If you have an ACCENT how are you treated?

by ChrisVance 47 Replies latest jw friends

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  ChrisVance

  I have lived in Mexico for almost two years. I have always been fascinated by languages so when I retired from the State of Washington at age 50 and had the opportunity so go to college I majored in Spanish. I didn't go to college when I was young for the usual dub reason. While I was an undergraduate I spent a semester at one of the Mexican "snob" schools as an exchange student. Fourteen months later I returned to the same university to study for a master's degree in applied linguistics at the same university. I had found that generally speaking people in this part of Mexico weren't very kind when talking to a person who didn't speak Spanish perfectly, but I though that I'd improve and that in wouldn't be a problem.

  After living here for almost two years I've found that the situation hasn't improved. I have learned how to say numerous things that they never taught us in college. I can understand much more that I did two years ago, but I still get the same unkind comments. Is this a human characteristics, or do Spanish speaking people feel that their language is sacred and shouldn't be spoken by someone who doesn't speak it perfectly?

  My thesis was just rejected and one of the reasons is because they don't think my translations are reliable. It's in English, but I quote what was said to me in Spanish with an English translation. One of the members of my thesis committee is a Columbian who has always made fun of my Spanish. Actually I discussed all the quotes with a native speaker before I translated them to make sure I understood what the speaker was saying.

  When I was at home last summer I was talking to a friend who had been an exchange student in France and he said the the French are mean if you don't sound just like them. I find Mexicans to be the same way.

  Do you make frank or even subtle, unkind remarks to those who don't speak your native language perfectly? Do you think I'm just being sensitive?
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  candidlynuts

  i'm from the south usa...and i get picked on for my ENGLISH.

  so..i wouldnt take it personally, its just human nature.
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  kaykay_mp

  When I lived in Germany, my ex and I went to visit Wissembourg, which is a French town right on the border. I knew my French wasn't too great, but I tried to speak some and everyone acted like pricks. You think that some of the people would speak German, too; it being a border town and all, but noooooooo! My ex went up to this Black French lady and started speaking German, and I think that she thought that he was talking dirty to her, because she had the most disgusted look on her face. She gripped her little girl's hand very tightly and walk in the opposite direction from us! Well, at least we could use Euros.

  Funny, yet weird.

  laters

  kaykay_mp
• 

  Seeking Knowledge

  My ex was going to teach my daughter how to speak Spanish, and she is currently taking it in high school. He told her that books & school would never teach her "real" spanish & "really" how to speak it, that there were so many different ways to speak the language. I don't know if he was trying to disuade her after she went around him to learn it or if it's because of what you stated above. Knowing my ex the way I do, he probably felt that since she wasn't spanish she wouldn't be able to speak it correctly.

  Also, my mother still bristles at anyone who tries to speak Scottish that isn't Scottish, and mis pronounces "Edin-berg" instead of "Edinbur-ah" drives her mad! People seem to be very protective of their native language!

  SK
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  Mulan

  I have traveled a lot and prefer English speaking countries. In England and in Malaysia, where English is the main language, my American accent is noticeable. In Britain, they are accepting, but in Malaysia, they corrected me all the time for my "proper" pronunciation. Asian people hear things differently, I'm convinced.

  For example...............they insisted that MEDICINE is pronounce mad-sen. I am completely serious. That is how they learn it in school. They had a hard time with me............even though we spoke basically the same language, I was always having them spell some things because hearing the word was not getting it for me.
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  ChrisVance

  candidlynuts, at least you have the knowledge that a major part of the country speaks just like you!

  kaykay_mp, I haven't had that experience, but if I make a grammatical error, they sometimes smiles as if I must be nuts.

  kaykay_mp, I've experienced that attitude many times.

  If fact one of my profession, who is English, wrote a whole book on how complex language is and how native speakers of any given language think their language is inherent to all humans. Only idiots can't speak their language.
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  ChrisVance

  Mulan, last year I went to a conference for English teachers here in Mexican. (There must be a million Mexcian English teachers here in Mexico) One of the studies that was presented concluded that Mexcian English students prefer a Mexican teacher. They don't want a native speaker. Apparently, if the teacher is Mexican their accent is much like their students and they're easier to understand. At the university where I am studying my masters and teaching English, most of the English teachers are Mexican and, of course, have Mexican accents. I teach advanced English and the students have a terrible time understanding me although I try to speak slowly.
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  Mulan

  Chris, I have a Mexican friend and she is always correcting my English.....................she wants to pronounce a hard "G" in words like hangar and king. I tell her it isn't correct but she says it is that way in Spanish. Is it?

  If I even attempt saying anything in Spanish (I do know a little bit) she is ruthless...............it's all the accent, not that I used a wrong word. Petty I say................petty!!
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  talesin

  I have a theory about this.

  In many things, the rude people are often the most vociferous, and we remember their comments.

  Most people find accents very charming. They usually would not say that outright, for fear of making the accented person feel singled out and/or uncomfortable.

  The rude person makes his or her comments aloud, because (s)he doesn't care about the accented person's feelings. Either that, or they are being deliberately hurtful.

  So, we come away from these experiences feeling that many people are rude about accents, when really, it's just a small-minded, but vocal minority.

  t
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  ChrisVance

  Mulan,

  I teach advanced English and the students have a terrible time understanding me although I try to speak slowly.

  And we all know that those of us from the Pacific Northwest don't have accents. Actually, on a plane to London in 1979 an British man told me just that. Many others contest that though.

  The "g" is pronounced differently depending on the vowel that follows it. Guardia (hard). Gente (soft). Tell her that how it's pronounced in Spanish has nothing to do with how it's pronounced in English.