How Many Of You Have Developed An "accent" ?

Discussion in 'General Discussions' started by anika987, May 15, 2021.

  1. HariLakhera

    HariLakhera Platinum IL'ite

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    There is the question of pronunciation also.
     
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  2. MadhuRK

    MadhuRK Silver IL'ite

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    Interesting thread @anika987

    I was raised by my school teacher mom who taught middle and high school kids English language.

    Consequently, language was my strongest skill growing up in middle class Madras. Amma was also very well read and encouraged us to take an interest in a wide variety of authors and their works early on. Plus living right across the district library in Ashok Nagar implied that come Sundays, along with the mandatory oil bath, Chandralekha on DD and potato roast, afternoons had to be spent reading books in the library. Combine all this with the precociousness of childhood, I was basically called "Peter" Kumar in school. Meaning show-off Kumar. But it did not matter to us one bit.

    When I came to the US of A, this ease with the language helped me a lot. I had no problem integrating and in-fact disappointed a lot of people with my language comfort. Accent-wise I'd say that mine has become completely American because I think that's the only dimension I had to work on. Also sadly I've lost all the grammar, vocabulary and propositions at the altar of practical American business English. One of my American colleagues found my adjective-filled Indian English difficult to converse with and said it's like conversation via poetry

    Don't even get me started on the reading. It's a crying shame. The last full book I read was "Fifty shades of grey" kind of crap in a library in Berkeley 5 years ago preceded by "Flash boys" 3 years before that.

    I learnt this interesting anecdotal piece of information on YouTube. Most musically inclined/trained people can pick up any accent easily and make for excellent mimicry artists. Combine that with personalities who don't have a strong self-identity and self-asserting or ego-centric nature, most become chameleon-like speakers of a foreign language or foreign-accent, they even start mirroring the same tone, modulations and even the stammering of a speaker sometimes unconsciously. Perhaps like how our kids can imitate us parents. They also start imitating us and the value systems at home internally and subconsciously. Scary but true !
     
  3. WannabValerie

    WannabValerie Silver IL'ite

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    Interesting.
    They are not tied to any original 'colour' of their own...
     
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  4. Hopikrishnan

    Hopikrishnan Platinum IL'ite

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  5. wish4miracle

    wish4miracle Silver IL'ite

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    I live in India and I have one and only Indian accent. But we watch both US and UK series more often.

    Here sometimes often is offen but it is of-ten.
    Vehicle vs ve-hi-cle
    how arrre you vs how are you
    Tissue vs napkin

    To be frank, when I watch peppa along with my toddler we spill out some UK words, oh deaaar or mum or dad and every sentence with a music note.
    While talking to my colleague, its pakka Indian, hey what ya go ya:grin::grinning:
     
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  6. heron

    heron Platinum IL'ite

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    One attches accent to english because they have been speaking in another language more than they used English to converse. Speaking in hindi until the US and then suddenly your English sounding American is not adding up.

    Sorry to say but I did admire your strength is getting out of an abusive marraige and making a life of your own but since then all your posts spew a little bit of humble brag as if its their main motto.
    This is just a forum and bragging dosnt make sense.Also, it dosnt mean the lot who isnt bragging hasnt got a good life that they are thriving in. So, its ok to post without adding in your stealth boasts.
     
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  7. lavani

    lavani Platinum IL'ite

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    very nice thread. i still remember ordering my first Pepperoni pizza thinking it is a Pizza made with Peppers in Costco , 10 years back . :BangHead:. I was lucky there was a gujju lady who helped seeing the bindi.

    my accent has become more neutral. but keeps changing up and down. I work in IT , last company was a mix of native US folks and desi. English became good.

    Now it is lot of tamil folks in new company. Even code walkthroughs are in tamil with lot of slangs like machee and maple , though they tone it down due to opposite gender.
     
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  8. Flyhigher

    Flyhigher Gold IL'ite

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    After living over a decade in the US though it became more neutral I still have my Indian accent. During my initial years here I used to use words like 'torch for flash light', 'lorry for the truck' and friends used to say I speak queens English.

    I worked in an environment where everyone had their own accent as all from different backgrounds. We all respected each other. People never had any problem understanding what I am speaking nor I lost any opportunity due to my Indian accent. I had addressed large crowds in tech seminars and demos, also have my youtube channel where I post technology-related tutorials. I just use the right words/vocabulary according to the county I am in and I focus on the right pronunciation.

    During get-togethers with my local friends, one of our favorite topics is to discuss what each thing/item is called in our home countries.
     
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  9. Flyhigher

    Flyhigher Gold IL'ite

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    I did that mistake too :roflmao:
    After that I was very cautious before placing any order.
     
  10. nuss

    nuss Platinum IL'ite

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    No worries! We all have our biases and perceptions about people. You are entitled to your opinion.

    Have a wonderful day!
     

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