Will my accent be a problem for a PhD in the UK?

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wildflower12345678@reddit

so long as you speak well enough to be understood, the accent is irrelevant.

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Absolutely not. London is full of people with a variety of accents and they all manage fine. My relative has French in-laws working in the UK, and they have all settled in England just fine, a couple have strong French accents but that’s not an issue for anyone.

What IS concerning is that this potential supervisor has stated it’s an issue (which is very wrong and unprofessional of them). I would not advise working with this supervisor because unfortunately they can make or break your PhD. And if they treat you unprofessionally due to your accent that will be very hard to prove because they will probably deny they said anything.

If you can ensure you have a different supervisor for your PhD or find a PhD in a different university, that would be best.

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Free_Ad7415@reddit

It depends. As long as you are well understood, it is fine. Obviously there is a line where if it’s really strong, no one understands you.

If you think it’s an issue you can work on it (it’s often the word / sentence stress that makes non native speakers sound markedly different ).

If you don’t think it’s an issue then no worries I’m sure you’re fine

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kenza-Necessary5280@reddit (OP)

And how can I make my accent sound like official speakers?

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Xanavaris@reddit

You honestly don’t need to. Any halfway intelligent person will be able to understand what you’re saying even if you have a strong accent. They might even find it charming and interesting.

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me_version_2@reddit

Hang out with locals and your accent will evolve over time anyway. Not to BBC newsreader level but you’ll feel confident in what and how you say it. I would put a pin in this professor and potentially start documenting the comments, are they likely to roadblock your application? Ultimately if you are understood then he needs to zip it on the accent comments. And adding to the other commenter he sounds like a massive tool.

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Free_Ad7415@reddit

Not something I can explain over message! I am qualified to teach English as a foreign language, when I was doing it we used to do an ‘audit,’ record the person speaking a few passages, then go through it and explain the differences in stress and phonology. I don’t know any resources I’m afraid but I’m sure there are many!

And like I said, it was just one person’s opinion, so I’m sure you’re fine!

I’d probably just ask friends to correct me once you move over (lots of my non English friends ask me to do that)

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kenza-Necessary5280@reddit (OP)

I can't move until I'm sure it won't cause me any problems. This professor has commented on this a lot, which has made me feel scared.

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Cameliablue@reddit

Why don't you reach out to uni staff beyond this one professor and discuss your concerns with them?

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kenza-Necessary5280@reddit (OP)

I already called and they said he's an experienced professor and his observations are important.They can't do anything; I didn't know that language was a real problem there.

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Noushbertine@reddit

As someone who's done a PhD:

On your broader question: depending on the subject, most of your colleagues are likely to be non-native speakers anyway, and most of us end up going to international conferences where English is just the most common international language, not the native one.

On your specific point about the complaint and response: this is BS from the University, but unfortunately very common - lecturers can basically never be wrong even when we really drop the ball with students, but more so for PGs than UGs. This is especially especially true when talking about names who bring in research funding, in the University structure that is their greatest value, not their ability to supervise. I strongly suspect this lecturer is talking out of their own personal prejudice, or they really can't be arsed to supervise you but aren't willing to say so directly. In your position, I would have a long, hard think about the following:

Your relationship with your supervisor will be the most important one for the next 3-4 years of your life, especially living abroad with no personal relationships in the area. Can you honestly, honestly deal with someone who sounds extremely personally petty?

Do you at least have a co-supervisor you can rely on/speak to? If the answer is no, I'd strongly recommend thinking about someone and somewhere else.

Is there someone and somewhere else? Your supervisor is important, but you're also going to want to have at least one more expert in the field to use as an examiner in your viva (person 2 may also be an expert, or they may be some other member of staff from your home department, dependant on the university). You may actually be better served in the long run by having a good supervisor in a related specialism and save the real expert for your viva - they're the ones you ask for references in early careers academia.

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Free_Ad7415@reddit

This is a really good idea

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Beautiful_Hour_4744@reddit

Your professor sounds like a dick!

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kenza-Necessary5280@reddit (OP)

He said that Britain has one well-known English language and it must be mastered

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NinjaPistachio@reddit

And here you are...typing in English :-) come on over

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Rico1983@reddit

Your professor sounds like a bit of a twat, to be honest. You'll be fine.

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Orange_Codex@reddit

Ah, you posted about this professor before.

We unanimously agreed he was wrong then, and we'll unanimously agree he is wrong now. There is no 'official' English accent, and even if there was we wouldn't expect a foreigner to speak with it.

