I may be going out on a limb here, but doesn't it just feel good to hear a nice foreign accent? I could listen to one all day, it's a beautiful thing...
2006-07-07 17:07:50 · 27 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Languages
Thank you for responding, you all had interesting and nice to read thoughts on this! :)
2006-07-07 17:21:00 · update #1
Funny thing, when I went to Australia, everyone told me I had a foreign accent. But now that I'm home it seems they were all liars, I sound just like everyone else. 8-(
2006-07-07 17:12:24 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, I enjoy accents also, as well as the rhythms of a foreign language. I grew up in Chicago, and my Polish grandmother spoke poor English. I remember visiting her. We would walk through the neighborhood to the grocery store, and she would stop and chat to acquaintances along the way. In Polish, the speech is very polite and formal, and in the third person, except to very close friends and family. It seemed to make everyone so special to be treated with such formality and courtesy. My family would visit me Irish grandparents for Sunday dinners, and I loved the brough, although I would tend to pick one up while there, which was frustrating, with school being the next day. My first cousin, although born in the States also, has a definite brough.
However, I am ashamed to admit that I have practiced to rid myself of some of my Chicago "accent". I now live in Portland, Oregon. Some people had difficulty understanding me, and it is important to be able to be understood. What baffles me is that I don't notice a distinctive accent from Portlanders, except for a few vowels, "Don" and "Dawn" are homophones here. This was a reasonable accommodation.
What makes me feel traitorous is the effort I made due to certain persons interrupting with Mike Ditka impersonations each time I attempted to express myself. Once or twice, it may be a form of flattery to have your uniqueness noticed. But from the same person, over and over, It becomes an expression of their ignorance. What I also don't "get", is that people have asked if I'm from Boston, even by Chicagoans! (Portlanders may just be misplacing the accent.)
My one disappointment with Portland is the poverty of ethnic diversity compared to Chicago. However, I am noticing more and more diversity. I am not sure if it is an actual change, or just my acclimation to the culture here, and my gravitation to it.
But what I wouldn't give for a decent corned beef sandwich! (And no, I am not Jewish.)
2006-07-08 17:20:14 · answer #2 · answered by Triple M 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well, a foreign accent, yes. I love almost all of them... some bother me because I don't like the way they sound, but I won't list them here. As far as domestic accents from the US (or domestic for me, at least), I really am not into any accent that is regionally defined because they all sound weird to me...Midwest accents, New England accents, Southern accents, even Texas accents, though many people in my family have them (not me).
But I do agree with you, give me English spoken by a Spaniard and I can listen for hours! :)
2006-07-08 02:47:29 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm not into spanish accents, or italian accents, but for some weird reason, an english accent (from england) man what a beautiful sound.
2006-07-08 00:11:12 · answer #4 · answered by MzzandtheChuchuBees 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yup, when a person speaks with a french accent (as in from France, not from Quebec), it's hot !
I also loooove british accents.
Of course everybody has his/her own taste. I, for example, can't stand the male southern drawl in American English or the hessian or austrian accent in German.
Yeah, reminds me of the nice yet somewhat naive candidate on American Idol who insisted that everybody but her had a strange accent. . .
2006-07-08 00:31:41 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's good to know that accents are nice to be heard means that when I speak people don't just laugh...
I'm Italian and I really like to know how I sound for americans when I speak!
2006-07-18 17:44:00 · answer #6 · answered by ciccina_5 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It depends on the person's native language. I dont really like the average Chinese accent when speaking English. Australian is nice, also Irish.
2006-07-08 01:00:35 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Its really nice of you to appreciate these cultural distinctions other than mocking others for their differences. I have a slight chinese accent that attracts teasing and racism from friends. I wish everyone thinks like you.
2006-07-08 01:23:53 · answer #8 · answered by Disciple 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, I think so too although sometimes it's a little hard to understand what their saying. My Ex told me he thinks foreign accents sound stupid and annoying he is just jealous because he doesn't have one.
2006-07-08 00:29:20 · answer #9 · answered by JustWant2B 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hi how are you?
I really don't like the British Accent,
and also not my own which is German
is this strange or what?
Ricki
2006-07-08 01:00:51 · answer #10 · answered by kwickricki518 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