When you worry your accent will affect your child's language learning

A parent asked me this week: "June, my English has an accent. Should I speak only Russian to my daughter?"

I see this worry everywhere. Parents who grew up speaking one language, now raising children in another country, wondering if their "imperfect" English will somehow limit their child.

Here's what 10 years of teaching languages across countries taught me:

Your accent isn't a limitation. It's a gift.

When Anya hears my Estonian-accented English, my husband Ivan's Russian-accented Dutch, and her environment’s native Amsterdam Dutch, her brain is building something remarkable, the ability to understand that language is flexible, diverse, and belongs to everyone who speaks it.

Research backs this up. Children who hear multiple accents develop stronger phonological awareness. They become better at distinguishing sounds. They learn early that there's no single "correct" way to speak a language.

The question isn't whether your accent will affect your child's learning.

The question is: will you let worry about your accent stop you from speaking your language?

Because here's what matters more than perfect pronunciation:

→ Emotional connection in your native language

→ Cultural stories only you can share

→ The confidence you model when you speak authentically

Anya will learn "perfect" English from school, friends, media. But she'll only learn Russian from us. She'll only hear Russian lullabies from me.

Your accent carries your history, your identity, your love.

Don't let anyone—including yourself—tell you it's not enough.

What's your experience with this? Do you worry about your accent when speaking to your children?