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GJThunderqunt@reddit

People from every town that isn't his will use a word that makes no sense to him.

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Free_Ad7415@reddit

You’re fine. Three months in the UK you’ll be well practised, especially if it’s something you are actively working on.

Don’t worry honestly, like others have said we have sooo many non native speakers here, especially at university, most of my friends were foreign!

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kenza-Necessary5280@reddit (OP)

I want that before I die. I don't want to be subjected to racism.

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TheGeordieGal@reddit

You won’t be subjected to racism for having a French accent. Your interactions will have you speak, someone say “oh, cool accent are you French? I went to France on holiday and had fun” and then move on.

Nobody really cares about their being different accents - especially European accents. I know lots of people who are from various places in Europe who moved here and aside from an initial asking what the accent was because I was curious, I’ve never even thought about it again. Same if I’m out and about, I’ll hear a different accent and think nothing of it because there’s so many people from other countries over here. A lot of people are just impressed someone from another country can speak English better than some who’ve grown up with the language.

I saw a bit of a sketch from a comedian and he got it right: we hate each other more than we hate anyone else (I think I will throw in an exclusion there for racism towards people from certain Middle Eastern countries and religions).

I’m probably more likely with my accent to face discrimination than someone with a different European accent because of the stigma people have about me working class areas of the UK where we have strong regional accents and dialects. I remember going to uni in the 00s and for my degree they had all of us with a strong accent see a coach to teach us how to drop the accent a bit because it was looked down on.

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SnooDonuts6494@reddit

There's no such thing as official speakers.

Everyone has an accent. None of them are particularly right or wrong - as long as you can be understood.

Just think about PhD students from Liverpool, and Scotland, and Somerset, and Birmingham, and Newcastle - all of which are likely to have strong accents; often much stronger than ESL students.

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kenza-Necessary5280@reddit (OP)

Thank you 🙏🏻

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hellopo9@reddit

41% of people in London were born outside the UK. For the working population its almost a majority. You'll be fine. Many, many students and academics are from outside the UK. Ironically, I think you'll have a bigger issue understanding all of the other accents.

What was the comment on your accent? Usually, people think quite positively of French accents in Britain.

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kenza-Necessary5280@reddit (OP)

He told me that my accent is bad and that with it I won’t be able to continue living here. He said that Britain has one clear language that you must master, otherwise you won’t be able to work, study, or live and integrate here.

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GJThunderqunt@reddit

That's absolute bullshit. There are so many dialects in England for starters.

Then there's the fact that in English we can take a word and make it mean pretty much what we want it to mean.

So we'll take a noun, let's say "mattress". If we precede it with absolute - it comes to mean "idiot". As in "you absolute mattress".

But now we can pretend it's a verb and put it in the past tense and suddenly it's a synonym for drunk. "Oh mate, I was totally mattressed last night".

It's not a one size fits all solution but there are often times when the language is used in creative ways such as that. Learning the language is easy, speaking it like a native is.. lets just say I know people who've been here 20 years, who came over as kids, who still have linguistic tells. Your professor is a chode.

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hellopo9@reddit

That was rude and he shouldn't have said that, he sounds like a grumpy old man who is annoyed London has so many accents he has to make an effort to understand. I'm sure you find that in Paris as well. Though normally those sorts of people here complain about people who are much further away than the French.

You see Brits here are very confused because you're French. It's like a French person complaining about an Italian accent. You're so similar, half our language comes from you. French is also the historical prestige language here, which makes it weirder.

You need to speak English of course, but it's very normal to have a foreign accent. Again, more than 40% of Londoners have a non-British accent. Loads of my colleagues (NHS in Manchester) have non-British accents. My French colleague was really easy to understand and patients didn't have an issue understanding her. That said, the nurses and doctors are often Indian and they consciously make an effort to speak slower so elderly sick people can understand them, which makes sense.

On the difficulty of accents to understand French is very easy (again, half our language comes from French).

I mean, sure its good form when speaking a foreign language to learn to speak so that native speakers can understand you, but everyone always has an accent. I'm sure your English is fine if you're doing a PhD. There will be times when people can't understand a word or two and ask you to repeat, but that's normal and doesn't affect work, shopping or friendships.

