Let's say you have a heavy accent of some sort. Do you get offended when people sometimes don't understand what you're saying and have to ask you to repeat yourself?
2007-08-17 15:10:54 · 19 answers · asked by freaks will charm you 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Etiquette
It's not me I'm talking about. My boyfriend has a heavy accent and sometimes I have to ask him to repeat himself, and he's got to talk kind of slow when speaking to me so I can understand what he's saying. I didn't even realize it until his friend said something about it.
2007-08-17 15:23:05 · update #1
no i think its funny. there is one man we know in south carolina who can never understand what im saying( im from the midwest) , and i cant understand him most of the time either.
2007-08-17 15:17:06 · answer #1 · answered by dali333 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I do have a heavy accent. I'm southern. lol
I try not to sound like the retarded rednecks I have to live around. I want people to understand me and know that I am intelligent, educated, and open-minded unlike the offensive stereotype.
If they honestly can't understand what I'm saying, I don't get offended at all. I just try to be more patient and try to speak more clearly.
But there are some people who for some mysterious reason just act like they can't understand me (and other Southerners) as a way of making fun. This is when I do get offended. I usually say something like, "I know you can understand what I'm saying, and talking to you is really a waste of my valuable time." Then I walk away.
Also, I had a boyfriend from India once who had a very thick accent and at first I had a hard time understanding him. He was very patient and repeated what he needed to, and eventually I didn't have a problem understanding what he said.
2007-08-18 01:09:07 · answer #2 · answered by Bookworm 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I work in a nursing home and am constantly surrounded by people who have had stokes. Their speech is very hard to understand, but all I do is this: "I am having trouble understanding you. Can you please repeat yourself?" I have adapted well to the way my residents speak and can usually understand them (with a lot of time and practice). I do not hesitate in letting him/her know that I cannot understand them. BTW, my boyfriend is from Slovakia and I have to treat him just like my stroke residents at the nursing home at times. I tell him I do not understand what he says and he repeats what he is trying to tell me. Sometimes he needs help with his English, which I am glad to help him with. Accents rule- don't forget that!
2007-08-17 22:28:56 · answer #3 · answered by Jules 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
People who get offended because THEY don't speak well, have a problem. It is their problem, as long as you are trying your best to understand them and being polite is asking them to repeat.
If he really is annoyed, then I'd beware a bit of this guy. He may be more self-centered and arrogant than you realize which would definitely be a factor in a future relationship with him.
2007-08-17 23:14:01 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Never. It's a state of mind really. I don't really have an accept but words sometimes fade out because of the way I speak, especially when I am out of breath. I just pretend that they were not listening well.
And put it this way, if they can speak perfect english and you speak with an accent, there's a 99% chance you know another language and they don't.
My two cents.
2007-08-17 22:20:04 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I probably wouldn't be offended because I figure if I'm living in a different country from where I was born/raised, people probably would have a hard time understanding me. I'm not saying that it wouldn't be frustating to have to repeat everything I say though.
Actually, if people ask you to repeat yourself, it's because they care about what you have to say, otherwise they wouldn't ask you to say it again so they can truly understand.
2007-08-17 22:25:34 · answer #6 · answered by Angelia 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No. That's not offensive to me. Strangely enough, as an English speaking American, I always find it humorous when someone from another country asks me to slow down because they can't understand what I'm saying in English. Why get upset? Its not a big deal.
2007-08-17 22:17:15 · answer #7 · answered by LA Law 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I have never had that problem myself, but my friend has a thick Korean accent and she gets so annoyed when we cannot understand her. When we say "what?", we don't mean to offend her in any way..people need to understand that.
2007-08-17 22:16:48 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
No. I have a VERY flat backwoods Southern accent (think Elly May Clampett on the Beverly Hillbillies) and it was VERY hard on the German ear when we were stationed there for two years (back in the early 90s).
2007-08-17 22:38:19 · answer #9 · answered by bitadkins 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't really get offended, though it does get a little annoying after awhile. But hey, my accent is part of what makes me unique! :D
2007-08-17 22:15:37 · answer #10 · answered by Nanakigirl3 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