Comments on: On Talking With or Without an Accent http://www.8asians.com/2009/05/07/on-talking-with-or-without-an-accent/ A blog for Asian Americans Mon, 13 Feb 2012 20:27:58 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: ((little fat notebook)) » Blog Archive » Accents and self-deprecation http://www.8asians.com/2009/05/07/on-talking-with-or-without-an-accent/comment-page-1/#comment-124267 ((little fat notebook)) » Blog Archive » Accents and self-deprecation Mon, 01 Jun 2009 17:03:12 +0000 http://www.8asians.com/?p=3076#comment-124267 [...] a month ago I came across a blog entry about speaking with accents (to me, there is no such thing as speaking without an accent - everyone’s got one).  Reading [...] [...] a month ago I came across a blog entry about speaking with accents (to me, there is no such thing as speaking without an accent – everyone’s got one).  Reading [...]

]]> By: 8Asians.com » My First Language is American http://www.8asians.com/2009/05/07/on-talking-with-or-without-an-accent/comment-page-1/#comment-123053 8Asians.com » My First Language is American Mon, 18 May 2009 22:39:35 +0000 http://www.8asians.com/?p=3076#comment-123053 [...] Asians in America, “The Language of Invisibility” and Tim’s 8asians’ piece “On Talking With or Without an Accent” made me think about how language can essentialize the identity of a person - particularly a person [...] [...] Asians in America, “The Language of Invisibility” and Tim’s 8asians’ piece “On Talking With or Without an Accent” made me think about how language can essentialize the identity of a person – particularly a person [...]

]]> By: Christopher http://www.8asians.com/2009/05/07/on-talking-with-or-without-an-accent/comment-page-1/#comment-122640 Christopher Wed, 13 May 2009 21:50:29 +0000 http://www.8asians.com/?p=3076#comment-122640 If you travel to different parts of Asia, American English IS the real English to them. People in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia all refer to British English as British English, but someone speaking with an American accent just speaks "English." If you travel to different parts of Asia, American English IS the real English to them. People in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia all refer to British English as British English, but someone speaking with an American accent just speaks “English.”

]]> By: Christopher http://www.8asians.com/2009/05/07/on-talking-with-or-without-an-accent/comment-page-1/#comment-141065 Christopher Wed, 13 May 2009 21:50:00 +0000 http://www.8asians.com/?p=3076#comment-141065 If you travel to different parts of Asia, American English IS the real English to them. People in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia all refer to British English as British English, but someone speaking with an American accent just speaks "English." If you travel to different parts of Asia, American English IS the real English to them. People in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia all refer to British English as British English, but someone speaking with an American accent just speaks “English.”

]]> By: Mary http://www.8asians.com/2009/05/07/on-talking-with-or-without-an-accent/comment-page-1/#comment-122209 Mary Sat, 09 May 2009 21:33:40 +0000 http://www.8asians.com/?p=3076#comment-122209 I was fortunate to grow up with very little discrimination regarding my speech, and rather reverse discrimination when I went back to China over the summers, with everyone looking at me in awe when I spoke with a perfect American accent. Unfortunately both my standard American accent and standard Mandarin accent are working against me in Singapore, where it seems I'm viewed as one or the other, but people just don't get it when I can speak BOTH. For some reason, people can't seem to understand my accent because I don't speak the "Singlish" way. My success rate in Chinese is far better than English, but nonetheless - getting screwed by my "newscaster worthy" accents. -___- Regarding Elton's comment - perhaps it was my time spent in England, but it irks me when Americans so often forget that theirs is an accent too, albeit a widely recognized and accepted "standard" accent. But the same goes for a British accent - standard English of a sort, no? Yet Americans call it the British accent and don't recognize their own pronunciations as the American accent. This perpetuates the idea that Brits have of us as self-centered fools. Finally, I, like Jeff, have no clue what this California accent is. Since I moved to LA seven years ago, I have never really noticed a huge difference from what I heard on the East Coast and in the Midwest. Perhaps they just mean the slang terms that you use, rather than the actual pronunciation of the words? Or maybe I'm just used to a bunch of accents so I don't notice slight variations. I was fortunate to grow up with very little discrimination regarding my speech, and rather reverse discrimination when I went back to China over the summers, with everyone looking at me in awe when I spoke with a perfect American accent. Unfortunately both my standard American accent and standard Mandarin accent are working against me in Singapore, where it seems I’m viewed as one or the other, but people just don’t get it when I can speak BOTH. For some reason, people can’t seem to understand my accent because I don’t speak the “Singlish” way. My success rate in Chinese is far better than English, but nonetheless – getting screwed by my “newscaster worthy” accents. -___-

Regarding Elton’s comment – perhaps it was my time spent in England, but it irks me when Americans so often forget that theirs is an accent too, albeit a widely recognized and accepted “standard” accent. But the same goes for a British accent – standard English of a sort, no? Yet Americans call it the British accent and don’t recognize their own pronunciations as the American accent. This perpetuates the idea that Brits have of us as self-centered fools.

Finally, I, like Jeff, have no clue what this California accent is. Since I moved to LA seven years ago, I have never really noticed a huge difference from what I heard on the East Coast and in the Midwest. Perhaps they just mean the slang terms that you use, rather than the actual pronunciation of the words? Or maybe I’m just used to a bunch of accents so I don’t notice slight variations.

