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johnslat
Joined: 21 Jan 2003
Posts: 13859
Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
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 Posted: Mon Apr 19, 2010 3:11 pm Post subject: |
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But wasn't it said earlier that people can't hear their own accent?
Regards,
John |
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GambateBingBangBOOM
Joined: 04 Nov 2003
Posts: 2021
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Mon Apr 19, 2010 3:12 pm Post subject: |
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| JZer wrote: |
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And others said that that's ridiculous, and you spent five pages saying how you simply don't sound like an American because you learned Mandarin, and German etc.
And I said that people are paying you money to talk with someone with an American accent, and since you claim you don't have one, you should probably let them know that. |
That is where you are simply wrong. People are paying me because I have an American passport and a white face. |
And they are assuming the accent that goes along with that (it is LANGUAGE LEARNING, after all). The one you claim you don't have. |
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JZer
Joined: 16 Jan 2005
Posts: 3898
Location: Pittsburgh
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| Posted: Mon Apr 19, 2010 3:17 pm Post subject: |
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| GambateBingBangBOOM wrote: |
| JZer wrote: |
| Quote: |
And others said that that's ridiculous, and you spent five pages saying how you simply don't sound like an American because you learned Mandarin, and German etc.
And I said that people are paying you money to talk with someone with an American accent, and since you claim you don't have one, you should probably let them know that. |
That is where you are simply wrong. People are paying me because I have an American passport and a white face. |
And they are assuming the accent that goes along with that (it is LANGUAGE LEARNING, after all). The one you claim you don't have. |
Hardly, there are plenty of non-native Europeans teaching English in China. |
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GambateBingBangBOOM
Joined: 04 Nov 2003
Posts: 2021
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Mon Apr 19, 2010 3:20 pm Post subject: |
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| But are the STUDENTS aware of that? Or do they think they are being taught by a native speaker? There are lots of non-native speakers teaching English in Japan, too. 99% of the time, the students and employers aren't aware that they aren't English L1 simply because they have an American or Canadian passport. |
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JZer
Joined: 16 Jan 2005
Posts: 3898
Location: Pittsburgh
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| Posted: Mon Apr 19, 2010 3:22 pm Post subject: |
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| GambateBingBangBOOM wrote: |
| JZer wrote: |
| The only thing I can say is that I cannot pass for an American. |
Well, what you're seeing is that that isn't the case with most other people.
How LONG have you been out of the US? And do you try to hide from English language radio, TV, movies and native speakers?
Many of us know people who have been overseas in an individual country for over twenty years, some of them rarely actually going back. They are fluent in the language of the host country. Nobody would say that they no longer sound "American".
Or did you maybe have a really strong local accent in the US (think, "hillbilly") and you no longer sound like that so your parents are telling you that you no longer sound American. You do know that you cannot actually hear your own accent, don't you? |
If you know them then they probably interact with other Americans and Canadians on a regular basis. Thus they still sound like Americans. |
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Zero
Joined: 08 Sep 2004
Posts: 1402
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| Posted: Mon Apr 19, 2010 3:28 pm Post subject: |
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| I am born America United States, spend first 32 years life there, but now spending so much time China, Japan and so on other Asian country, about 2 year so far. Almost forget English! Using Asian language daily basis! PRobably because no practice with other native speaker, easily forget first language talk method.. |
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johnslat
Joined: 21 Jan 2003
Posts: 13859
Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
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| Posted: Mon Apr 19, 2010 3:36 pm Post subject: |
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Dear zero,
You should have heard me after I'd been teaching Head Start (3 to 5 year olds) for about a year.
Regards,
John |
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spiral78
Joined: 05 Apr 2004
Posts: 11534
Location: On a Short Leash
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| Posted: Mon Apr 19, 2010 3:38 pm Post subject: |
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About the Europeans teaching English in Asia:
If you know them then they probably interact with other Americans and Canadians on a regular basis. Thus they still sound like Americans.
Uh...no. Regular interaction with native English speakers definitely cannot 'erase' a European accent. Ask my Czech spouse of 10 years  |
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JZer
Joined: 16 Jan 2005
Posts: 3898
Location: Pittsburgh
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| Posted: Mon Apr 19, 2010 3:55 pm Post subject: |
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| spiral78 wrote: |
About the Europeans teaching English in Asia:
If you know them then they probably interact with other Americans and Canadians on a regular basis. Thus they still sound like Americans.
Uh...no. Regular interaction with native English speakers definitely cannot 'erase' a European accent. Ask my Czech spouse of 10 years |
I was not talking about Continental Europeans. I was talking about native English speakers. If GambateBingBangBOOM knows them then they probably speak English with other native English speakers on a regular basis.
If you read the quote I was replying to you would see we were talking about Americans in Japan who have not been back to the US and whether they pass for Americans. |
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Sashadroogie
Joined: 17 Apr 2007
Posts: 11061
Location: Moskva, The Workers' Paradise
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| Posted: Mon Apr 19, 2010 7:57 pm Post subject: |
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Right. This thread is just nonsensical now. An unavoidable consequence of conversing with the inarticulate/illiterate amongst us. The same one who dares to accuse others of self-contradiction.
Here's hoping for a total English language memory lapse. Shouldn't be too much of a loss, as there doesn't seem too much further to go. May even result in a funky foreign language accent that everyone will think is so, so exotic. |
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JZer
Joined: 16 Jan 2005
Posts: 3898
Location: Pittsburgh
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| Posted: Mon Apr 19, 2010 8:56 pm Post subject: |
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| Sashadroogie wrote: |
Right. This thread is just nonsensical now. An unavoidable consequence of conversing with the inarticulate/illiterate amongst us. The same one who dares to accuse others of self-contradiction.
Here's hoping for a total English language memory lapse. Shouldn't be too much of a loss, as there doesn't seem too much further to go. May even result in a funky foreign language accent that everyone will think is so, so exotic. |
Well you continue to contradict yourself. If this thread was nonsensical you would have no way of understanding it enough to make snide comments. |
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johnslat
Joined: 21 Jan 2003
Posts: 13859
Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
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| Posted: Mon Apr 19, 2010 9:08 pm Post subject: |
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I'd make a comment, but I seem to have suffered a total English language memory lapse.
How's THAT for nonsensical?
Regards,
John
Last edited by johnslat on Mon Apr 19, 2010 9:14 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Sashadroogie
Joined: 17 Apr 2007
Posts: 11061
Location: Moskva, The Workers' Paradise
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| Posted: Mon Apr 19, 2010 9:13 pm Post subject: |
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| It's so good to know that the teaching of reading and critical thinking skills, not to mention lexical skills, is in safe hands. |
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johnslat
Joined: 21 Jan 2003
Posts: 13859
Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
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| Posted: Mon Apr 19, 2010 9:16 pm Post subject: |
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Dear Sashadroogie,
Ooops - well, even great Homer (not the Simpson one) nods.
To quote "Pet Peeves" - I is sorry.
Regards,
John |
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Sashadroogie
Joined: 17 Apr 2007
Posts: 11061
Location: Moskva, The Workers' Paradise
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| Posted: Mon Apr 19, 2010 9:25 pm Post subject: |
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| Yes, but there is no antidotal evidence to confirm his nod, even once - certainly not on a daily base. If one were to believe written here in multiply languages you would be badly effected. Maybe the Greek scribes forgot their own pronounciation and misunderstanded their word for 'nod'. I'll have to do some research on this on my MA course... |
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