Accent

area0dude

My dear forumites, I have just decided to present my background first so that my fellow forumites can help me. I am an immigrant worker who is now permanently based in North America. I started learning English when I was 8 at a rural African school. All my primary, secondary and university education was conducted in English and all the examinations were set and marked by University of Cambridge in United Kingdom. I passed all my English and literature in English examinations with a B. I used to give excellent talks(number 4) and my bible reading was pretty good. I am also very fluent in conversational English. So my problem is, I really major issues when it comes to understanding some of the Caucasians (maybe 4 in every 10 Caucasians). Especially in informal conversations. It is mainly because of their accent. Is there a way I can be able to learn to understand their accent. It is particularly embarrassing when I am in conference call meetings at work or when I have a date. Do I have to go to an English school just to learn accent. Has someone ever come across this problem. My English teacher was from UK and all the school kids never had any problems in understanding her. As a matter of fact most of the expatriate teachers who taught me spoke clearly. So where is my problem? This problem is threatening both my career and love life. I have a nice job in the telecommunications industry here in North America and doing quite good at work beside this problem. My employer knows my problem but has decided to keep me on the job because of my experience and troubleshooting skills. I openly admitted to him my problem. Please help and thank you very much indeed. Area0dude

Zico

Lol! Mate, I don't understand a lot of English accents myself, and I was born in the UK, with English as my native language.

Maybe you're worrying about it too much.

Or maybe you should learn to lip read?

Brother Apostate

I'd say the problem comes from being taught that phony "english" accent the Londoners speak.

Now that you're in the USA, I think it will take some time to learn the "proper" American pronunciation of words.

I know many people I've worked with in the past that were from parts of the UK, and there was still a language barrier- if they spoke as they normally would, we couldn't understand what they said, and vice-versa. Slowing down the conversation, and annunciating more clearly always worked, but at the expense of getting a move on.

So, I think it will simply take time. Be patient, bend your ear, and hang in there is the best advice I have. And perhaps watch more American TV with the close captioning turned on. That might help as well.

BA- Good luck!

greendawn

It may be that you are not used to the North American accents (USA/Canada), as you said you had no problems understanding the standard English accent. Some American accents are hard to understand even for other Americans. You can only practise.

area0dude

Thanks so much guys for your immediate response. I will try the caption method suggested by BA.

avidbiblereader

Welcome area0dude, I would just work on it as much as possible, I don't know of any schools but tell your employer and others that you must deal with, that until you master certain accents,

It is more important to listen, hear and understand the needs of those you serve while you are struggling with a language, a language can always be mastered but true human and personal skills don't come natural and many times cannot be mastered.

So I am listening and will help you! Please bear with me for the time being!

abr

ninja

If I ever met any Americans I would have to carry a blackboard and chalk to write what I'm saying....yes my accent is so broad...when I have been over to America ..they think I am German!!!

Paralipomenon

North American English is full of buzz words and slang. It may not be the accent so much as the terminology.

As much as it pains me to suggest it, you might consider watching something like MTV. Just don't try to emulate the NA slang.

Mostly words will be contracted or run on.

wanna = want to
wannabe = want to be
canna = can not

I'd suggest looking up American slang, I think that might help.

Threestars

I communicated by e-mail with a writer friend from Yorkshire a while back and we had no problem. Then, he called me on the phone and he may as well have been speaking in a foreign language. I kept saying "huh?" and felt terrible about it so I finally just started saying "oh yes" to everything. We went back to written communication.

I taught writing skills to ESL students at a local university a few years ago and most of my students had pretty heavy accents. When I absolutely could not understand what they were trying to tell me I would have them write it down. It always worked.

Confession

Hi AreaDude...

I relate--just a bit--with your situation. While my problem isn't exactly what yours is, I have trouble understanding lots of people. I know my hearing isn't what it used to be (having formerly been in the Radio business, keeping my headphones too loud,) but even before that, I've always felt that people just don't enunciate. I'm aghast at all the mumblers out there. And "good luck" trying to understand them on a cell phone! I swear, some of my friends and I have a relationship in which I am constantly asking them to repeat what they say.

I was curious about the problem being with "causasians." So you have no trouble understanding English-speakers from other countries who are black?

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