Is 'accent' important when learning English?

Is 'accent' important when learning English? Should I be worried about having an 'accent'? The answer is Yes...and No. YES...if you want that Upper Adv. C1/C2 certification NO...if you just want to sing along with a song YES...if you want that dream job at Tesla or Microsoft NO...if you just want to talk with your American friend better Simply put...if you're learning English as a hobby or something 'fun' to do - then No, your concern about having an accent is unwarranted. In other words, don't worry about it. When we talk about 'accent', what language professionals are referring to are the sounds native speakers hear from non-native speakers that indicate you are using your OWN language's phonemes when speaking English. Accent is not a reference to whether you are speaking American English (AE), Australian English (AusE) or British English (BE). Many non-professional, casual and online-for-fun 'teachers' of English will tell you not to worry about your accent, but to just focus on building your vocabulary, having good grammar structure and emulating native speakers in everyday, casual conversation. As this may seem like reasonable advice, it is advice that usually comes from people who have not been classically trained as linguists or language educators; and their main focus is not to 'scare off' the language learner or 'bruise his ego' to cause him to lose interest in learning the English language. And while these are clearly noble concerns, they are not rooted in being honest with language learners. It's best to not 'sugar coat' the truth, but to be forthright in telling the language learner that...Yes - at some point in your language development, accent will be an important factor in your language acquisition and possibly a deciding factor on whether or not you land that job you were hoping to get. So what is the final word on whether having an accent is good or bad? To keep it simple - if you're just learning English as something to do with your spare time, to better understand TV shows and movies or to just have fun with it, then having an accent should NOT be a concern or something you should be stressed about. However, if you're a very serious language learner and your goal is to achieve an Upper Advanced/Proficient or Near-native level of English, then you will need to work in earnest to 'erase' your accent and stop any use of your native language's unique vocalizations when speaking English. It is doable...if you are dedicated to that outcome. PS: Yes, I have met people on this platform that have Near-native level English and they are NOT native English speakers. It is just a very small handful of individuals at that, but they do exist and they are here on occasion.