I don’t know if it’s true or not but somebody recenlty told me that Om Puri, the famous Indian actor, is a big advocate of speaking English in the Indian way - ie, to perserve the Hindi accent while speaking. He says that we don’t need to adopt/copy the accent to speak English, the pronouciation with our accent is good enough.
I have heard various arguments both in the favor and against of English speaking patterns among Desis. Some people say that within natively English speaking counteries, accents vary from region to region (eg, British vs American accents and pronouciation etc) so which accent you are gonna adopt to? Some also say that we don’t need to imitate others, if others want to understand us, they should get used to our accents. Others say that adopting a particular accent helps improve the communication level.
Should one maintain his/her native accent while speaking English to perserve one’s cultural identity or if one can adopt to a certain accent, he/she should do so for better communication? Is trying to speak English the American way, per say, is all that bad and shows some sort of inferiority complex or it doesn’t matter as long as it helps better communication?
Personally, I think anything one can do to improve communication level is worth adopting and our cultural identity is not that fragile that it will get lost by simply trying to be more communicative.
Yar, in may case adopting a particular accent is not even an option. I just can’t. No matter how hard I try by paindoo english accent never leaves my side.
seriously, I know some desis consider other desis who speak English without accent or with American accent as wanna be goras. But I think that is just their jealously since they can’t speak that way themselves they start calling names. After all we are speaking a second language and for the purpose of good communication one should try best to speak in the prevalent accent of the country or area. Of course it takes years to adopt it sometimes.
Chann Ji. Join the love and compassion club – I am in the same boat as you are. My brother Pathwari speaks English with a Dutch accent (e.g., fillige for Village). I don’t think that accent is a matter of adaptation. Although there are some “accent reduction” training places, but it is very difficult to adopt to some accent that one does not grow up listening to. I know many people who came to USA without knowing any English who within 4 or 5 years speak English with perfect American accent, and those who come here knowing enough English to begin with are the ones who have difficulty adopting accents.
I personally like all accents. I get the most kick out of Pakistanis/Indian speak with English accent. Latinas with latin accent are another favorite. Arabs and Chinese are equally cute, so are the Africans. French is also pretty sexy.
Rom. What the heck kind of accent do you speak with? I have trouble figuring that out. May be we should talk in English from now on. Enough with Punjabi.
Isn't it a somewhat ludicrous idea? It's one thing to be worried about your own language, but to be pontificating about speaking a foreign language with an Indian accent is probably coming close to paranoia.
May be we should talk in English from now on. Enough with Punjabi. <<
Having heard you two talking, I don't think you guys can communicate very effectively in English. In fact I am pretty sure Punjabi is the only language you two can have a heart to heart talk.
Interesting Post. I am studying linguistics this semester. I don't think that you "force" yourself to speak in an American Accent, either you pick it up or it develops slowy. By this i mean children who immigrate to the Western world obviously pick up the accent rather quickly. As for the accent developing slowly, i've noticed a change in my father's and my uncle's accents. Both have been here in America for a quite a long time, and their accents have changed from being pure paindo, per say, to being quiet close to an American one. Of course it's possible that the same pattern may not exist in everyone's case.
I don't think that speaking in a desi accent does anything to perserve the cultural identity. Cultural identity can be perserved in many other ways. I think having a better level of communication is of more worth.
Well, it might just be my faulty observation but I have noticed in many people that they have improved in terms of pronouciation and/or accents over the years after they come to US.
I agree, in many cases (and mine is one of them), it's not possible to consciously adopt an accent but still there are many people who are able to do so to some extent. Now, it might just be as simple as to pronounce the words the American way that comes off as an improvement, but at least there is some effort involved.
As far as pronouciating a word is concerned, I think the sources of authenticity should come from the dictionary - exception to that should be the word 'opportunity'. I don't know, it just doesn't sound right pronouncing it as 'opp-ar-too-nity'.
Of course, things are complicated by the fact that there are MANY English or American accents, maybe some of them are easier for us to adopt. I remember thinking that the Welsh accent sounds VERY desi. I love hearing desis speaking cockney with Punjabi overtones!!!! Or a Gujarati from Alabama - what an effect!!!! Did you ever try to figure out which part of the US or Canada desis have lived in from their accents? Here in Italy I have noticed that many desis manage to speak without strong non-Italians accents, maybe because many of the sounds are common to our languages. And then you know what an Italian sounfds like speaking English, right?
oh no.. I think accents are really cool! I love hearing people from different countries having their own version of the same language... come on even the our desi crayzee ungrazee is really fun!
