| Pages in topic: < [1 2 3] > | Mimicking a foreign accent Thread poster: Jack Doughty
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Yolande Hivart
Austria
Local time: 01:26
Member (2016)
German to French
| I find it unrespectful | Sep 21, 2020 |
I do not like it when the German speaking people attempt to mimick the French accent for instance in a piece of theater. It is made so obvious for people to understand it was not German but someone "outside their group" that they are pushing it to the extreme making me think whether these people are on a first year of German course with the vocabulary of a 8th grader. It makes me think like "we know how you speak wrong when you talk to us and here is it how".
On the other side inclu... See more I do not like it when the German speaking people attempt to mimick the French accent for instance in a piece of theater. It is made so obvious for people to understand it was not German but someone "outside their group" that they are pushing it to the extreme making me think whether these people are on a first year of German course with the vocabulary of a 8th grader. It makes me think like "we know how you speak wrong when you talk to us and here is it how".
On the other side including foreigners would be to make them feel like noone had noticed. It is even the rule of some higher educated society to do as if noone had noticed if someone his doing something blaming himself. It can happen to everybody. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Mervyn Henderson (X) 
Spain
Local time: 01:26
Spanish to English
+ ...
| It can happen to everybody | Sep 21, 2020 |
Right, it can. It used to be that nothing was funnier than an Irish accent on British TV, and nothing was funnier than a British accent on Irish TV. In another scenario, wasn't it in "Boule de Suif" that Maupassant had a Prussian officer saying things like "Foulez-fous ...?", "fotre falise", "nous affons ..." etc.?
We used to laugh at German officers barking "Vee haff vays off maykink you talk" and so on, and I'm pretty sure the Germans make fun of an English speaker speaking Germa... See more Right, it can. It used to be that nothing was funnier than an Irish accent on British TV, and nothing was funnier than a British accent on Irish TV. In another scenario, wasn't it in "Boule de Suif" that Maupassant had a Prussian officer saying things like "Foulez-fous ...?", "fotre falise", "nous affons ..." etc.?
We used to laugh at German officers barking "Vee haff vays off maykink you talk" and so on, and I'm pretty sure the Germans make fun of an English speaker speaking German too. Actually, now I think about it, if anyone has an example of that, an English speaker speaking heavily-accented German on YouTube or whatever, I'd like to see it. My German's a little rusty, but I think it would be amusing ...
No need to read too much into it.
[Edited at 2020-09-21 11:32 GMT]
[Edited at 2020-09-21 11:35 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | expressisverbis
Portugal
Local time: 00:26
Member (2015)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
Yolande Hivart wrote:
It makes me think like "we know how you speak wrong when you talk to us and here is it how".
I can understand your point, but I tend to see this only as fun and according to some specialists it is a different way to develop your linguistic skills.
You can say you don't see the fun of it, but try to think that for phonetics purposes this can be helpful.
As well as Mervyn, I would like to see a foreign person impersonating or mimicking an European Portuguese speaker. It's hard, I know, but it is not impossible.
Once I saw an Algerian actor who tried this and I gave a loud laugh. It's for fun only 
| | | | Mervyn Henderson (X)
Spain
Local time: 01:26
Spanish to English
+ ...
| On the other hand | Sep 21, 2020 |
Arguing against myself now ... in the professional world, there's the danger that you won't be taken seriously or considered intelligent in your field if you don't speak the local language properly. In the last few months I've heard internationally renowned non-Spanish experts on this and that speaking rather poor Spanish, and non-English speakers speaking rather poor English, and quite illogically it does take them down a few notches in one's esteem concerning their expert field.
A... See more Arguing against myself now ... in the professional world, there's the danger that you won't be taken seriously or considered intelligent in your field if you don't speak the local language properly. In the last few months I've heard internationally renowned non-Spanish experts on this and that speaking rather poor Spanish, and non-English speakers speaking rather poor English, and quite illogically it does take them down a few notches in one's esteem concerning their expert field.
A lot depends on how much credibility the person listening to you is willing to give you in the first place. So if you have a heavy accent and you're talking to Donald Trump, don't expect much of a break. Especially a Mexican or Chinese accent. ▲ Collapse
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| Foreseeable answer (link) ... | Sep 21, 2020 |
Mervyn Henderson wrote:
... and I'm pretty sure the Germans make fun of an English speaker speaking German too. Actually, now I think about it, if anyone has an example of that, an English speaker speaking heavily-accented German on YouTube or whatever, I'd like to see it.
... even without a crystal bowl very foreseeable, that somebody ( in this case me) will take the link below to politely satisfy the expressed need:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTLeBybJhSo&list=PLIRkl6t6mMd8MIajfRD-v9gBvHQ2wDUYf&index=5
An English speaker speaking heavily-accented German, who tries to speak English, and with Portuguese subtitles (best scenes in that respect at min. 4:48 onwards).
