Does My Teacher’s Accent Matter When Learning English?

Short answer: No, your teacher’s accent usually doesn’t matter when learning English. But let’s look at why this is true and how it affects your learning.

Should I Find a Teacher with a Local Accent If I’m Moving to a Specific City?

Moving to International Cities

If you’re moving to big international cities like London, New York, Mumbai, or Sydney, you’ll meet English speakers from many different places. These cities have people from all over the world, so you’ll hear accents from all over the world, from Singapore or the Philippines, to Kenya, Brazil, Turkey, or Canada

In these big cities, hearing many different accents is normal. You can easily find native speakers with the local accent, but learning to understand different accents is more important.

Moving to Smaller Cities or the Countryside

In smaller towns or country areas, you won’t hear as many different accents. If you’re moving to these places, learning with a teacher who has the local accent can help you. But remember that English is a global language—you’ll still hear international accents through TV, movies, travel and the internet, no matter where you live.

Will My Children Learn Their Teacher’s Accent?

Children’s accents are influened by teachers and parents but accents are built by the community they grow up in. Think about your own experience. If you grew up in a different place than your parents, you probably have a different accent in your native language – the same thing happens with children learning English.

Teachers and parents have some influence in the short-term, but children today learn English from many sources. As they listen to different voices through movies, games, the internet and music, their accent will develop based on all these different inputs. Eventually they’ll have their own unique accent, which will be influenced by all of the input.

How to Choose an English Teacher: What Really Matters

Getting Used to Different Accents

When you look at teacher profiles on sites like WeAreEnglishTeachers.com, you’ll see teachers with different accents. It’s completely normal if you don’t understand a new accent right away. Different accents have:

• Different ways of going up and down in pitch (intonation)
• Different vowel sounds
• Different rhythm and stress

Don’t stop after listening once. Keep trying, and you’ll get used to it quickly. Choose a teacher whose accent you can understand and whose voice sounds pleasant to you since you’ll be listening to them a lot during lessons.

The Biggest Mistake: Choosing Teachers by Accent Only

Many excellent English teachers are non-native speakers who learned English as a second language, just like you. They might not sound British or American, but they can:

• Teach you very well using good methods
• Explain grammar or pronunciation rules clearly
• Understand the problems you have
• Share helpful advice from their own learning experience

Don’t say no to a teacher just because their accent is different from what you expected.

Why Learning from Teachers with Different Accents Is Good

English is a global language, so you’ll talk to people with different accents in your work and personal life. Learning from teachers with different accents gives you:

• Better preparation for real conversations around the world
• Stronger listening skills
• More confidence when talking to different English speakers
• Better ability to understand different ways of speaking

Hearing multiple accents while you learn is excellent practice for the real world.

Good Teaching Matters More Than Accent

Your teacher’s accent is not very important for your English learning success. What matters most is:

• Good teaching methods and experience
• Clear communication and patience
• Ability to explain things well
• Good connection between you and the teacher

Look at teacher profiles and watch introduction videos on WeAreEnglishTeachers.com to find the right teacher for your goals—their accent doesn’t need to be perfect.

Ready to start learning English? Visit WeAreEnglishTeachers.com to look at teacher profiles and find your perfect teacher today.