Accents

[Alan]

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Hi,

There's been a lot of discussion over the years on this forum about accents. Questions are asked like: Which is the best accent? Should I use an American or a British accent? Does the way you speak affect the way people think of you? And of course on the question of British English there was a great deal of talk about the virtues or otherwise of Received Pronunciation and even mention of something called Upper Received Pronunciation, which to my mind suggested affected speech.The word 'posh' came up as well, suggesting that speaking 'posh' meant you were superior to others who didn't speak like that. What is interesting is that 400 years ago in the days of good old Bill Shakespeare, nobody used any of these expressions and people who achieved greatness in their positions in society spoke in a variety of different accents and were fiercely proud of their regional accents and nobody laughed at them for that. Alas nowadays in the UK people get very steamed up about the way you speak. Back to Shakespeare - when he wanted to make fun of one of his characters for regarding himself as more important than his fellows, he didn't make his actors put on an affected accent, he wrote words that sounded pompous.

Alan
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English as a Second Language
You can read my ESL story Present Simple

[Kitosdad]

:) I wouldn`t think Mr. Sewell is that interested in females either.
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Keep it simple ... Keep it interesting.

[Alan]

Hi Bill,

I hadn't heard the whole piece before I put it online and now I have, I thought the best thing was to delete it!

Alan
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English as a Foreign Language
You can read my EFL story Progressive Forms

[Kitosdad]

Good morning Alan. Good morning Forum members.

I've always been fascinated by peoples accents, and I can't imagine why anyone would want to alter their own.

I have the desire to write for hours on this subject, but I won't of course.

All I would add is that if you alter your accent you will alter the real YOU.

If you are not happy with your accent, then ask yourself, why?

Kitos.
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Keep it simple ... Keep it interesting.

[Alishia]

What a lucky we are, being so different :)

[Fimbriae]

[Alishia]

I am, but rather a woman:)

[Richard]

Hi everybody.

[Kitosdad]

"I like your belief, but you know, sometime you are expected to speak like the country where you live in to integrate into that society. In a new country, if you don't change your accent, you might be ridiculed by them. Then how can you make new friends?"
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I have long stressed, that it is my opinion, accents are what identify one nationality from another.
Without private tuition everyone has a regional accent, therefore there is no "English" accent. We all speak English.( with a regional accent.)

A person who would ridicule another because of their accent is not much of a human being.
Why should one person think him/herself better than another, simply because they retain their native accent whilst talking English?

I wouldn't want such a person as a friend, would you?

Listen to the many personal voice messages, all varied accents, but all wonderful to hear.

Bill.
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Keep it simple ... Keep it interesting.

[Richard]

Thank you.
you are right.