Job Discussion Forums

lessthanjars · Joined: 21 Jun 2006 Posts: 8

Hey guys,

I've just started thinking about moving in to English teaching, but from reading these forums it seems accent can be important. Can speaking with an Australian accent be a disadvantage in some parts of the world?

Glenski · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

Yes, maybe. Don't fret over it, though. There are over 30 dialects of American English, and that never stopped a lot of Americans from teaching EFL! Just learn what you are supposed to teach, and be conscious as you can about your own pronunciation.

Insubordination · Joined: 07 Nov 2007 Posts: 394 Location: Sydney

Depends on whether you have a slow, thick QLD, TAS or country accent or an inner-city accent. I don't know which city you are from but accents become thicker in certain areas of cities. Do you sound more like Kath & Kim or a newsreader? I had no problems because I deliberately speak clearly. It is something you will need to develop an acute awareness of. I think the unintelligible teachers you meet around the place (from any country) have no idea of the effect of their accent on the listener.

You'll find that when you get back, your accent will have changed somewhat because you adjust it to suit the people around you. However, it snaps back to normal after a month in Australia.

It's pretty funny when you ask the class to repeat something and you hear the Australian vowels coming back at you. In my experience, only when students reach upper-int do they seem to be able to distinguish accents anyway.

sistercream · Joined: 18 Dec 2010 Posts: 497 Location: Pearl River Delta

Agree that accent isn't important in the earlier stages of learning (provided you're not too Dame Edna/ Sandy Stone).
In some areas you might be asked to use a generic American accent - just talk vaguely like someone on an imported TV show.
My own accent modified very quickly after I moved overseas - then I spoke to my sister on the phone one day and my flatmates were in stitches because I slipped straight back into Strine Laughing

Madame J · Posted: Wed Feb 02, 2011 5:45 pm Post subject:

From what I've experienced it's in the same league as having any non American accent. I was told after a while living in Indonesia that my (English) accent had gone slightly Australian!

lessthanjars · Joined: 21 Jun 2006 Posts: 8

Thanks for the responses guys, I speak pretty clearly so I don't I'll have too many problems.