Non-native-english speakers: English accents?

Question

As native english speakers, many Americans find accents beautiful, hot, sexy, etc. I hear a Spanish accent and I melt. Same with French and Italian.

However, when Americans learn your language, and really try to get it, is our accent ugly? I've heard that other than english, accents are normal, but when you hear an "American-English" accent in your language, it welcomes ridicule? Although I realize that it is better to try and learn the accent, when you can't, why is our accent never "sexy and beautiful"?

Or have I been misinformed?

Answer 1

My native language is Italian and I lived most of my life in Italy, where I took English classes with native speakers from the UK, Ireland, the US, Canada and New Zealand. They would speak only English in class, but with the parents or in other contexts they would speak Italian too. Well, while I could distinguish their accents when they were speaking English, I couldn't tell they were from different countries when they were speaking Italian!!! They just had... an English accent -- and by "English" I mean "English speaker" not "from England". It's probably harder for you to speak a Romance language with the correct accent because you barely pronounce your "R"s and you usually pronounce your "O"s like "ow" in the word "bowl". I don't think your accent is ridiculous, though. I respect those who make the effort to learn another language, the more so if English is their native language (usually, it's foreigners who learn English, since it has become the first international language). And as far as an "American accent" goes, I personally love it. I like a British accent too, but American English sounds more flowing to me.
I'm quite surprised that you find an Italian accent sexy or beautiful. Even though I'm Italian, I don't like to hear English spoken with an Italian accent, and I'm soooo proud that I don't do that!!! ;-)

Answer 2

Since English is such a widely spoken language, people find it normal that non-native speakers bring their own accent into it. The thing is, Americans hardly ever learn a foreign language enough to speak it and they never really try to pronounce properly. They just take it for granted, the fact that everyone should speak English. And then there's the old stereotype about Americans being well... not very intelligent....
Another reason could be massive emmigration from all over the world towards the US and people coming back to thier native country after a few years and having a ridiculous accent and pretending to have forgotten their own language.

Answer 3

I can't really say that I find an accent in itself sexy. I mean if Shakira speaks with a Spanish accent that's certainly sexy and if Arnold Schwarzenegger speaks with an Austrian accent the sexiness is very limited in my eyes. Perhaps that is somewhere in the back of the mind, when people find the Spanish accent more attractive than the Austrian.
In general if someone speaks my language (German) with an accent no matter if it's Spanish, American, British or whatever, I like it, because it shows that someone cared enough for me or my country to learn the language.

Answer 4

For Americans living in the U.S., there's an exotic appeal to accents. Especially regarding European countries (French, Spanish, Italian accents). However, I haven't ever heard an American say that Chinese, Japanese, or Korean accents are sexy and beautiful. I think it only applies to Europe, not Asia that the accents appeal to Americans.

I know that some people think that accents are easy to get rid of, especially people who think Asian accents are annoying. The fact that Americans have been living with Europeans longer, the accents start to appeal, and people start to understand that accents are hard to get rid of.

However, for people living in the rest of the world, American accents seem ignorant. I.e., that the American hasn't learned the language properly and isn't making enough of an effort to pronounce things correctly. I know this may not be true, but I guess that's how it seems like to non-Americans.

Hope that helps!

Answer 5

The problem with English is that all the letters are somewhat round and long, while in the rest of the world it's just long or short.That's why all English speakers sound alike and verrrry funny, but after a while you just get fed up with it and that's when it becomes annoying.. If an American lived in, lets say, France for about a year without speaking a word of French (which I think is impossible, but ok)so that everyone had to speak in English with a french accent, thrust me, he'd hate it too.

Answer 6

Those accents are fine. British would be a good choice if you live in America. Some polls have shown that Americans think British accents make people sound more intelligent. I don't know how true that is, but it may explain the number of phony British accents American actresses and entertainers like Madonna have come up with in recent years.

Answer 7

I don't know what your problem is. I speak French with a[Parisian] French accent, German with a German accent, Romanian with a French accent, and Spanish with a Puertoriccan accent. I haven't ever been told that I have an American accent.

You know what I find disgusting about American accents? It's that I know how easy it is to speak a foreign language without an American accent, and I know when I hear some stupid American speaking French, that they aren't even trying, because they sound like they're are just saying French words in English. It's like, can't they hear themselves? Can't they hear that it's wrong?

The problem is, most Americans just don't care about speaking any languages properly. I mean, c'mon, how often do you talk to someone here in America, whose first language is English, and he can't even spell things right, or speak English properly!!!

Answer 8

Man I was also curious about this question and wanted to see responses...but of course we get ridiculed and accused of being lazy and dumb, too dumb to bother to learn the language.

The reason he/she is asking, is because ALOT of people have accents, period. Does that mean they're stupid for not learning the language enough to not have an accent? No.

I also think accents sound cool, I hear Hispanic accents all the time and love it. I (and the asker) just wanted to know what American accents sounded like....hopefully somebody with human decency will answer this question.

Answer 9

Ah, the judgemental linguist is out there today. I speak a combo of English and Spanish and have never been ridiculed by Spanish speakers, they are inordinately helpful and we have good laughs together. The people in the south of France, along the coast, chatted amiably with me (I speak French like John Wayne, badly), never detected ridicule.

English is a brash, straighforward language, the master language of business and science, we don't roll our rs, serenade, or sing opera in it. Perhaps a reason why Americans are often accused of being arrogant and loud. Perhaps you're running with the wrong crowd. Chill out.

Answer 10

When Americans and English People speak Hebrew (my natural language) it doesn't sound sexy or attractive , but it's definitely cute :)