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 Sun Feb 18, 2007 22:15 pm Can you pronounce 'squirrel'? |
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I have not been taught English, I have been learning English. I wonder if and how it is possible to 'teach a person an accent'. You can only learn a language and you decide which accent you want to imitate or adopt.
Do I sound like an Australian? Not exactly. South African? I have relatives in Pretoria and I think their English sounds a bit different than mine. But then again, with a little training I think could come close to their accent. (Might come in handy if I were to live there for a longer period of time which is very unlikely.) Do I sound like a European? Probably. Am I able to alter my accent? Absolutely. Will I try to sound more 'American' when I live in the US? Sure.
Englishuser, based on your questions I think you are from a small country where there are very few accents?
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Torsten
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| Sun Feb 18, 2007 22:23 pm Can you pronounce 'squirrel'? |
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Hi Torsten,
| Quote: | | I wonder if and how it is possible to 'teach a person an accent'. You can only learn a language and you decide which accent you want to imitate or adopt. |
There are speech pathologists who help people acquire an accent of their choice. Which accent of English have you been imitating? Do you sound like a very aristocratic Englishman?
| Quote: | | Englishuser, based on your questions I think you are from a small country where there are very few accents? |
There are quite a few accents in my country. I mostly deal with speakers with more or less the same accent, though.
Englishuser |
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Englishuser
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| Sun Feb 18, 2007 22:36 pm Can you pronounce 'squirrel'? |
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Hi Englishuser, why would I sound like a very aristocratic Englishman? What would be the point of that? It might be a useful skill if you want to do a comedy show. I prefer sticking to more practical issues. The people I come in contact with have all kinds of English accents because they come from different English speaking countries. I can imagine their reaction if I tried to speak and act like 'a very aristocratic Englishman'. It would be hilarious and I would be out of business pretty soon.
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Torsten
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| Sun Feb 18, 2007 23:00 pm Can you pronounce 'squirrel'? |
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Hi Torsten,
Why do you think you'd be out of business if you started pronouncing the vowels in an 'aristocratic fashion' and would choose to tap your r's? Do you suppose people would think it is wrong to speak that way?
Englishuser |
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Englishuser
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| Mon Feb 19, 2007 18:02 pm Can you pronounce 'squirrel'? |
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Hi Englishuser,
As I said, there are a number of reasons why I don't want to sound or act like 'a very aristocratic Englishman'.
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Torsten
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| Mon Feb 19, 2007 18:04 pm Can you pronounce 'squirrel'? |
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Hi Torsten,
Who, in their right mind, would want to?
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Alan
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| Mon Feb 19, 2007 18:05 pm Can you pronounce 'squirrel'? |
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| Torsten wrote: | | As I said, there are a number of reasons why I don't want to sound or act like 'a very aristocratic Englishman'. |
And it's not necessary anyway, because native English speakers (at least in my country) generally don't mind if someone has a foreign accent, if it's intelligible. After all, in the US, Canada and Australia, practically everybody's grandmother had a foreign accent. |
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Jamie (K)
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| Mon Feb 19, 2007 18:08 pm Can you pronounce 'squirrel'? |
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Well Alan, I guess there are those who do want to sound like aristocrats just as there are people who want to look like celebrities. I think it has to with a person's self-confidence or lack thereof.
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Torsten
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| Mon Feb 19, 2007 18:10 pm Can you pronounce 'squirrel'? |
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Sad, isn't it?
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Alan
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| Mon Feb 19, 2007 18:19 pm Can you pronounce 'squirrel'? |
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Hello,
Torsten wrote:
| Quote: | | Well Alan, I guess there are those who do want to sound like aristocrats just as there are people who want to look like celebrities. I think it has to with a person's self-confidence or lack thereof. |
Or then it has to do with a person's desire to speak so that people can understand what they are saying. If you speak Spanish or Swedish as your first language, you will have to learn how to 'achieve' the sounds of English. You therefore need someone to model your speech on.
HM Queen Elizabeth II is a good role model speechwise for each one of us because her accent will be understood in England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, etc.
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Englishuser
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| Mon Feb 19, 2007 18:28 pm Can you pronounce 'squirrel'? |
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| Englishuser wrote: | Or then it has to do with a person's desire to speak so that people can understand what they are saying. If you speak Spanish or Swedish as your first language, you will have to learn how to 'achieve' the sounds of English. You therefore need someone to model your speech on.
HM Queen Elizabeth II is a good role model speechwise for each one of us because her accent will be understood in England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, etc. |
The average educated person you meet walking on the streets of London is completely clear and understandable in any English-speaking country. So is almost anyone in the Midwestern United States, and almost everybody in Canada. It's not as if they'll need to run subtitles under your face if you talk on TV. Most Germans use regular, educated non-aristocratic English as their model, or else General American. Nobody has any complaints about how they talk.
The advantage of imitating one of these other accents is that no one will laugh at you. Nothing is funnier than a person who speaks with an aristocratic British accent but makes mistakes in grammar and terminology. If you don't believe me, watch the first half of "My Fair Lady". |
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Jamie (K)
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| Mon Feb 19, 2007 18:35 pm Can you pronounce 'squirrel'? |
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Hi Jamie,
You wrote:
| Quote: | | The advantage of imitating one of these other accents is that no one will laugh at you. Nothing is funnier than a person who speaks with an aristocratic British accent but makes mistakes in grammar and terminology. |
Perhaps it is good to get laughed at while one is learning. Eventually you'll make many less mistakes in grammar and terminology.
It is perfectly all right for most people to model their speech on HM The Queen of Canada. Her Majesty sets a good role model for every speaker of English in Her Majesty's Canadian Realm.
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Englishuser
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| Mon Feb 19, 2007 18:38 pm Can you pronounce 'squirrel'? |
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| Englishuser wrote: | | It is perfectly all right for most people to model their speech on HM The Queen of Canada. Her Majesty sets a good role model for every speaker of English in Her Majesty's Canadian Realm. |
Guys, I think this person is just joking, and having a lot of fun egging us on. |
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Jamie (K)
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| Mon Feb 19, 2007 18:39 pm Can you pronounce 'squirrel'? |
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Hi Jamie,
I am sure you know that even native speakers of English tend to pay less attention to proper grammar and pronunciation than used to be the case.
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Englishuser
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