I have an accent because I have another first language.

I have an accent because I have another first language and this is part of my identity.

The “native speaker” very often seems to occupy a role of prestige. Why is such a sharp difference being made between people who speak a language as a first language and people who speak it as a second or third language?
As opposed to the “native speaker”, speakers with a different first tongue are defined by what they are not, i.e. “non-native speakers”. This clearly demonstrates the perspective of our society where the “native speaker” is regarded as the model and everyone is required to follow it; if the criteria of “nativeness” is not met, there is a lack… …of intelligence?

I think we should focus on the function of language: effective communication! I don’t think intelligence is determined by received pronunciation. However, people who don’t speak the “standard” version of a language often seem to be perceived as not intelligent and may experience discrimination because of this.

Why does it matter so much if we speak a regional variety, a dialect or if our discourse includes elements of other languages that we speak? It does not translate into our intelligence but rather into our identity! Everyone is different and has their own way of expressing themselves no matter in which language. What matters is the function: Are we able to communicate to others what we want to communicate? Do we Really understand what people are saying? The more linguistic and cultural resources we have, the more flexible we are in different contexts and language settings so we can be proud of the idiolect we speak and of the language variety(ies) that add to our identity.