I have made many mistakes in my lifetime, but overlooking a huge ongoing
issue that appears in many of my videos is the biggest mistake that I have ever
made, and that is accent discrimination. I was naive and I didn't realise that
I was doing it, but after being called out on it, and those people that have
called me out on it had every right to do so, I'm angry at myself and I'm angry
at the way that I have been making people feel. I don't feel personally
attacked by those who called me out - so don't give them any grief for doing so.
I really believe that they were doing it for you, and I feel like they were
doing it for the industry. The criticism wasn't just aimed at me - it was aimed at
me and the industry, and it was deserved. Until recently I was convinced that I
was running a positive, family-friendly, unproblematic YouTube channel that was
helping students from all over the world. But what I didn't take the time to think
about was that I was making people feel not good enough because of the way they
speak. In a recent video I took 10 words that are difficult to pronounce, words
that can be used in a university or a workplace, and I told people that they
should avoid mispronouncing these words if they want to sound professional and
intelligent. Words like intelligent, smart, professional... they're all buzz words on
YouTube and they tend to get a really good response. But what I implied was
that if people don't pronounce these words the way an English dictionary
says you should pronounce them in received pronunciation, then you are not
intelligent, you are not professional, and you are not educated. I never intended to
convey or spread that toxic message, but I did convey it, and I need to apologise
I am so sorry to everyone who felt hurt by that video, and I'm so sorry
to everyone who has been made to feel unprofessional, uneducated, or stupid
by any of my videos. That is not what I wanted or intended but it's clear that
what I wanted and what I intended is not enough. I have removed these videos and
I'm reviewing the rest of my channel to make sure that I don't push any of these
prejudices. I love making catchy videos, but I do need to strike a better balance
between making fun and engaging content, and providing thoughtful and responsible
education. I'll also admit that I'm finding it challenging to strike that
balance between teaching pronunciation and not dismissing regional accents. This
is now my period of learning. I have arranged conversations with some of
the experts that have criticised me. I want to learn and I want to improve and
I want to use my platform for good. To those who have criticised me - thank you.
You're trying to effect positive change and I want to do that too.