Your accent can hinder your integration abroad

Let’s rethink what it means to belong.

A common idea is that 𝐟𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 - doing what it takes to be accepted - is the way to belong. However, fitting might is the biggest obstacle to true #belonging, meaning to authenticity. 

When we try to fit in, we end up bending ourselves to meet others expectations, hiding who we really are.

Belonging, on the other hand, means showing up as your true self, with all your strengths and vulnerabilities.

When we are in the process of integrating in a new country, many struggle to pretend to be someone they’re not in order to be accepted. 

This mismatch between who you truly are and the image you present can be draining.

However, depending on the host country, you may not always have the option to “be yourself” in order to integrate a particular community or workplace. 

Have you ever thought about the influences of “𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐛𝐢𝐚𝐬” on the way you show up in your adoptive country?

• Maybe you were perceived as less capable for a certain position because of your accent

• Maybe you were perceived as less worthy of attending a certain university “because of that accent”

• You might have felt excluded and made fun of at work because of your accent

• You might have been pitied by native speakers 

I loved Heather Hanesen’s personal story with accent bias. She’s the author of the book “Unmuted: How to Show Up, Speak Up, and Inspire Action”, which I highly recommend.

Back in her home country, in the United States, Heather used to feel respected and having her ideas acknowledged. As an immigrant in foreign European countries… not anymore!

She had to fight for a seat at the table and felt she was treated completely differently when she had a “foreign” accent.

Since 2007, she noticed that clients have come to her saying that accents are holding them back.

They've either been told this directly or have felt it indirectly when people didn't listen to them or avoid speaking with them.

For these people, changing the way they speak was not a choice.

For instance, for those that work in call centers the challenge is real.

If the listener struggles to understand, it will quickly end the call. If these callers are paid on commission (which many are), it is very difficult to earn a living.

Finding a remedy to this problem is therefore not an option. 

But then, there’s another aspect:

The accent is part of a person’s identity, of its roots. In order to better fit in in a foreign environment, the person might be tempted to “tone it down” a bit.

However, by replacing the person's accent with a more prestigious one, are we not perpetuating the privilege some accents hold over others?

Heather believes that the only way an accent gets easier to understand is by listening to it more.

If we never hear these voices (that are already marginalized in many other ways), how will we ever attune our ears to these different accents?

So the reality of true belonging, in my opinion, is that it starts with 𝒂𝒄𝒄𝒆𝒑𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇. 

It’s about the courage to be real and imperfect.

However, this action alone might 𝐍𝐎𝐓 be enough.

If the accent is a major barrier, you may need to learn to speak clearly and confidently in multilingual and cultural settings. 

For instance, you may need to learn to articulate the sounds that can make a difference to global understanding.

This is not the same as 'reducing,' 'neutralizing,' or 'softening' an accent.

So, the 𝒆𝒏𝒗𝒊𝒓𝒐𝒏𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 in which you live and work is equally important. 

Accent bias is hidden in plain sight, which is why you don’t even recognize or realize you’ve been taught. 

So yes, self-awareness and self-acceptance is important.

But equally important is that organizations, universities and communities at large raise awareness about accent bias and linguistic inequality and tackle stereotypes.

It is a process which you may - or you may not, be able to influence. 

The only true certainty, the one thing you have under control is your attitude and the way you choose to respond to external factors. 

How have you experienced accents and accent bias? Share your stories in the comments. I'd love to hear them!