By Elif Gorgulu
My Dear International Ladies,
Having an accent is a given to most of us that come from different parts of the world. We are usually non-native English speakers which means that every one of us has a diverse level of English that varies from person to person. I remember my freshman year when I first arrived to LMU and I discovered that I had a smidge of an accent that my first American friends pointed out immediately after meeting me. Kudos to them pointing it out but it also caused me to be insecure about my English on significant level as I felt lost since I didn’t talk like them, didn’t pronounce things like them and did not understand the slang. What is important to understand about accents is that they are actually a symbol of where you come from and part of your identity and it is a part of you that makes you great. You should never think it as an aspect that hinders your ability to express yourself and embrace it. I remember my roommate would feel embarrassed whenever people pointed her accent out to her in social situations. She soon realized that what makes LMU great is that people adore you when you speak in an accent and they find it attractive! So don’t fret about your accent and worry about it because it’s a part of what makes you great and learn to love it because if you do other people will too!