My Identity Crisis & Speaking Like A Native

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ABOUT THIS VIDEO

Hey! In this video we talk about speaking like a native speaker: what does it mean and should you try to do it?

What I've learned is that this phrase means different things to different people. Some people want to sound EXACTLY like a native speaker. I've gotten lots of comments from people saying they want to speak and sound exactly like me.

For other people, this phrase simply means they want to feel confident when they speak English. They want to speak English as easily and effortlessly as they speak their native language. They want to pronounce words accurately, have good intonation, and connect words fluently.

So, now the question is... what does this phrase mean to YOU? What are you trying to achieve with your English? Tell us in the comments!

Next, I also talk about my personal experience with trying to sound like a native speaker. Now that I've gone through several years of language learning, I can say that there is nothing wrong with trying to sound as native-like as possible. It can be really fun to imitate natives and develop a native-like accent.

I've also found that it can be quite empowering to purposely retain a bit of your native accent. I don't think I talked too much about this in the video, and I wish I talked about it more... maybe I'll have to make a separate video about it :)

The last thing I will say about this, and I say it in the video... is that it's very dangerous to OBSESS about "passing as a native." This can cripple your confidence... it can make you afraid of speaking, afraid of making mistakes, and it will make you worry about what others think of you. Also, if you are trying to pass as something you are not, this shows you have an issue with your OWN identity. Why do you want people to think you are someone you are not? It's not necessary! Be who you are and don't be ashamed of it.

I really hope this video makes people think. I hope you learn that it's OK to have an accent. You should 100% embrace who you are, where you are from, whatever your native language(s) are, etc.

I wasted way too many years of my life trying to pass as someone I wasn't, and I can tell you from first-hand experience that it's not worth your time or energy. The complex I created in my mind is something I STILL occasionally struggle with till this day.

Alright... again, I hope this video was helpful! Let me know your thoughts and experiences in the comments.

See you in the next video! :D

PS. If you'd like to get all the updates on the pronunciation course I'm making, make sure you sign up here: https://englishfulltime.com/waiting-list/

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