Learning English Conversations Beating Speaking Anxiety: 5. I’m scared people won’t understand me
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Feb 16, 2026 Jennifer Jenkins, Emeritus Professor of Global Englishes who researches English as a lingua franca, discusses accents, intelligibility and accommodation. She challenges the myth of sounding native. She urges pride in your accent and shares practical ways to adapt pronunciation so others understand.
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Losing Confidence After Being Misunderstood
- Anna from Ukraine avoided words when unsure of pronunciation, which made her speech simpler.
- She lost confidence after people didn't understand her, like when a waiter misheard 'neat' as 'need'.
Intelligibility Beats Native Accent
- Jennifer Jenkins says intelligibility matters more than sounding native.
- Accent identity is fine as long as people can understand you in conversation.
Native Accent Is Not The Standard
- Jennifer notes received pronunciation is rare; many native accents exist worldwide.
- Expect diversity and accept that aiming for one 'correct' native accent is unnecessary.