There is a chance you were speaking very passionately and very fast (possibly over video call) and he couldn't understand you. But he was rude in the way he commented. British people can even have issues with other British accents (Liverpool and Glasgow can be hard to understand if people speak quickly). I'm sure there are French accents you find harder than others, especially the Québécois. But its normal to say "sorry" and look quizzical. People do that to me sometimes; I do that to others.

TLDR: You shouldn't have an issue. He was being blunt and rude.

Also have a fantastic time in the UK if you do decide to come. You'll adore London, but make sure to explore as much as you can. I'm happy to give suggestions if you'd like them.

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kenza-Necessary5280@reddit (OP)

Thank you so much for your reassuring message. I really appreciate your perspective and it makes me feel much more confident about my English and moving to the UK. I’m looking forward to improving and experiencing life there🙏🏻 I would really appreciate any suggestions you have, and also some help practicing my English if that’s possible

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hellopo9@reddit

Of course!

London has loads to explore, and you'll see that. There's always something on from all over the world. You could spend ages reading what to do there so I won't go into it.

Outside of London, Oxford and Cambridge are both small cities that are close enough for a day trip. Great museums, old pubs, pretty architecture. You can get in a little boat and get punted around (like a gondola).

Arundel is a small town with a big castle, very cute if you like old villages.

Bath is a bit further but is fab, it's named after the Roman baths that were built there. There's a spa that uses the same water source the Romans used, the rooftop pool has great views.

Edinburgh is gorgeous, but you would need to stay in a hotel to make the most of it. One of my favourite cities in the UK. It feels very regal, a nice mix of medieval and Georgian architecture. Climb Arthur's seat for the best view.

The Cotswolds has the quintessential English villages people want to visit, but it can be quite touristy. Best done by car.

For more alternative vibes Manchester and Bristol are nice cities with great music scenes, markets and bars. In Manchester, check out Afflecks (generally the northern quarter), John ryalands, the football museum, a small gig somewhere like the deaf institute.

There also lots of nice little villages and cathedral cities.

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kenza-Necessary5280@reddit (OP)

Thank you! That’s really useful. I’d love to visit some of these places, especially Edinburgh and Oxford. Do you think 1–2 weeks are enough to see a few of them?

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hellopo9@reddit

Yes 1-2 weeks is grand enough to see quite a few places. You can't explore everywhere unless you live there, but that's true of all places.

Spend 4-5 days in London if you're staying for 10-14 days, Definitely a day trip to either Oxford or Cambridge (though both are great if you have time). I prefer Cambridge as it's smaller but others like Oxford as there's just more to see there.

Spend a day or two in Bath, longer if you want to visit the Cotswolds and Bristol which are both nearby. Even longer if you want to go to Glastonbury and Wells. Glastonbury especially if you like king Arthur. There's an American tour guides called rick Steve who does a great bit about why you should visit the West of England (it's on YouTubeHere). He also does lots of free audio tours.

If you're heading up to Scotland, York is a good place to stop on the way up. It's an older city, used to be the capital of the north. That could be driving up, or a half day in the middle of a longer train journey. Or also just a day or two outright.

Spend 3-4 days in Edinburgh and do a trip to the Highlands if you can (Glencoe). Edinburgh is quite small but is packed with stuff to do so spend a bit of time there. It's also a nice place to visit in winter as the bad weather aesthetically suits the city, which is quite rare as cities go.

Have a wonderful time, désolé on behalf of Britain for the rude gentleman you had the unfortunate pleasure of meeting.

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kenza-Necessary5280@reddit (OP)

Thank you C'est très gentil de votre part

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Familiar_Radish_6273@reddit

That was rude. However it might be worth doing practice conversation classes with a native speaker who could help you with your accent, if you are concerned. But as long as you're able to speak and write in English to a good level, you won't have any problems. Hopefully you won't have to deal with this grumpy git again!

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Practical-Let-7725@reddit

Definitely not. I did my PhD in London and worked alongside and with people from all over the world with a real mix of accents and languages. Honestly, one of the hardest accents for me was the Irish guy from Cork who worked next to me in the lab, and he’s an “official” English speaker!

London is so multicultural as it is, but I also find academia to be especially welcoming. You’ll be fine!

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BellendBuilder@reddit

You might get asked jokingly if you surrender every so often but other than that no

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Dense_Bad3146@reddit

My Italian colleague just finished hers, so no problems

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de_cachondeo@reddit

I think French speakers can sometimes be especially hard to understand if their accent is strong, more so than strong accents from other languages.

