Students' perceptions of their own English accent and its relationship to confidence while speaking
Palabras clave:
perception, English accent, speaking, confidence, linguistic identityResumen
English has become a global language and an important tool for communication, education, employment, and cultural exchange. As its use has expanded worldwide, students are increasingly expected to develop effective oral communication skills. In this context, pronunciation and accent may influence not only communication but also students’ confidence and perception of themselves as English speakers. However, some students perceive their own English accent as inadequate when they compare themselves with native-speaker models or other speakers. This perception may cause insecurity, fear of making mistakes, and reluctance to participate in English-speaking activities, potentially affecting their linguistic identity. Karmida, Hasibuan, and Nurlaili (2024) found a relationship between pronunciation difficulties and low confidence in speaking English, highlighting factors such as limited practice, lack of exposure, first-language interference, and psychological factors. Therefore, the issue is not whether an accent is “good” or “bad,” but how students perceive their own accent and how this perception relates to their linguistic identity. This study seeks to explore this relationship among secondary school students and understand how their perceptions of their English pronunciation may influence their confidence and identity as English users. This study is relevant both theoretically and practically. Theoretically it contributes to the fields of sociolinguistics and psycholinguistics by deepening the understanding of the relationship between accent and identity in foreign language learning contexts, practically its findings can be useful for English teachers, as they help clarify the emotional and attitudinal barriers students face allowing for the design of pedagogical strategies that foster a more positive relationship with one's own accent without requiring imitation of a native standard as the sole measure of communicative success.
