to change your accent entirely. English is a global language spoken by millions of people, and students are increasingly exposed to a wide range of English speakers through media, travel and online communication.
That said, there's a great different between trying to adopt a different accent and adapting the way you speak. Effective teachers often make small adjustments to improve clarity, such as speaking more slowly, enunciating clearly, or avoiding local slang or idioms or expressions that students may not understand. These adjustments help learners follow lessons more easily without requiring teachers to abandon their natural way of speaking.
Research has also shown that students can respond positively to authentic accents. Exposure to different varieties of English helps learners develop stronger listening skills and prepares them for real-world conversations with speakers from around the world. In this sense, your accent can be a valuable teaching tool rather than something to hide.
Rather than focusing on accents, most reputable schools are primarily interested in qualifications, teaching ability, experience and communication skills. However, attitudes towards accents can vary depending on the country, institution and type of teaching role.
For instance, some schools may advertise a preference for teachers from countries traditionally associated with native English speakers like the UK, United States, Canada, Australia, Ireland or New Zealand. This preference is unfortunately often driven by parent expectations, marketing considerations or outdated perceptions of what an English teacher should sound like.
British English is more commonly taught in many parts of Europe, the Middle East and Asia, while American English materials are often more common in Latin America. However, this doesn't mean schools expect every teacher to speak with a specific accent. A teacher from Manchester, Glasgow, Texas or Dublin can still be an excellent fit for a programme using either British or American English materials.
In reality, employers are usually more concerned with whether students can understand you clearly. A strong regional accent may require some adjustment in pace or pronunciation when teaching beginners, but clarity and professionalism typically matter far more.
When applying for jobs, go in with an open mind and keep your options open. While accent preferences do exist in some corners of the TEFL industry, they are only one small factor in the hiring process. For most teachers, developing strong classroom skills will have a much greater impact on job opportunities than accent alone.
Teaching Abroad Direct helps UK teachers secure English teaching positions in international schools around the world.
Visit www.teachingabroaddirect.co.uk to learn more about teaching opportunities overseas and for Teaching English Jobs Abroad and other locations across the Middle East.
Teaching Abroad Direct regularly speaks with British teachers currently working overseas.
Journalists interested in speaking with English teachers currently working abroad can contact us via [email protected]