If you're interested in having a qualified pronunciation teacher assess your accent for understandability and tell you the areas you can work on to be understood better, then I offer this service: https://biglanguages.com/english-pronunciation-feedback/

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MzHmmz@reddit

I've known multiple international students (at various levels of academia, from undergrad to PhD) who had fairly strong accents, it shouldn't be a problem unless your accent is so strong that it's hard to understand you. It might be worth asking the professor if he's having trouble understanding what you say, to help clarify exactly what his problem is with your accent.

If you know any other British people or other native English speakers you could ask them for honest feedback on your accent (make sure you tell them to be brutally honest, a lot of British people will be too polite to tell the truth otherwise! And even then, expect some people to try to soften anything that could be perceived as criticism).

Even if your accent is pretty strong, the chances are it will become more British sounding over time. Of course you'll probably always sound obviously French but not to the same extent, so it's probably not worth worrying over unless you're bordering on unintelligible. (

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kenza-Necessary5280@reddit (OP)

Thank you 🙏🏻Unfortunately, I don't have any friends who speak English.

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ProfessionalEven296@reddit

I bet your English is better than his French!

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First-Lengthiness-16@reddit

It won’t impact you academically as long as you can speak English clearly.

Daily life? Mostly no, but it could. It will depend on what your accent is.

We have shithouses putting up flags and painting roundabouts deliberately to make immigrants feel unwelcome, especially not white ones.

The UK is better than most at welcoming foreigners, but I don’t think people are being honest when they are telling you that it won’t causes issues. It very well might.

However, don’t let that stop you. Come over and make our little country that bit more educated.

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kenza-Necessary5280@reddit (OP)

Do you mean there is racism?!!!!!Is there racism against French speakers?

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MzHmmz@reddit

Lol, no! There is some very low level prejudice but it mostly consists of jokes about eating frogs etc, not any kind of serious bigotry.

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Just-Standard-992@reddit

I wouldn't worry too much about this. In general, there is the wide-spread stereotype that French and British people hate each other, but I am a foreigner myself and have done a degree in the UK, and worked at a Russell Group Uni for many years, and at least in academic settings, it's mostly seen as a joke with some historical roots.

I have never seen anyone actually be racist towards the French/French speakers. I'm not saying it doesn't exist, but it's probably not more prevalent than any other form of intolerance, and in academic settings, intolerance in general tends to be rare, because people are highly educated, and tons of students and staff are foreigners and speak many different languuages natively.

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First-Lengthiness-16@reddit

Lots of French speakers are African, there will be plenty of racism against them (not as much as in France in my opinion/experience).

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freebiscuit2002@reddit

There can be. Anti-French sentiment is not widespread in England, I'd say - but there are some individuals who, if they encounter something French, might decide to give you some trouble and fight their own personal Agincourt, Trafalgar or Waterloo all over again.

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Orange_Codex@reddit

I highly, highly doubt it. Never seen or heard of this happening once in my entire life.

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kenza-Necessary5280@reddit (OP)

Omg

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spank_monkey_83@reddit

You'll be fine, we love the french accent. Certainly better than many of our own.

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Mikon_Youji@reddit

Not even a little bit. As long as other people can understand what you're saying, you'll be fine.

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pigadaki@reddit

I think that was very rude of them. It is not really difficult for a Londoner to understand a French person. A very silly remark - don't let it knock your confidence.

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anabsentfriend@reddit

What did they say about your accent?

The uk has people from all over the world here. We're used to foreign accents and we have hundreds of our own.

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kenza-Necessary5280@reddit (OP)

He told me that my accent is bad and that with it I won’t be able to continue living here. He said that Britain has one clear language that you must master, otherwise you won’t be able to work, study, or live and integrate here.

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anabsentfriend@reddit

Is it just that you have a strong accent or that your English isn't as good as it could be?

Accents aren't a problem unless people can't understand what your saying. Has anyone had difficulty understanding you?

If it's the latter, I'm sure your English will improve just by immersing yourself in it when you live here. You could always take some extra lessons if you wanted.

To be honest, the guy sounds like a bit of a dick.

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kenza-Necessary5280@reddit (OP)

I am already taking language classes, but they seem to be of no use

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anabsentfriend@reddit

Are you already in the UK or still in France? It really will make a huge difference when you're hearing and speaking it every day. Try not to worry.

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kenza-Necessary5280@reddit (OP)

No, I'm not in UK yet

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anabsentfriend@reddit

Bon chance!

