Question of The Day. Saturday the 9th of May.

[Norachan]

Good Morning.

Today's question is, do you have an accent?

I've recently noticed that I still have a pretty strong Bristol accent. When I first started teaching I tried really hard to tone my accent down so that my students could understand me. (I teach English as a second language.)

I thought I'd done a  good job until I heard my voice on a voice mail message the other day. CRINGE. I sound like the rabbit on the Cadbury's Caramel ads.

 I still have some work to do before I can speak the Queen's English.

 

[jcat]

A lot of people from the Northeast of the US ask me whether I'm from Philadelphia, so obviously I must have a noticeable Philly accent.

 

[Winchester]

I don't think I do. I live in the northeast, central PA, so I wouldn't know what it would be.

 

[sivyaleah]

Brooklyn all the way. There's no escaping it. When I'm there, it gets worse. I don't have the deep accent I did when younger, but I'm pretty sure everyone would be able to peg where I'm from originally.

 

[kookycats]

Even though we've been in Florida many years. there is still a hint of my Bronx, NY accent....not as pronounced as some New Yorkers, but it's still there. I can't complain --- the Bronx is the home of Jennifer Lopez!!

 

[Willowy]

Although I think I'm mostly accent-free, I think I have a slight Minneh-soh-tah accent. But only a few words come out that way. Dontcha know :tongue2:.

 

[pinkdagger]

I didn't think I had an accent. I was taught English by my family members who, if they weren't ESL themselves, the people who taught them were (ie, my brothers were taught by their parents, and their diction and some pronunciations do sound accented to me), but I also spoke almost exclusively English after age 4.

A few months back, I asked my boyfriend and he said it's a small accent - which blew my mind - where I speak (in my mouth) "more forward and up", as opposed to a more deep/tonguey/gutteral way of speaking. Quite a few East Asian languages sound like they come from closer to the front and roof of the mouth.

I have no idea if I have a regional Canadian accent on top of that because I consider how I speak "normal", but I can definitely tell who's a born and raised Newfie when I hear them. I know for sure I have a terrible, terrible English (language) accent when I speak Japanese and an even worse one when I speak Cantonese. Painfully thick, grounds for ridicule.

 

[pushylady]

I don't think I do. I live in the northeast, central PA, so I wouldn't know what it would be.

I suspect you might have an American accent. :bigwink:

I still have a kiwi accent although I've lived most of my adult life outside of NZ. People in NZ have asked me where in the States I'm from, so I guess my attempts at "Americanizing" my accent have been successful. Still have a lot of misunderstandings though. NZ English is a tough accent for foreigners to understand fully.

Love these guys:

[VIDEO][/VIDEO]

 

[larussa]

I never knew I had one until I lived in CA in the 70's.  People told me I had a New York accent and others said I had a NJ accent.  They were the ones who hit it right on the nose, I was born and raised in NJ but until then I never realized I had one.

 

[Willowy]

I never knew I had one until I lived in CA in the 70's.  People told me I had a New York accent and others said I had a NJ accent.  They were the ones who hit it right on the nose, I was born and raised in NJ but until then I never realized I had one.

Haha, I know a guy from New York who has a strong NY accent even though he's lived here a long time. Of course he says he doesn't have an accent, everybody else does . But his grandson is named Parker and he doesn't like the name. He said "Pah-kuh? Who names their kid Pah-kuh?" I told him that if he said it right it would sound better :lol3:.

 

[blueyedgirl5946]

I expect so. I am from the deep South.:lol3:

 

[swampwitch]

Years ago, I did a pretty good job of getting rid of my accent. These days I don't care and wouldn't have gone to the trouble. I grew up in Texas speaking English with a German accent, so I had a weird combo. Sometimes things slip a little after a glass of wine or two, but even then people still have trouble identifying what the heck it is. 

 

 

[Norachan]

A few months back, I asked my boyfriend and he said it's a small accent - which blew my mind - where I speak (in my mouth) "more forward and up", as opposed to a more deep/tonguey/gutteral way of speaking. Quite a few East Asian languages sound like they come from closer to the front and roof of the mouth.

I have no idea if I have a regional Canadian accent on top of that because I consider how I speak "normal", but I can definitely tell who's a born and raised Newfie when I hear them. I know for sure I have a terrible, terrible English (language) accent when I speak Japanese and an even worse one when I speak Cantonese. Painfully thick, grounds for ridicule.

That's a great way of describing it. When I speak Japanese I have to make an effort to speak at the front of my mouth rather than from the back. One of my teachers told me,

"Taste the words, don't swallow them."

 

[Norachan]

I suspect you might have an American accent.

I still have a kiwi accent although I've lived most of my adult life outside of NZ. People in NZ have asked me where in the States I'm from, so I guess my attempts at "Americanizing" my accent have been successful. Still have a lot of misunderstandings though. NZ English is a tough accent for foreigners to understand fully.
 

Mr Husband went to New Zealand to do a year's study abroad/working holiday when he was 18, he still has a slight accent as that was the first time he'd been around English speakers. I really notice it on things like "Wit and wendy" instead of wet and windy and "Laydah" instead of ladder.

 

[margecat]

A lot of people from the Northeast of the US ask me whether I'm from Philadelphia, so obviously I must have a noticeable Philly accent.

Same here!  I'm from the Philly suburbs, and didn't think that I had such an accent--until I heard myself on tape <cringe>.  However, I never say "schnow" for "snow" nor "shtreet" for "street".

 

[margecat]

A lot of people from the Northeast of the US ask me whether I'm from Philadelphia, so obviously I must have a noticeable Philly accent.

Here you go!

http://www.phillymag.com/news/2014/03/03/why-the-philadelphia-accent-is-so-fascinating/

 

[cassiopea]

Mmm...guess a usual Canadian accent? aside from ones like a Newfoundland accent, I don't have that. Nah I do not say "aboot" :lol3: Anyway, live in Ontario, formerly Nova Scotia, Quebec and Finland.


But I have been told small hints of Irish shows up, mainly because of my Irish GrandPapa. And I can mimic a mean Finnish accent! Thanks to my dad.


When I speak French, I defintently have more of a distinct accent. More of a international French/European French, so French Canadians notice and comment.

 

[betsygee]

Haha, I know a guy from New York who has a strong NY accent even though he's lived here a long time. Of course he says he doesn't have an accent, everybody else does

. 

Um yeah.  Californians don't have accents, everybody else does.  

 

[denice]

I don't  know  that I have any particular accent.  I was born and raised in Kansas and I don't think there is any particular accent there.  I have lived several different places since leaving home so I don't think I have an accent.  Someone once guessed that I was from Pittsburg PA, to be honest I didn't know there was a particular accent associated with Pittsburgh.

 

[stewball]

Good Morning.[/

COLOR]

Today's question is, do you have an accent?

I've recently noticed that I still have a pretty strong Bristol accent. When I first started teaching I tried really hard to tone my accent down so that my students could understand me. (I teach English as a second language.)

I thought I'd done a  good job until I heard my voice on a voice mail message the other day. CRINGE. I sound like the rabbit on the Cadbury's Caramel ads.

 I still have some work to do before I can speak the Queen's English.

You already speak the 'queen's English' just not with vs plummy accent. So what if by our students s peak