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mangotango
Joined: 24 Apr 2015
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 Posted: Tue Apr 28, 2015 3:48 am Post subject: Discrimination and preference towards accents |
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Hello everyone! I have been teaching in Korea for a couple of years. I am from the North of England and have occasionally had some issues.
I am wondering if anyone has, or knows of anyone who has been discriminated against within an EFL environment because of their accent? And what the preference seems to be? |
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nicwr2002
Joined: 17 Aug 2011
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| Posted: Tue Apr 28, 2015 4:21 am Post subject: Re: Discrimination and preference towards accents |
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| mangotango wrote: |
Hello everyone! I have been teaching in Korea for a couple of years. I am from the North of England and have occasionally had some issues.
I am wondering if anyone has, or knows of anyone who has been discriminated against within an EFL environment because of their accent? And what the preference seems to be? |
Before I came to Korea, my first recruiter declined to help me because I had a thick US "Southern" accent. However, since that first recruiter nobody has ever mentioned my accent other than I sounded like an American. I believe the preference is a neutral North American accents though. |
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cj1976
Joined: 26 Oct 2005
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| Posted: Tue Apr 28, 2015 4:30 am Post subject: |
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The preference for the US accent might explain why they are so bad at speaking English. They seem to think that mastering a language means copying it verbatim, and reproducing the sounds rather than focusing on expressing meaning.
It also gives rise to that horribly plastic imitation American accent Koreans love to attempt. |
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UKKOR
Joined: 05 Oct 2014
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| Posted: Tue Apr 28, 2015 4:40 am Post subject: |
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| Hi~ Fellow British here. I was asked to put on an American accent and I did no problem. All the teachers like my accent but I want to use an American accent to keep mums paying. |
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tiger fancini
Joined: 21 Mar 2006
Location: Testicles for Eyes
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| Posted: Tue Apr 28, 2015 8:22 am Post subject: |
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| cj1976 wrote: |
The preference for the US accent might explain why they are so bad at speaking English. They seem to think that mastering a language means copying it verbatim, and reproducing the sounds rather than focusing on expressing meaning.
It also gives rise to that horribly plastic imitation American accent Koreans love to attempt. |
It also screws them over whenever they have to use English with anybody who isn't American. Given the huge, and ever-increasing number of people around the globe using English without an American accent, the Koreans' insistence on American pronunciation is hard to fathom sometimes. |
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Bongotruck
Joined: 19 Mar 2015
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| Posted: Tue Apr 28, 2015 1:57 pm Post subject: |
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| Its nothing like the discrimination men are facing these days in the job market. |
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mangotango
Joined: 24 Apr 2015
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| Posted: Tue Apr 28, 2015 2:03 pm Post subject: |
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So Ukkor, You happily change your accent to accommodate your schools wishes? Does it not bother you at all?
I was in a similar position in my 1st school in Korea. I was asked to speak more 'American', and was told not to tell my students that I'm from England as the parents would complain.
Why in Korea is there such a preference for American English? |
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happyinhenan
Joined: 01 Feb 2015
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| Posted: Tue Apr 28, 2015 2:46 pm Post subject: Re: Discrimination and preference towards accents |
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| nicwr2002 wrote: |
| I believe the preference is a neutral North American accents though. |
No-one has a 'neutral' accent - North American or otherwise.  |
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happyinhenan
Joined: 01 Feb 2015
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| Posted: Tue Apr 28, 2015 2:49 pm Post subject: |
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| mangotango wrote: |
So Ukkor, You happily change your accent to accommodate your schools wishes? Does it not bother you at all?
I was in a similar position in my 1st school in Korea. I was asked to speak more 'American', and was told not to tell my students that I'm from England as the parents would complain.
Why in Korea is there such a preference for American English? |
Yes.
Most Koreans have a problem with any accent outside of one from the United States or Canada, it won't be just you.
What you can say if they ask you to speak more like an American next time is to remind them that they knew you were British during the hiring process - it isn't like you have just turned up and gave them a nasty surprise.
I also find a fair few Americans unable to get their poor little ears around any British accent that doesn't sound like Stephen Fry.
NB: The preference for NA English is understandable, it is the United States that has acted as 'benevolent uncle' to the South Koreans since the armistice - without the Americans, it would still be a third world cabbage patch. |
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Steelrails
Joined: 12 Mar 2009
Location: Earth, Solar System
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| Posted: Tue Apr 28, 2015 3:28 pm Post subject: Re: Discrimination and preference towards accents |
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| happyinhenan wrote: |
| nicwr2002 wrote: |
| I believe the preference is a neutral North American accents though. |
No-one has a 'neutral' accent - North American or otherwise. |
Surely there has to be some way to acoustically measure this. I bet there would be some surprising results out there. |
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happyinhenan
Joined: 01 Feb 2015
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| Posted: Tue Apr 28, 2015 3:45 pm Post subject: Re: Discrimination and preference towards accents |
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| Steelrails wrote: |
| happyinhenan wrote: |
| nicwr2002 wrote: |
| I believe the preference is a neutral North American accents though. |
No-one has a 'neutral' accent - North American or otherwise. |
Surely there has to be some way to acoustically measure this. I bet there would be some surprising results out there. |
There has been loads of studies and field work into the variations of North American English.
There is less variation than somewhere like the UK - but there are variations between the general accent types even if they are very subtle.
What grates me is when teachers say (even on here) they have a 'neutral' accent (meaning a variation of NA Mid West).
A bit like the Chinese when they say they live in the 'Middle Kingdom' very one eyed and insular. |
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cj1976
Joined: 26 Oct 2005
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| Posted: Tue Apr 28, 2015 3:48 pm Post subject: |
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| If anyone ask you to sound more American, you should ask them to be more Japanese. |
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PigeonFart
Joined: 27 Apr 2006
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| Posted: Tue Apr 28, 2015 3:52 pm Post subject: |
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[quote="cj1976"]If anyone ask you to sound more American, you should ask them to be more Japanese.[/quote]
Absolutely. |
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Brooks
Joined: 08 Apr 2003
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| Posted: Tue Apr 28, 2015 5:28 pm Post subject: |
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You would prefer Japan then.
Some bosses prefer British teachers.
Some are still bitter over the war. |
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northway
Joined: 05 Jul 2010
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| Posted: Tue Apr 28, 2015 6:04 pm Post subject: |
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| mangotango wrote: |
So Ukkor, You happily change your accent to accommodate your schools wishes? Does it not bother you at all?
I was in a similar position in my 1st school in Korea. I was asked to speak more 'American', and was told not to tell my students that I'm from England as the parents would complain.
Why in Korea is there such a preference for American English? |
This is the sign of a horrendously run business. |
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