[Bearbeitet am 2020-09-21 14:19 GMT]
| | | | expressisverbis
Portugal
Local time: 00:26
Member (2015)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
| "Mind your English" | Sep 21, 2020 |
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Z-mY3luR0Q
Amazing!
PS: Subtitles aren't the best ones... "monkey" instead of "money", "seora", instead of "señora"...
[Edited at 2020-09-21 14:33 GMT]
| | | | Mervyn Henderson (X)
Spain
Local time: 01:26
Spanish to English
+ ...
| Thanks Matthias and expressisverbis | Sep 21, 2020 |
I'd forgotten both of those! With another famous Monty Python sketch in mind, for the record I'd like to point out that I didn't mention the war. Except just at the end of that last sentence.
| | | | expressisverbis
Portugal
Local time: 00:26
Member (2015)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
| And many more... | Sep 21, 2020 |
In recent cinema movies:
The Pink Panther (2009) and Asterix and Obelix: God Save Britannia (2012).
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| A thread from a bygone age | Sep 21, 2020 |
These days it is only acceptable to mimic or mock people who are exactly the same as you.
| | | | | Nobody did ... | Sep 22, 2020 |
Mervyn Henderson wrote:
With another famous Monty Python sketch in mind, for the record I'd like to point out that I didn't mention the war.
... and I´m sure Jack, who started this post, would have liked these late contributions.
| | | | Mervyn Henderson (X)
Spain
Local time: 01:26
Spanish to English
+ ...
I now see that Jack died last year. Again, I realised it had been a while since he'd posted. He was always eager and entertaining - another loss for the site.
| | | | expressisverbis
Portugal
Local time: 00:26
Member (2015)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
Mervyn Henderson wrote:
I now see that Jack died last year. Again, I realised it had been a while since he'd posted. He was always eager and entertaining - another loss for the site.
I'm really sorry to hear that! My deepest condolences!
I have raised this topic because I found it very interesting.
I'm speechless!
I could see now "In memoriam" below his name... I should be more careful and pay more attention!
[Edited at 2020-09-22 10:58 GMT]
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| Find it so hard! | Jan 13, 2022 |
I find mimicking accent so hard for me! My mother language is Mandarin and Cantonese, and I find that I can't pronounce certain words in a different language. I mean I can pronounce them, but not in a native way. Just curious whether adults can develop their accents to a native level?
| | | | Michael Newton
United States
Local time: 19:26
Japanese to English
+ ...
| Foreign accent | Jan 16, 2022 |
As a sidebar, many Japanese get their knickers in a snit when a foreigner speaks Japanese "too well". Foreigners who appear on TV game shows in Japan (and there are many of these) are instructed to dumb down their accents and to speak Japanese "like a foreigner should" (gaijinrashiku). This has happened to me several times and I have declined to play along. That said, I can say without humility that I can pass for a Japanese on the telephone. I have applied for jobs on the telephone and after we... See more As a sidebar, many Japanese get their knickers in a snit when a foreigner speaks Japanese "too well". Foreigners who appear on TV game shows in Japan (and there are many of these) are instructed to dumb down their accents and to speak Japanese "like a foreigner should" (gaijinrashiku). This has happened to me several times and I have declined to play along. That said, I can say without humility that I can pass for a Japanese on the telephone. I have applied for jobs on the telephone and after we have discussed the details, they ask for me name. They are speechless when they find out I am a foreigner. I have even got some of these jobs. This is because Japan is an island country and Japanese-speaking foreigners are perceived as "invaders". The Chinese on the other hand expect foreigners to speak Chinese as they do. Anything less than pitch-perfect Chinese is considered an insult to Chinese civilization. Both attitudes are interesting and they have their pluses and minuses. I was once being measured for contact lenses in Tokyo and the optometrist, knowing full well that I was fluent in the language, wanted to give his presentation in English. To be truthful, his English was quite good.
At one point, he hesitated and then broke into Japanese: "Eigo-de ranshi was nante iundesu ka?" [How do you say 'astigmatism' in English] ."Astigmatism" I answered. He continued in English "Ah, you have astigmatism". We continued with the charade in English. He saved face. I got my contacts and was quite satisfied with them. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 00:26
Member (2008)
Italian to English
| Jack was great | Jan 16, 2022 |
Mervyn Henderson (X) wrote:
I now see that Jack died last year. Again, I realised it had been a while since he'd posted. He was always eager and entertaining - another loss for the site.
Jack was one of the best. It's amazing how you can tell what a person is like, just by reading his posts. Miss him. Though perhaps not all his jokes and songs.
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