Job Discussion Forums

[Gregor]

Oh, I know that khermit. We actually discussed this in class (it was a pretty high level). We were talking about accents, and "drawls". One student had a Crazy English tape that featured John Kerry (of Massachusetts) and George W. Bush (of Texas) debating. She recognized both of them as being from different regions ("They didn't talk the same") but she said that she could tell that they were both Americans (discussing this, we came to the conclusion that the Ss. could tell British from American English mostly by the pronunciation of the R - which can sometimes deceive, as with the Scots).
We even talked about why THEY thought this may be so - that news readers take classes to lose their regional accents while politicians take pains to pronounce clearly and yet keep their regional drawls. They came up with the reason, too. And I was impressed - here in China, polititians do almost the opposite, to try to unify the country (and they don't have to talk to and get votes from The People).
If you have a high enough level class, it's an interesting phenomenon to discuss. I lost my regional drawl years ago (desert states, similar to Texas but not quite the same), but I am still capable of putting it on.
This is getting off-topic a bit (though you started it!), but what we decided in class was that you will NEVER lose your ACCENT (i.e. I could live in Britain for the rest of my life and still sound vaguely North American) but you can change your drawl at any point in your life (i.e. I'd pick up the New England drawl eventually if I lived there for a long enough time, but, again, if I moved to England, I may lose my drawl to be more comprehensible, but I'd never replace my "correct" pronunciation with the British "correct" pronunciation).
Such is actually the case with me. I've never even BEEN to England, but I have lost my drawl. I'm surrounded by the British more than any other English native, and more often than that, the Chinese. When I go home (in three days!), my friends are going to wonder why I talk so strangely. I basically speak American Network News English. No region in the entire country has NO drawl. And yet, it's still VERY clearly North American. Maybe Canadian, maybe the U.S. but DEFINITELY not the U.K. or Australia or any other British English thing. In other words, I have kept my accent (and ALMOST can do nothing else) but I've lost my regional drawl.

[Chancellor]

[craigzy]

'anchor english,' or the standard american english, is usually found in the mid-west (think utah), or canada. although, most linguists agree that 'anchor english' doesnt really exist.

also, youre right, youll never lose your true accent. it just comes out in times of emotion, or when you want it to. a part of your brain that acquires language actually hard-wires itself by the time you reach your teens, and, since most people dont move until afterwards, it sticks with ya. this is also the reason why its much harder for adults to learn second languages. theres less space in the brain for other languages.

[khmerhit]

I've been doing market surveys in the States this week, from canada, and, having a bit of an english accent, could not make myself understood!

A typical exchange: "Hello i'm calling to do a survey about men's hair grooming products and I wondered-----"

"Wassat!? Ah caint unnerstand word you are sayin!!"

CLUNK.

A young continental Frenchman was doing the survey too. I overheard him ask:

"What percentAGE of the 'air on your 'ead eez grey, please?"

I guess ya had to be there....

[Henry_Cowell]

[craigzy]

welp, if you see everything left of the mississipi as 'west,' utah could still be considered mid-west. the distinctions really dont match up geographically, though. i live in upstate ny and i know people who have lived here their entire lives and speak with a tinge of a southern accent - and they live ten minutes from canada! its amazing.

[gaijinalways]

I always thought the anchor English was more Southern New England English, not Mid West. I would say that my mother living in New England for nearly 40 years has lost her mid-west accent. I think it depends on the amount of time you spend speaking with people who have the same accent. Just like as English teachers if we keep hearing enough bad English, we ev entually start adopting some 'new' grammar !

[dmb]

[Justin Trullinger]

The label "midwest" dates to the days of manifest destiny, and the push westwards of the USA. (Remember that the USA was originally a conglomeration of states on the east coast.)

So places like Illinois, Iowa, and Nebraska got the name "midwest" because they were west, but not far west like California. Utah, as I understand it, is usually considered southwest, though that, like most distinctions, is sort of artificial.

I'm from Iowa, and in my days as a starving actor, I found my accent to be somewhat in demand for voiceovers, due to possesing that elusive "American Standard" sound. (Educated speakers from the midwest are considered by some the least regionally influenced speakers in the union. In any case, it got me work.)

My current accent has drifted due to a decade abroad, a good portion of it spent amongst Brits. I now have that hopeless mid atlantic sound, with enough American remaining for the British to usually identify me as American, while Americans I meet generally assume me to be British. Non-natives simply have no idea.

About L2 influence, I'm embarrassed to admit the extent of it. I can still pull off native sounding grammar in English, but have to concentrate. When my concentration slips, all kinds of Spanish influenced usages become apparent. This is one reason for my frequent posting on Dave's. It gives me practice writing in English, which I don't do much of in any other circumstance.

I also feel my "b" and "v" sounds sliding closer together, and a lengthening of my short "i" sounds. ("Oh, SHEET," I exclaim when things are falling apart.)

I tend to pronounce my own name "joosteen" intentionally, because I'm simply too tired of the spellings that result from pronouncing it naturally.

I can counteract all or most of these effects through concentration, and I'm told that my "original" accent returns after longish conversations with my mom (mum?!).

I need a vacation. And plan to spend the next one somewhere that I can practice my English...

Does anybody know a good English teacher? I imagine I'm going to need one someday soon.

Best,
Justin

[wildchild]

dmb said

[Perpetual Traveller]

[sallycat]

^^^you too, huh? i think i now have a katakana accent.