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kenza-Necessary5280@reddit (OP)

Merciii

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cardrosspete@reddit

No, I work in a large research University and there is every accent under the sun. You will be fine.

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ignatiusjreillyXM@reddit

As an abstract principle, you should be absolutely fine - our better universities are generally very international environments (if you ever want to get a distinct sense that the future of the world lies in Asia not Europe, just spend some time in university circles in Oxford...).

That said, it would do no harm to work on your accent if it does cause misunderstandings or is a real barrier to communication. I've had to do that when living abroad (speaking Russian) and it's a perfectly normal part of developing the art of communicating well in a non-native language.

This process works both ways, though - native English speakers effectively have to adopt a form of "international English", and avoid using specificially British slang terms or cultural references that might be seen as obscure, in international environments. It's been surprising on occasion to find which words aren't generally understood outside Britain...

Relatedly, there is still no consensus on whether this oft-cited accent-related bit of misunderstanding attributed to Madame de Gaulle really happened https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/happiness-envy/

Your potential supervisor sounds a bit of a knob, though (to use British slang)

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kenza-Necessary5280@reddit (OP)

Thank you for your thoughtful response, I really appreciate it. I completely understand that communication is key, and I’m already working on improving my English, especially pronunciation.But it seems that the lessons I took were useless.

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Constant-Werewolf-39@reddit

Nope not at all

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fredfoooooo@reddit

If your English is at a reasonable standard then if anything a French accent is an advantage. It sounds very pleasing to the English ear.

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Objective_Ticket@reddit

I feel to see why it would be an issue.

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Nooms88@reddit

My wife is polish and had no issue with her ba, masters then MBA in London. A recruiter did think she was too heavily accented to be recruitsable, luckily recruiters are just estate agents who have sold their way into a professional setting and know nothing. She's not a director at a mayor international company

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farraigemeansthesea@reddit

Speaking as a fellow traveller, one who has both done a PhD and lives in France teaching English to French university students.

Can you elaborate on what exactly your potential supervisor said to you? I'd like to gauge whether it was in passing or a possible red flag.

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kenza-Necessary5280@reddit (OP)

He told me that my accent is bad and that with it I won’t be able to continue living here. He said that Britain has one clear language that you must master, otherwise you won’t be able to work, study, or live and integrate here.

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InternationalRide5@reddit

He said that Britain has one clear language that you must master

Never been to Wales, then.

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weedywet@reddit

Well there are two possibilities here.

One: that he’s saying your English isn’t proficient enough or understandable enough

Two: that he’s a bigot who just doesn’t “like” your accent. And he’s being a cunt.

It’s up to you to determine which it is.

Can you improve your English?

Your accent though, as long as you’re understandable, is not a problem.

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kenza-Necessary5280@reddit (OP)

I am already taking language lessons, but they are not helping me; I don't know why

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farraigemeansthesea@reddit

Honestly, look for a different supervisor. This person doesn't have your best interests at heart. I wonder what their background is? Which is not to say that you should stop practicing your English whenever you have a chance. Try the Natural Reader website to practice pronunciation with, and don't hesitate to reach out if you have questions.

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HorrorAccomplished78@reddit

In my London street there are 16 languages. Everyone speaks a broken English, even the English now.

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Georgi2024@reddit

The supervisor was completely wrong to comment on your accent. Unlike the supervisor, a French accent is actually viewed by Brits as sophisticated.

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Familiar_Radish_6273@reddit

They might have just said something innocuous, eg "is that a French accent? What part are you from?" or whatever.

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Familiar_Radish_6273@reddit

INFO: Did the person commenting sound negative about your accent, OP, or was it just a passing mention, eg, is that a French accent I hear? It's not unusual for people to stay stuff like this just to pass the time and start a conversation. As long as you can be understood there won't be any problem at all. British universities would all collapse without our many, many international students.

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Bitter_Tradition_938@reddit

Absolutely not, do not worry about it in the slightest.

Chances are that the person who commented on your accent meant it as a compliment and did not choose their words properly.

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MJsThriller@reddit

The definition of intelligence vs common sense...jfc

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gummibear853@reddit

You probably speak better English than the natives.

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Just-Standard-992@reddit

Tons of people doing PhDs are international students anyway, and/or are extremely used to international students, so no, your accent won't be a problem.

However, depending on your command of the language, your understanding of other people's accents could take some adjustment time. But again, nothing to worry about if you adapt quickly/have good command.

