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What is more important, speaking correct English or to have native accent?

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Question added by Dr Yasmeen Majeed , Trainer and HOD
Date Posted: 2015/02/21
Majeda Tahboub
by Majeda Tahboub , Expert Educator , Jude Publications

Well, I think the answer depends on the level of learning . For kids under6, making mistakes is general even for native speakers, yet at this age they have the mechanism to pronounce correctly: native accent. So it would be a good compromise to give the accent a priority, while the case is different with adults, they have difficulty in producing native accent, yet they have the mechanism to produce correct language.

What is more important, speaking correct English or to have native accent?

ashraf taha
by ashraf taha , مدرس - teacher , مراكز تعليمية - Educational centers

more important, speaking correct English 

joeffrey dones
by joeffrey dones , Database Support Analyst 2 , IMS HEalth

Personally speaking, correct grammar or correct English is more important than having a good accent.

Think of this scenario, you have a good accent but your grammar is incorrect hence this will result to poor communication.

Having a good accent will eventually follow if you keep practicing by speaking English.

Hasan Darwish
by Hasan Darwish , Senior Editor , Al

Hello, 

Speaking correct English in terms of grammar is very important especially in written English. Now, if you need to communicate verbally with someone in English, fluency and proper articulation of sounds is highly important. Both content and form are important in communication, and it is easy to practice them both with the help of a language professional. 

Good Luck for all:)

Mohamed Magdy Ahmed El Demerdash
by Mohamed Magdy Ahmed El Demerdash , Internal Auditor, Quality Assurance Department , Giza Cable Industries

I think you can't have a native accent without speaking correct English..

ABDUL ELAAH ABOZAID
by ABDUL ELAAH ABOZAID , TRANSLATOR OPERATOR CONTRACTOR , S F D

GRAMMAR IS VERY IMPORTANT  BUT ACCENT JUST WHEN YOU SPEAK WITH FOREGN PEOPLE

Mohamed Khedr
by Mohamed Khedr , Researcher , Helmholtz Center Munich

The two things are two faces to the same coin!

karokora emmanuel
by karokora emmanuel , Senior Sales Associate and couch buddy , Landmark group

communication is the most important as long as you don't have an interpreter in the picture.

Hakim Mouloudj
by Hakim Mouloudj , Operations T&D Team Leader , Sonatrach/BP/Equinor JV

In my opinion, speaking correct English is more important than having a native accent. Although most of the time, GRAMMATICALLY correct English- if that’s what you mean- with an excellent intonation makes a native speaker accent; but not the other way around.

As a matter of fact, when you speak correct English you’ll be understood by everyone, including native speakers themselves whereas having a native speaker accent doesn’t mean that you’ll be understood by all the people-even if it were a native speaker.

So, no need to roll your r’s with an American-like accent, if you don’t know that “knowed” is not the correct past tense form of “to know” J

Menandro Bellen
by Menandro Bellen , Freelance English Teacher , Self Employed

accent is how the words or a language are enunciated or articulated by person associated by a particular country or locality. I do believe that in order to speak english is to know precisely the english grammar and vocabulary. it is not sufficient that you know the native accent of different words  without knowing its vocabulary and in constructing sentences or group of words either in writing or in speaking. these are tje rudiments of writing and speaking.

Francis Panikulam
by Francis Panikulam , Head of the English faculty , ISM International School.

In English, like any other language, there are many bad accents too. Some so called native speakers are difficult to understand even in their own countries.

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