Do You Need to Sound Like a Native Speaker When You Learn a Second Language?
Learning is that wonderful journey of introducing new ideas, perspectives, insights, and images in your mind and body.
It is the process that enlarges and expands your brain with different skills. It involves gaining knowledge or abilities through study, experience, or also being taught.
Human beings have the magnificent capacity to learn and improve through a slow process, little by little as well as rapidly at giant steps.
(I will explain the benefits of learning skills in my next article).
When we speak specifically about learning a language, we say that it is a complex, time-consuming task that requires dedication, persistence and hard work.
But, what about learning a second language?
First, I need to start explaining what first language learning is. Also called First Language Acquisition (FLA) or mother tongue.
According to Cambridge Dictionary, mother tongue is “the first language that you learn when you are a baby, rather than a language learned at school or as an adult”.
You learn it without any instruction as an automatic process.
It starts at birth.
Then, with the support of your family and those around you, you begin to acquire your native language. You learn words, idioms, the vernacular, and accents from your native place.
This process helps you to establish your identity.
Identity which refers to the unique ways that you define yourself.
You might choose to emphasize your family, your religion, your interests, your race, or even your language as significant aspects of your identity.
Your personal identity comprises all the elements define who you are.
So, when you decide to learn a second language, is it necessary to sound native?
Learning a second language implies becoming bilingual.
Being bilingual offers tangible benefits, such as enhancing brain and memory functions, fostering creativity and self-esteem, and even deepening understanding of your native language.
After diving into this process of learning a second language, I arrived at the conclusion that language is essentially about communication.
As long as the message recipient understands what you are saying and you are intelligible enough to avoid misinterpretation, there is no issue regarding your accent.
The main aim of language learning is effective communication, and if you can convey your message clearly and you are understood by others, that is what matters most.
Accent and fluency can vary among language learners, and having a non-native accent doesn’t diminish your ability to communicate effectively or be proficient in the language.
Actually, it reinforces your identity even further, because it serves as a marker of identity and uniqueness.
It helps us to identify who the speaker is.
Besides, accents embody the speaker’s individuality.
In the case of English, for example, English native speakers often find others’ accents more attractive than their own. This study, by the travel company Kayak, discovered that British men found the French accent to be “the sexiest on the planet”.
In summary, I am a native Spanish speaker and also an English language lover. I see the English language as a universal means of communication, facilitating interaction and helping global communication.
I make an effort to maintain my identity, history and culture by preserving my Argentinian accent.
I embrace my accent as a symbol of pride for the commitment I have shown in mastering English as a second language.
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Have a great day!