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Suspicious_Banana255@reddit

No, you'll be fine

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OppositeWrong1720@reddit

As long as you have a leesonce for ze minkey you will be ok.:-)

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Informal_Farm4064@reddit

The French accent has more prestige than many other foreign accents. Try to make peace with your own accent. The bigger challenge will be to understand British accents!

You could do a little refresher training and awareness on the common issues for French speakers e.g. distinguishing "pen" and "pain".

Bonne chance et n'oublie pas que la France n'est pas si loin!

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kenza-Necessary5280@reddit (OP)

Thank you 🙏🏻

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Cameliablue@reddit

Shouldn't.

Not an academic setting, but Henning Wehn seems to be well liked.

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soviet_bias_good@reddit

The UK has extremely diverse accents itself (with the heavier of them being difficult to understand even for some native speakers), your accent most definitely will not cause problems in daily or academic life.

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Careful-Builder-9931@reddit

I had loads of tutors who were doing their DPhils, and lots of them had non-native accents. As long as your English is good, you'll be fine!

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Salt-Evidence-6834@reddit

You'll probably have more a problem with some of our accents than we will with yours.

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Orange_Codex@reddit

It won't be a problem at all.

We like the French, and foreign accents are very common in university towns.

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Mysterious_Bug_8407@reddit

England is not like France. Nobody would care if you have an accent at all. We even allow scousers at uni here and nobody can understand a word

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SnooDonuts6494@reddit

If they can understand you, it makes no difference.

It's only a problem if you are difficult to understand.

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ChallengingKumquat@reddit

Beware: every time a Londoner hears a French accent, they go on the offensive. Expect angry discussions about why the French invaded us in 1066, or why you hyphenated week-end.

Just kidding. London is full of foreigners. Sometimes it seems like there's more foreigners than Londoners in London. You'll be absolutely 100% fine.

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kenza-Necessary5280@reddit (OP)

Will the treatment of the population be good then?

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ChallengingKumquat@reddit

Yes. London is heaving with people of a huge range of accents. It's totally normal. Everyone is absolutely used to hearing different accents.

You could visit there beforehand for a few days and see for yourself. Hop in the Channel tunnel!

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kenza-Necessary5280@reddit (OP)

Thank you 🙏🏻

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BastardsCryinInnit@reddit

Im gonna go against the grain here and say some people's accents combined with the diction does make it incredibly hard to understand what they are saying.

It is possible for all the below to be true:

Londoners are not freaked out by an accent
No one has issue with the French accent
Accents are incredibly common all over the UK
A small amount of people have a thick accent and way of speaking that makes it hard for others to understand

There isnt really any way to find out if this person had an issue in themselves or if you do have a thick accent that is hard to understand until you get here and start talking to people!

Go

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oliviashrewtonbong@reddit

London is the sixth biggest French city lol you'll be fine

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Time_Trail@reddit

no its a french accent, if anything it might endear people to you

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OkTadpole2920@reddit

Absolutely not.

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noodlyman@reddit

If you have a very strong accent, it might be worth working on one or two sounds that might cause confusion when you get here.

I was losing l listening to someone (not French) recently that was hard to understand. I realised there were only two or three mispronounced things in their speech, and once I'd realised that, I could correct them mentally and understand perfectly well.

In general I think people like the French and French accents, so as long as you're understood it'll be fine.

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Tski247@reddit

If they allow Scousers and geordies then french wouldn't be a problem.😂

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andycwb1@reddit

I generally advise British natives to try to moderate a strong accent, but for foreign students - as long as you can be understood, you’ll be fine.

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1kBabyOilBottles@reddit

My native language is English although I have an Australian accent and didn’t have an issue.

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clovenheart1066@reddit

Not a problem at all. I worked as an admin for an international studentship and we had brazilians, dutch, a lot of italians. People get used to your accent and stop hearing it.

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SquiffSquiff@reddit

The accent of itself won't be a problem. Whether it's understandable would be the issue - could you do a recording of your voice? For instance

Both noticeable French accent but clearly understandable

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AutumnDream1ng@reddit

Current PhD student, the majority of the people in my cohort had English as a second language - a lot were German and Italian. Also true of the professors, you'll be fine!

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jabertsohn@reddit

A French accent? Not at all.

Assuming your actual command of the language is good, a French accent is just an interesting feature.

I might try to round off the edges where it might genuinely cause confusion, but I wouldn't recommend actively trying to adopt a British accent.

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