Accents in a foreign language
My foreign language students swear that accents are no big deal. In their mind, a little mark is not going to affect the meaning of a sentence. It’s just one more thing to study so some skip it and end up losing valuable points on tests and quizzes.
Are they right? Is it a waste of time to learn the accents in a foreign language? Don´t ever let them know this but…..maybe!
Here´s what I mean. In the case of students in high school, yes the accents are important. They are an integral part of the language and are there for a reason. If a student decides to use their Spanish to get a job, their employer will expect them to speak, read, listen and write well. The problem is you can’t write well if you don’t know where the accents go.
However, if you are a casual learner, someone who likes to learn languages before they travel to new countries; or someone who will be focusing on speaking rather than the other three skills, then you can probably leave off accents and be understood.
And since that’s your goal anyway, no one will care.
So you see, like many things in life, the answer is … it depends. Just have a clear idea about your goals and how to reach them. Accents may make the difference.
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