It is not necessarily bad to have an accent, and for some people I would not recommend spending time trying to change your speech. If people have trouble understanding you and your oral English is interfering with your life (in work, school, your business or your personal life), then your will likely benefit from improving your speech. The opportunities available to you and your quality of life will improve as a result.
People have many reasons for wanting to change their accent. In my opinion, there are two occasions when you really need to make the effort to change. One, when your accent hinders communication & causes misunderstandings & people ask you to repeat yourself often. Two, when you are losing opportunities in life due to your accent. For example, not getting a job or being promoted, losing potential clients, not speaking because you are embarrassed by your speech. If you experience any of these thing, then, you should make the effort to change.
And last but not least, I’d like to mention that there is no one true and correct accent for English or any other language. Speech is a way for humans to communicate with one another. Whichever speech allows you to communicate successfully with those around you is correct speech. If you consciously want to improve your speech, you should choose to imitate the accent that is most useful for you personally, the easiest for you to learn or the one you prefer. Are you ready to work on your American English accent? Join my “5 Days to a Better Accent” class. Learn to speak clear, understandable English and experience the confidence and success that brings.