[samsiahk]

I did my undergraduate studies in the United States, and English is not my mother tongue.When I came back to Malaysia to teach, I was very conscious of the difference between the British English and the American English because the school system uses the British English in terms of spelling...pronunciation wise, Malaysians have many varieties. I did not stay long enough in the States to "catch" the accent.Moreover, many lecturers told me to remember to speak to be understood, not to impress! It would have been problematic to use either one accent especially if one teaches in the rural areas where English is really a classroom language. With the globalisation factor in mind, I think we should speak to be understood internationally meaning that the syntax must adhere to the English syntax (regardless of which English) but one has to consider the ethnic background of the speaker. Having an accent is "charming" but language is used to communicate, not just to impress.