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callmesim · Joined: 27 Oct 2005 Posts: 279 Location: London, UK

Tell them everytime they make fun of the Australian accent, a baby koala dies. They'll soon stop.

Betty Lou Jones · Joined: 06 Jun 2007 Posts: 14

gaijinalways · Joined: 29 Nov 2005 Posts: 2279

fox1 · Joined: 22 Feb 2005 Posts: 268

The soy sauce and "Mun-die" comments were from a fellow school teacher when we were out as a group in an izakaya. He said, to fellow Japanese teachers (not to me as a question), "In Australia, they call soy sauce Kikkoman.. ha ha". It was like a "they're stupid" comment. The crazy thing is I was right there and he had the opportunity to ask me if it was true, but no, he informed everyone. I don't think he's a bad guy at all, nor the other "Aussie bad" people. I just don't get the idea of insulting another guy's country, in his presence, within a group of Japanese, but anyway...

A few other school teachers have given me the Aussie English line, usually as part of a group conversation (again, without hearing my English. It's not a comment on me.)

I get sick of coming up against the nationwide stereotype that, becuase I'm Australian, there's something wrong or inferior about my English. My English is of a high, you-would-want-to-learn-from standard. I don't really reply to it at all in person. Usually I say, yeah, you're right, some people do say that. SOME people.

gaijinalways · Joined: 29 Nov 2005 Posts: 2279

Chill baby, chill. You should rent 'Train spotting' and have them listen to 'that' accent. That and the 'Full Monty'!

flyingkiwi · Posted: Thu Jul 05, 2007 6:37 am Post subject:

Can't believe this is on page 4 already!

I thought the Japanese were the experts at making storms in teacups.

cafebleu · Joined: 10 Feb 2003 Posts: 404

the Japanese seriously when they say that kind of thing.

I am a Brit with a London accent that I have modified to be clearer when teaching English yet during most of my time in Japan I was told I was an American or Canadian. Laughing

The great majority of Japanese you meet will never be able to work out you are Australian without knowing that fact.

I used to put on a classic Cockney accent at times for a laugh and still get the 'You are American' treatment. A minority of Japanese who have actually lived in Australia for a reasonable length of time will pick up an Australian accent but they can also make mistakes if you speak neutrally as some Ozzies I know do.

Don't respond to them with their kind of nonsense. Just smile and tell them the truth - Australians, like the English, have a variety of accents and they (the silly Japanese who go on like this) don't speak Zu Zu Ben and neither do a lot of Australians speak with a heavy Ozzie accent.

cafebleu · Joined: 10 Feb 2003 Posts: 404

was beeped out. Rolling Eyes

C*ckney is what I wrote.

As for all the tripe about accents - I honestly can't pick up the difference between most American and Canadian accents. I have heard that Canadians sound more 'English' but sorry, you don't. Not to my ears and not to the ears of Brits, Ozzies and others.

On the other hand I can pick up the vowel differences between Ozzies and New Zealanders. To my ear, the New Zealanders 'paste a letter' instead of posting it but that's really neither here nor there.

Bottom line is - about 95 percent of the Japanese, possibly more, will not be able to know where gaijin come from via their accent. They simply don't have the sophisticated listening skills or cultural openness to be able to discern. Their ignorance is not your problem.

But you might like to ask them if they come from Yamagata because you thought you heard 'Zu Zu ben' in their conversation. Or just be more subtle and keep saying when they speak English, "Sorry - I didn't catch that. What are you trying to say?"

Eva Pilot · Posted: Thu Jul 05, 2007 12:43 pm Post subject:

markle · Joined: 17 Jan 2003 Posts: 1316 Location: Out of Japan