My accent has been evolving ever since I was born, but I think one type of accent is settling in now which is still undefinable.
I tried hard to maintain my British accent due to Brit schools but then the American influence kicks in. And when I came to SA for school, the SA accent kicked in big time and people from overseas thought I had an Aussie accent but I am trying my utmost to not develop any sort of Amrikan accent.
Why am I talking about me? I'm so self-absorbed.
I lurrvee a nice posh English accent with all the words pronounced nicely and eloquently. What a turn on, something like Jeremy Irons' accent!
I agree with Mem. I can listen to Italian/Spanish/French/Croation men speaking English for days on end but when i hear some1 from India/Pakistan/Bangladesh/Nepal/Sri Lanka (etc etc) i just feel as tho i need 2 go up to 'em and give them one huge slap. Dunno why, i’m not even a violent person
Thing is right, this accent thing doesn’t just vary from country to country, it also veries from region to region. Take the UK for example. The Scottish have (by far) the sexiest accent on the planet whereas Brummies and Londoners (like Indians) make we wanna throw up. This hasn’t actually got anything to do with the post has it ???
Neways, like i was saying … i think the problem stems from the fact that although pple from the Asian sub Continent are taught Angrezi English at school, they try to imitate American English when they grow up and end up sounding very wierd. But good luck to them - they’ve invented a whole new accent so
Tell me about that.. I don’t mind people talking English in desi style or with desi accent. I acutally immitate and talk in desi English sometimes (when talking to Mem) just to tease her. It does make her laugh.
Anyone ever heard a German talking English. They try pronounce English words the same way as they talk German. In the German Language (same like it is in Dutch) some letters are pronounced totally opposite as they are in English…
‘S’ == ‘Z’
‘Z’ == ‘S’
‘J’ == ‘Y’
‘Y’ == ‘Y’
(there is no letter making the sound of ‘J’) so a combination of letters is invented.
Like for ‘J’ it is ==> ‘DSCH’ == ‘J’
and in Dutch:
‘V’ == ‘F’
‘G’ == as in Urdu ‘Kh’
It’s really interesting to hear them speak English. I also enjoy listening to people talking the same language in different accents. And so I then try to immitate them. Which is also so much phunn..
[QUOTE]
Originally posted by Sadi Sobi:
**The Scottish have (by far) the sexiest accent on the planet whereas Brummies and Londoners (like Indians) make we wanna throw up. This hasn’t actually got anything to do with the post has it ??? **
the proper london accent alongwith oxford and kent accents have to be the most civilized ones I have heard. Most desis for some reason become eastenders
**i think the problem stems from the fact that although pple from the Asian sub Continent are taught Angrezi English at school, they try to imitate American English when they grow up and end up sounding very wierd. **
They are taught British English..i.e. the proper english at school. They are not taught the accent.. so this point dunn really apply
I have to constantly switch between an english and an american accent, since I am a brit and prefer that accent but started using more of an american accent when i was at kansas since most yanks gave me looks as the had not seen a brown guy with a british accent. Now it has become quite natural. My coworkers still get surprised when my brother calls at work and the accent changes.
anyway to know your real accent here is a litmus test. get drunk ..I mean wasted…hthen your real accent will come out. No matter how much i try its hard for me to cover a brit accent when i am wasted
anyway to know your real accent here is a litmus test. get drunk ..I mean wasted…hthen your real accent will come out. No matter how much i try its hard for me to cover a brit accent when i am wasted<<
aaah really…in that case I have a south african accent.
… They are taught British English..i.e. the proper english at school. They are not taught the accent.. so this point dunn really apply …
Soz mate but i totally disagree with you here … Have u not noticed how a Pakistani kids freshy English accent changes so much as he or she grows up. At the age of about 8 they seem 2 talk very British but by the time they’re 15 they’re sounding much more American.
… anyway to know your real accent here is a litmus test. get drunk ..I mean wasted…hthen your real accent will come out. No matter how much i try its hard for me to cover a brit accent when i am wasted
I tell a lie, my friend taught me: ‘TUMHAR GESE BEERI ASE NI?’. Any guesses as to what it means. I got a box of Roses waiting for the correct answer (I’ve picked ate all the strawberry creams tho)
Hats down to the people who speak English in desi accent, because they bothered to learn another language with their mother language.
& a big kick to those who just prefer to speak English & dont bother even learning their own mother language.
In this scenario accent doesn't matter at all.
BTW, if you are really pround of English speaking or claiming ur have the best knowlege of the language then visit Omskirk (in UK) & try to understand their accent.