Which is the right English accent?

Question

I was recently in NY with work I have being talking to people at lot. The moment I start talking they first ask were was I from? and they just look down on me. I ask one of them whom I trusted and told me that it must be my accent I am ariginally from RSA.

Answer 1

Where is RSA? There is no "right" accent, but some Americans think that if English is not your first language, you must be an illegal immigrant or a stupid person. Avoid them. They are ignorant.

Answer 2

An English accent is spoken by an English person,there may be many dialects in England, but they are all English.Anyone else just speaks the English language.

Jonnyhaw don't talk b*llocks SA' s accent derives from the Dutch and doesn't sound anything like a true Brit.

Answer 3

You let New Yorkers look down on You!?! Come on, they talk like they're getting an enema ( Which they probably need!!!)!!!!!! I'm there on Friday ( Manhattan will never be the same after I'm done with them! ) and I wouldn't take any crap off those pack of whiny pathetic poop sniffers, and You shouldn't either. The correct English accent is an Ontario Canada accent; Southern Ontario that is, the way God meant English to be enunciated. New Yorkers looking down on anyone or anything, that would be some mean trick for them to pull off! Christ, LOL; they need help putting on their own socks! They can't even get it together to move around their own town! New Yorkers, Gods gift to make the rest of us laugh!

Answer 4

There is no 'right' English accent. Sounds like you were just unfortunate (or maybe, over sensitive??) to be around people who looked down on you. I've never heard of people from South Africa being looked on, certainly not for an accent anyway.

Answer 5

There is also the argument that if your home language is English then you do not have an accent it is a dialect.
A good South African accent is closer to BBC English than some northern (UK) dialects. They are all dialects an accent would be if you were French or German speaking.

Answer 6

RP - received pronunciation is the "standard English".

I also have a slight accent, but I feel very proud of it. It makes me stand out from the rest, and often it can be a good topic for conversation. Don't be intimidated by people who judge you by your accent. They are definetely missing out on getting to know a bigger picture than just an accent. Chin up!

Answer 7

Strictly speaking, proper English accent is the English spoken by the queen of England, and UK upper classes. In America there are tons of accents: from the north, south, all kinds of immigrants' accents, so American English cannot be taken as a standard, if there sholuld be a standard, it must be the original" English.

Answer 8

Isnt RSA a computer course? The question is loaded in that it implies a correct or 'right' English accent exists.

I'd say the best one is an English, English accent. Without regional dialect, someone educated and verbose. Thats how English sounds best (to me).

Answer 9

They don't look down on you because of your accent, but because people have not forgotten apartheid and probably suspect that white South African still secretly wish their country was set up with that system. It will be a long time before your country loses that stigma in many people's minds.

Answer 10

Well, I prefer the British accent.
But I think it's prejudice to find one accent better than the others.
All of them are right depending on the country and the culture.
You should be proud of your accent, no matter what people say. Ok?
Hugs.