Hello everyone! This is the first draft of a speech I’m working on, and it’s currently only two minutes long, so I know I’ll need to make some changes to reach the 5-minute mark. I would appreciate any corrections, not just in terms of grammar but also regarding the overall flow and clarity. I'm also open to any advice on public speaking techniques. Thank you!

Let me tell you a story. A few weeks ago, I introduced two friends of mine to each other. One is from Italy, and the other is from Texas. Both now live here in Hungary. My Italian friend is a head chef at a fancy restaurant and manages a team of over 80 people in English, every day. His English is excellent. You’d think a conversation with a native speaker would be a breeze for him, right? But something interesting happened… Despite his fluency, he struggled to follow what my American friend’s English.

Why? It had nothing to do with his vocabulary or grammar. It was something more subtle but just as important: enunciation and clarity. When native speakers talk, they often take shortcuts. They blend words together, drop sounds, and speak fast. For example, instead of saying 'I am going to,' they might say 'Amana.' Or 'Did you eat?' becomes 'D’ya eat?' These shortcuts make speech faster, but less clear to non-natives. My Italian friend, even though his English is great, struggled because he’s used to more structured, clear English.

Like most non-native speakers, he’s used to hearing and using English with clarity. He’s an expert at communicating in a way that’s easy to understand because he focuses on pronouncing each word clearly. But when faced with the fast, connected speech of a native speaker, he found himself having to slow down and adjust.

A lot of non-native speakers are insecure about their accents. But what if I told you that your accent might actually be your strength? It’s not your accent that makes communication difficult—it’s how clearly you speak. My Italian friend, with his distinct accent, is one of the clearest speakers I know because he focuses on clear, thoughtful speech.

So, if you're worried your accent gets in the way of your English, don’t be. Embrace it! Focus on clarity, not perfect pronunciation. It’s not about sounding like a native speaker; it’s about communicating effectively and confidently.

Next time you speak, embrace your voice and your accent and focus on clear enunciation. Speak with confidence, and you’ll find that people will understand you better, and, as a result, your message will be stronger.