Hadar Shemesh argues for optimizing pronunciation instead of erasing accents. Predictable pronunciation means producing sounds that match what native listeners expect. When speakers substitute /l/ with /w/, saying
When people talk about accent reduction, they talk about eliminating any foreign features that might indicate that you are not from here. When I teach, I don't aim for people to lose their non-native accent, but I usually aim for optimizing pronunciation work for clear and confident communication. It means that when you speak and when you learn a language, you opt for predictable pronunciation. Predictable pronunciation is when you know how people expect to hear a sound and you are making a sound that is predictable. In American English, we have the L sound, and there are some speakers who might not pronounce this L sound like that. They will pronounce it as W. So when you say goal and it sounds like go, Native speakers will perceive it as 'go.' That pronunciation was not predictable. That creates lack of clarity and confusion for the listener.
Read Out Loud with me! Dare to Lead by Brené Brown | Pronunciation & Vocabulary practice
