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Students new to Canada might know the grammar well, write very nicely and have been top students in their home country, yet still remain silent in the new classroom. They never raise their hands and hesitate to read aloud. Sometimes, the conclusion is that they are 'bad at English'.

However, in many cases, the real reason is emotional, as they feel ashamed of their accent.

I was once a teacher of a Grade 5 student from India who was good at English. After he moved to Canada, he stopped taking part in class. When we had a private conversation, he told me about a secret which neither his parents nor his teachers knew—that his classmates had mocked his accent.

The way he was mocked altered his own view of himself. Although he had a good command of English, he still felt that he didn't belong and thought to himself, 'Perhaps my voice sounds wrong, so I ought to remain silent.' By staying quiet, he protected himself from being ridiculed.

Children take mockery badly. If adults tell them to 'ignore it', the children usually can't. For a child, 'You said that word differently' means 'You don't belong.'

It is important for immigrant parents to talk about accents with intention. Children should understand that their accent has no effect on their value or intelligence. Research indicates that discrimination against someone for their language damages a child's confidence and makes them feel as though they don't belong. When a child is made to feel ashamed of their accent, this becomes a crisis because it causes them to be silenced.

It would be a mistake to think that a quiet child is just shy. You should investigate further. Maybe someone has made them ashamed of their voice? Or perhaps they’ve linked their accent to their identity? The accent is rarely the issue. It’s usually the shame that comes from being told you sound different.

Accent shame seldom makes itself known. A child won't typically come home and say, "Someone mocked my pronunciation." Rather, they will:

This hits hardest in Grades 4 to 9, when peer approval peaks. Kids desperately want to fit in. For newcomers already juggling new rules, slang, and expectations, standing out hurts. When their accent attracts attention, silence seems safer than taking part.

Immigrant parents also pick up on the accent. Out of love for their child, they worry that their child won’t fit in, will be misunderstood by teachers, or will face bullying. To protect their child, parents often relentlessly correct their child's pronunciation.

The issue is that constant correction makes the child feel as though their voice isn't safe even at home. Phrases such as "Say it properly" or "People won't understand you" tell the child that their natural voice is embarrassing.

The home must remain a judgment-free zone. Parents should help children communicate clearly, without making them feel self-conscious before the child even tries to speak. The aim is to help children become clear and confident communicators, not to get rid of their accents.

An accent should not be considered a weakness, but children still need speaking practice. They need tools, language exposure, and safe opportunities to build confidence.

One way to help is to change how you frame feedback.

The minor differences separate communication skills from personal worth. The educational body WIDA champions this approach of focusing on the strengths multilingual students bring.

Confidence begins in the home, so keep reminding your child that having a certain accent simply shows that you know another language. It has nothing to do with your intelligence. Say it until they believe it.

Ask gentle, open questions to understand their silence without making them feel interrogated:

When they speak, pay attention to the ideas they are expressing, and don't interrupt them to correct how they pronounce things. Soften your feedback and focus on one word at a time. Praise their thoughts before tweaking their speech: "I love that idea. Now, let's practice how to say this one word.”

Read aloud together for at least five minutes a day. If they stumble, break the word into sounds. The aim is for them to start feeling comfortable rather than sounding perfect.

Lastly, give them scripts for dealing with teasing. Teach them to say:

Celebrate your native language. Whether it's Punjabi, Arabic, Spanish, or Tagalog, treat it as a strength. The National Academies confirm that bilingualism at home does not confuse children or slow their English development. Don’t give up your mother tongue in order to assimilate.

Focus on clarity, not a "Canadian" accent. Can people grasp their main point? Are they speaking loudly enough? Can they pace themselves? Partner with the school or ask some version of the following questions during the parent-teacher conference:

Before school presentations, practice at home. Let them stand up, make mistakes, and try again. Remind them: "Your message matters, and your voice deserves to be heard."

Immigration shapes Canada. Our classrooms are brimming with diverse names, languages, and accents. And this diversity is our strength.

Schools should make sure that accents are not used to assess intelligence. They can create safe environments, learn how to pronounce different names, and offer newcomers the opportunity to speak without too much pressure. According to the WIDA guidelines, children feel accepted when schools acknowledge their multilingual abilities and feel safe when they do, which in turn enables them to find their own voices.

Remind your child that every voice tells a story. Their accent holds their culture, their courage, and their journey to a new world. Only when a child takes pride in that story do they stop shrinking to fit someone else’s expectations. They learn they do not have to erase where they came from to belong where they are.