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 Mon Nov 26, 2007 2:11 am Your accent |
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| Conchita wrote: | | While I don't sound foreign, people occasionallly ask me where I'm from, so I guess there'll always be an unpinpointable je ne sais quoi... |
Does that mean you speak a standard form of your language, or is it a mixed bag? Do you not think your accent features any tasty morsels of a local nature?
There are often speakers who can imitate foreign accents brilliantly. Some keep their accents in their native language, whereas others lose it as a result of increased language awareness.
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Ralf
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| Mon Nov 26, 2007 10:54 am memorable expressions |
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Morning Conchita,
I know you like the phrase that tweaks the brain and so I just wanted to tell you I think | Quote: | | an unpinpointable je ne sais quoi... |
is a winner.
Alan
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| Mon Nov 26, 2007 12:30 pm Your accent |
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| Ralf wrote: | | Does that mean you speak a standard form of your language, or is it a mixed bag? Do you not think your accent features any tasty morsels of a local nature? |
After almost thirty years of living in this country, the Spanish I speak now is quite standard, I'm afraid, with only a handful of Gallicisms left. The accent is Castilian with a northern (Leonese) twang I inherited from my mum.
| Ralf wrote: | | Some keep their accents in their native language, whereas others lose it as a result of increased language awareness. |
Unless you live in a different language environment for a long time, surely it can't be so easy to lose your own 'native' accent/s?
In my case, for the twenty years I lived abroad I spoke Spanish only with my family, so my accent or, to be precise, my command of this language could from then on only get better. |
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Conchita
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| Mon Nov 26, 2007 21:07 pm Your accent |
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| Conchita wrote: | | Ralf wrote: | | Some keep their accents in their native language, whereas others lose it as a result of increased language awareness. |
Unless you live in a different language environment for a long time, surely it can't be so easy to lose your own 'native' accent/s? |
Hi Conchita,
That's what I meant.
| Quote: | | for the twenty years I lived abroad I spoke Spanish only with my family |
So you're bilingual as well, aren't ya?!
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| Tue Nov 27, 2007 1:16 am Your accent |
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| Ralf wrote: | | So you're bilingual as well, aren't ya?! |
Yep, that's right -- French is my other first language, the one I knew best for a great part of my life (now I'm not so sure about that any more). |
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Conchita
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| Thu Nov 29, 2007 1:11 am Your accent |
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Comment allez vous, Conchita?
(I hope that's right!)
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prezbucky
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| Thu Nov 29, 2007 2:02 am Your accent |
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| prezbucky wrote: | Comment allez-vous, Conchita?
(I hope that's right!) |
You only forgot a hyphen. Also, you don't have to be so formal with me (Comment vas-tu ?/Comment ça va ? is fine, too).
Ça va bien, merci. Et toi ? |
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Conchita
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| Thu Nov 29, 2007 2:34 am Your accent |
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| Conchita wrote: | | prezbucky wrote: | Comment allez-vous, Conchita?
(I hope that's right!) |
You only forgot a hyphen. Also, you don't have to be so formal with me (Comment vas-tu ?/Comment ça va ? is fine, too).
Ça va bien, merci. Et toi ? |
A few years back, I went surfing in the south of France. At first I was surprised to hear people say "ça farte?", but then I understood that it was French surfer slang for "how's it waxing?". Still, hearing the word "farte" for the first time made me think of strong winds 
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| Thu Nov 29, 2007 17:25 pm Your accent |
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ROFL
"Wow, look at that breaking surf!"
"Yeah... and smell that breaking wind."
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prezbucky
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| Thu Nov 29, 2007 17:38 pm Your accent |
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Oh, and thanks, Conchita!
Merci!
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| Two different levels in English | Let’s slang! |
