💬 Try Speakable for free and see how AI can help your students speak with clarity and confidence.
Every language teacher has seen it happen: a student knows the answer, opens their mouth to speak, and suddenly freezes.
It’s not lack of knowledge. It’s fear.
The fear of being misunderstood.
The fear of sounding “off.”
The fear that their accent will speak louder than their words.
Accent anxiety is real. It doesn’t come from ability, but from perception, from the worry that being understood isn’t enough unless it sounds perfect.
For years, language teaching has placed heavy weight on accuracy, but the more we reward perfection, the more we discourage real communication. When fear takes over, fluency fades.
But accent feedback doesn’t have to create pressure. It can build awareness. When pronunciation feedback is private, consistent, and focused on clarity, students stop hearing it as judgment and start seeing it as growth.
That’s what modern tools now allow us to do. With AI support, teachers can provide individualized pronunciation insights that help students understand how they sound and how to improve. Because it’s not about sounding “native.” It’s about being understood, confident, and proud of their progress.
Teachers can help students reframe pronunciation as skill-building, not self-criticism.
Here are a few ways to make speaking feel safer for your students:
When feedback is consistent and encouraging, students begin to take ownership of their voice. They start to see pronunciation as something they can shape.
💡 Ready to help your students turn accent anxiety into growth? Try Speakable free today.
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