|
Accents (pg. 3)
|
View this Thread in Original format
| bas |
| quote: | Originally posted by Slylee
ok then you just proved my point. you go to another country for a "visit" and come back with an accent. this chick has been living here and married to an american for 10+ years, and she still has an accent.
*edit* damn ok u said long amounts of time. but how long were they? if it was under a year then yea, u proved my point:p |
Like a month or two :p
I'm just saying it has to be a conscious move, it's not something that just goes away on it's own.
My parents are the same way. My mom wanted to lose her accent, and she kind of had to because she speaks multiple language, so when she speaks English there's hardly no accent at all. My dad however...well let's just not go down that road. |
|
|
| Slylee |
| quote: | Originally posted by bas
Like a month or two :p
I'm just saying it has to be a conscious move, it's not something that just goes away on it's own. |
i disagree. i think after living in america (and speaking english/american) for 30 years and still having a colombian accent is making a conscious move to KEEP the accent...for whatever reason, which is what i'm trying to find out is (the reason). |
|
|
| Omega_Blue |
| wonder what an egyptian accent actually sounds like :conf: |
|
|
| bas |
| quote: | Originally posted by Slylee
i disagree. i think after living in america (and speaking english/american) for 30 years and still having a colombian accent is making a conscious move to KEEP the accent...for whatever reason, which is what i'm trying to find out is (the reason). |
You can't just LOSE your accent over time lol. You have to learn how to say things completely different. My parents have lived in this country for almost 30 years and they speak fluent English, but my dad has this thick Arab accent that's just not going anywhere. |
|
|
| Renzo |
| You never lose your accent. You may speak English better over time, but you never lose your accent. |
|
|
| DJ Damerchi |
| quote: | Originally posted by bas
my dad has this thick Arab accent that's just not going anywhere. |
this is usually the case for middleeasterners, but my dad started learning english from scratch when he was 20, now he speaks with slightly neutral-british accent...its an anomaly since i know no one that learnt english this late that has no accent when speaking it.
also, i was watching this australian comedy sketch show, and i couldn't help notice how good aussies are at imitating american accents, and its usually epic fail the other way round. |
|
|
| gehzumteufel |
| quote: | Originally posted by Slylee
i disagree. i think after living in america (and speaking english/american) for 30 years and still having a colombian accent is making a conscious move to KEEP the accent...for whatever reason, which is what i'm trying to find out is (the reason). |
Nah you are so off in this. It has nothing to do with how long you speak the language, as Bas said, it has everything to do with training your vocal cords, the way you think, etc. It is, as he said, a conscious effort that has to be made.
I know a lot of people that speak Russian that came over when they were 15-21 and have no accent and I know a whole ton more that have been here for 35 years and have an accent still. And transversely, I know a bunch of them that have been here since 8yrs old and still have a thick accent. |
|
|
| barbina |
| quote: | Originally posted by Omega_Blue
wonder what an egyptian accent actually sounds like :conf: |
my ex is egyptian.. i lovvve her accent |
|
|
| Slylee |
| quote: | Originally posted by gehzumteufel
Nah you are so off in this. It has nothing to do with how long you speak the language, as Bas said, it has everything to do with training your vocal cords, the way you think, etc. It is, as he said, a conscious effort that has to be made.
I know a lot of people that speak Russian that came over when they were 15-21 and have no accent and I know a whole ton more that have been here for 35 years and have an accent still. And transversely, I know a bunch of them that have been here since 8yrs old and still have a thick accent. |
so how can you be so sure of everyone's motives w/ keeping their accent? maybe the ones who have been here for 35 years have a really strong sense of pride and don't want to sound american so they stay true to their county and still pronounce things w/ an accent? |
|
|
| djhaziel |
let's see maybe the same question could be asked if somebody from USA moved to England how long before they develop that British accent or VIceversa.
I think it has a lot to do on the persons will if they really want to loose their accent , some people adapt to it really easy other can't because..... As you grow up speaking a determined language your whole oral structure is basically adjusted to that particular language that is , teeth , bone , tongue , vocal chords etc those people are the ones that need a pronunciation instructor for it if they ever want to change it.
I was born in Peru , lived in the States 3 years when I was a kid then moved back again to the States 4 years ago , and I still have my accent probably not as marked as most latins but is still there. |
|
|
| bas |
| quote: | Originally posted by Slylee
so how can you be so sure of everyone's motives w/ keeping their accent? maybe the ones who have been here for 35 years have a really strong sense of pride and don't want to sound american so they stay true to their county and still pronounce things w/ an accent? |
I'm sure that plays a part of it too, like I said someone has to WANT to lose their accent :D |
|
|
| Slylee |
| quote: | Originally posted by djhaziel
let's see maybe the same question could be asked if somebody from USA moved to England how long before they develop that British accent or VIceversa.
|
yea i mentioned this same scenerio. if i moved to england and lived there for at least 5 years, i'd probably totally lose my american accent, and just pick up on the brit lingo/accent.
but i know it's hard to adjust to new languages. to this day, my boyfriend adds an "h" to the beginning of words that don't have an "h" and drops the "h" where it's needed. :stongue:
like if a bottle of conditioner is on the counter he'll say, "what's that? air stuff?"
and i'm like, "air stuff? you mean HHair stuff?':stongue: |
|
|
|
|