]]> By: Mary http://www.8asians.com/2009/05/07/on-talking-with-or-without-an-accent/comment-page-1/#comment-141064 Mary Sat, 09 May 2009 21:33:00 +0000 http://www.8asians.com/?p=3076#comment-141064 I was fortunate to grow up with very little discrimination regarding my speech, and rather reverse discrimination when I went back to China over the summers, with everyone looking at me in awe when I spoke with a perfect American accent. Unfortunately both my standard American accent and standard Mandarin accent are working against me in Singapore, where it seems I'm viewed as one or the other, but people just don't get it when I can speak BOTH. For some reason, people can't seem to understand my accent because I don't speak the "Singlish" way. My success rate in Chinese is far better than English, but nonetheless - getting screwed by my "newscaster worthy" accents. -___- Regarding Elton's comment - perhaps it was my time spent in England, but it irks me when Americans so often forget that theirs is an accent too, albeit a widely recognized and accepted "standard" accent. But the same goes for a British accent - standard English of a sort, no? Yet Americans call it the British accent and don't recognize their own pronunciations as the American accent. This perpetuates the idea that Brits have of us as self-centered fools. Finally, I, like Jeff, have no clue what this California accent is. Since I moved to LA seven years ago, I have never really noticed a huge difference from what I heard on the East Coast and in the Midwest. Perhaps they just mean the slang terms that you use, rather than the actual pronunciation of the words? Or maybe I'm just used to a bunch of accents so I don't notice slight variations. I was fortunate to grow up with very little discrimination regarding my speech, and rather reverse discrimination when I went back to China over the summers, with everyone looking at me in awe when I spoke with a perfect American accent. Unfortunately both my standard American accent and standard Mandarin accent are working against me in Singapore, where it seems I’m viewed as one or the other, but people just don’t get it when I can speak BOTH. For some reason, people can’t seem to understand my accent because I don’t speak the “Singlish” way. My success rate in Chinese is far better than English, but nonetheless – getting screwed by my “newscaster worthy” accents. -___-

Regarding Elton’s comment – perhaps it was my time spent in England, but it irks me when Americans so often forget that theirs is an accent too, albeit a widely recognized and accepted “standard” accent. But the same goes for a British accent – standard English of a sort, no? Yet Americans call it the British accent and don’t recognize their own pronunciations as the American accent. This perpetuates the idea that Brits have of us as self-centered fools.

Finally, I, like Jeff, have no clue what this California accent is. Since I moved to LA seven years ago, I have never really noticed a huge difference from what I heard on the East Coast and in the Midwest. Perhaps they just mean the slang terms that you use, rather than the actual pronunciation of the words? Or maybe I’m just used to a bunch of accents so I don’t notice slight variations.

]]> By: Xxxtine http://www.8asians.com/2009/05/07/on-talking-with-or-without-an-accent/comment-page-1/#comment-122187 Xxxtine Sat, 09 May 2009 17:42:52 +0000 http://www.8asians.com/?p=3076#comment-122187 It's funny because meeting up with people from all over the world, some of them Asians, actually comment, "Wow, you speak English very well!" ... my response is I chuckle and say, "I better, I was born here!" In any case, interestingly enough, I was in a job interview where I was told I spoke with an accent. "Really?!" I said recounting numerous times before I've been told I have no accent at all - none where one could place it. "Born and raised here," I replied. The interviewer stated I spoke without any slang. I suppose proper English COULD be an accent as well. It’s funny because meeting up with people from all over the world, some of them Asians, actually comment, “Wow, you speak English very well!” … my response is I chuckle and say, “I better, I was born here!”

In any case, interestingly enough, I was in a job interview where I was told I spoke with an accent. “Really?!” I said recounting numerous times before I’ve been told I have no accent at all – none where one could place it. “Born and raised here,” I replied. The interviewer stated I spoke without any slang. I suppose proper English COULD be an accent as well.

]]> By: Xxxtine http://www.8asians.com/2009/05/07/on-talking-with-or-without-an-accent/comment-page-1/#comment-141063 Xxxtine Sat, 09 May 2009 17:42:00 +0000 http://www.8asians.com/?p=3076#comment-141063 It's funny because meeting up with people from all over the world, some of them Asians, actually comment, "Wow, you speak English very well!" ... my response is I chuckle and say, "I better, I was born here!" In any case, interestingly enough, I was in a job interview where I was told I spoke with an accent. "Really?!" I said recounting numerous times before I've been told I have no accent at all - none where one could place it. "Born and raised here," I replied. The interviewer stated I spoke without any slang. I suppose proper English COULD be an accent as well. It’s funny because meeting up with people from all over the world, some of them Asians, actually comment, “Wow, you speak English very well!” … my response is I chuckle and say, “I better, I was born here!”

In any case, interestingly enough, I was in a job interview where I was told I spoke with an accent. “Really?!” I said recounting numerous times before I’ve been told I have no accent at all – none where one could place it. “Born and raised here,” I replied. The interviewer stated I spoke without any slang. I suppose proper English COULD be an accent as well.

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