Why do Jamaicans "put on" an accent when talking to each other.?

Question

I have friends who are Born here in the UK From Jamaican parents.
When they talk to myself and my "associates" they have a "normal" English accent.When they talk to each other they suddenly develope a "Jamaican" accent.
Similar groups of British born "immigrants" do not seem to do this the Dutch,Germans,French,Africans even the Scots and Irish don't.Why do Jamaicans?

Answer 1

Your wrong - it's not just Jamaicans - we all do it to some extent.

Answer 2

I feel very bad for you because no one has even bothered to get on here and attempt to answer your question seriously.

Anyways, From experience, I believe that there is a certain comfort level to be had when someone is around their own culture. Sometimes people might forget or just slip because they are conversing in a non-professional setting. I know that many groups of non-English speakers do this- including the groups you have mentioned. Things are always different when you are directly experiencing your own culture. In the same turn, people also conform to the norm.

Answer 3

They're probably putting on the english accent and the Jamaican accent is the normal one. It's because they are more comfortable being themselves around others like them and don't have to change their speech to help others understand or feel more comfortable around them. Not to mention their parents probably talk with the accent so they do too, but don't want to get looked at funny for it when with others who don't speak similar. People all over conform their speech all the time around other different groups of people until they are comfortable with being themselves around that group.

Answer 4

Come on now, not only Jamaican do that. But, sometime they don't want you to know what they're saying or it's just a "trust thing" like with Jeb Bush whenever he go to a meeting in Miami he talks to his people in spanish, kinda to earn thier trust so, everyone does it not only Jamaican

Answer 5

I have a Dublin accent and it is kinda strong. If I was talking to you or someone from outside Dublin, id speak slower and more carefully, almost normal like, because you would have a hard time understanding what I am saying. However when Im surrounded by Dublin people, my accent is at my worst, because they will understand everything im saying. It's automatic and I dont even notice that I'm doing it. When you are around your own, you will let your voice fall back to its normal way

Answer 6

i dont know but its kinda like what i do. my entire family was born in NY. they all have NY accents. i was born there too, but moved to VA (the south to NYers) when i was 4 so i have more of a southern accent. but when i go to NY or talk to NYers, i get an accent. i dont notice it, but other people do. maybe its just something that they are hearing when talking to their native culture and they pick it up too without noticing. but its not like it happens immediatly for me, like it will take a few days before i start talking like that and it will stick around for a few days after i go back south, until the southern me takes over

Answer 7

they do to underline they belong from the same group. It a social binding. Like people from the same region may speak in dialect when they are together.

Answer 8

Its a sign of respect. It is considred rude to talk to a fellow native in a foriegn tongue- you speak in your own language. I think it is a great thing and keeps the language alive...

Answer 9

it's not put on,at all....if that's the way they're brought up to speak with their families then that's what's natural to them, they pipe it down for our sakes because we're to stupid or can't be bothered to learn their language. it's not just an accent, patois is a different language

Answer 10

my grandfather is jamaican and he speaks with an accent and im not jamaican but i understand every word he says and jamaicans cannot understand well english if they haven't heard it that much before