When talking to people from foreign...

pq0n1ct4ve8zf5 · 10-08-2008 11:06pm #1

Do you find yourself accidentally speaking in their accent? Even if they have perfect English? My dad is the worst for this, but for some reason he does a Polish accent no matter if he's talking to a Pole, a Spaniard or a Japanese person. Very embarassing...

Joe Cool · 10-08-2008 11:08pm

Nah, I just speak really loudly and really slowly.

eVeNtInE · 10-08-2008 11:09pm

This post has been deleted.

shenanigans1982 · 10-08-2008 11:10pm

Alexis Glamorous Screwball wrote: »

Do you find yourself accidentally speaking in their accent? Even if they have perfect English? My dad is the worst for this, but for some reason he does a Polish accent no matter if he's talking to a Pole, a Spaniard or a Japanese person. Very embarassing...

He's just embarrassed at having a Cork accent.

connundrum · 10-08-2008 11:10pm

Joe Cool wrote: »

Nah, I just speak really loudly and really slowly.

I concur. Everyone can understand english once its spoken slowly and loudly. Sometimes hand actions will help too.

pq0n1ct4ve8zf5 · 10-08-2008 11:11pm

Someone did that to me today at work "I...WOULD...LIKE...A...SCONE!" and continued to do so even after it became apparent I was neither foreign nor standing far away from him. Bastard.

pq0n1ct4ve8zf5 · 10-08-2008 11:12pm

shenanigans1982 wrote: »

He's just embarrassed at having a Cork accent.

He oughta be, he's from Donegal

shenanigans1982 · 10-08-2008 11:14pm

Alexis Glamorous Screwball wrote: »

He oughta be, he's from Donegal

Sh1t I knew that was gonna happen.

Phlann · 10-08-2008 11:14pm

Happens to me with Corkonians.

jester77 · 10-08-2008 11:15pm

No vay, I allvays speek normall

Kold · 10-08-2008 11:16pm

When I'm in London my accent gains strength over a while. That's about it though.

Epic Tissue · 10-08-2008 11:46pm

Mr Crystal wrote: »

I don't personally but my mother does. Very embarrassing!

haha same. Very amusing also!:D She even did it to American relations:p

Karoma · 10-08-2008 11:56pm

Norn Irish accents are contagious I tells ya.

DenMan · 11-08-2008 12:03am

Have to say my Dad does it aswell, not sure why. Closer to home when he speaks to English people he adopts a southern English tone, drives my Mam mental. I thought English to many non-nationals and have been told I have a neutral accent, easily understood . Just common respect for people I would imagine, speak slowly and distinctly and you should be fine.Donegal and Cork accents could be difficult to understand with the speed of the dialect but definitely workable. Southern accents here, Waterford, Kilkenny, Wexford are very distinct and can be understood by most non-nationals.

Reganio 2 · 11-08-2008 12:06am

Nah I just point at the sign and say "Big Mac"

P.S Op where is "foreign"? Its not on any maps I have.

taram · 11-08-2008 1:09am

If the person has good English I speak with more of a Cork accent which is mad! Unless they're German, I speak 'vith an deutschland aaacent' which I'm sure most Germans think I do to mock them, but I can't help it :eek:

Pride Fighter · 11-08-2008 1:13am

Shudduppa da face youa will not insult mama ever again or my uncle Tony from Napoiii will shudduppa you face foe me

Zillah · 11-08-2008 1:20am

DenMan wrote: »

I thought English

You're funny. Or bad at your job.

DenMan · 11-08-2008 9:33pm

Oooops. Sorry about that.

BrokenArrows · 11-08-2008 9:46pm

i do that whether they be foreign or not.

i replicate peoples accents all the time and i do it without thinking about it.

its kinda annoying!

i dont do the while loud and slow thing. i assume someone speaks perfect english and ill slow down only if they are not catching what im saying.

Dord · 11-08-2008 9:47pm

I just speak in my normal accent but chose my words carefully so it actually makes sense.

bronte · 11-08-2008 9:53pm

My dad is terrible for this...I'm sure the people he talks to think he's taking the piss.

pookie82 · 11-08-2008 10:01pm

Ya I tend to do this a lot. More so with varying Irish accents like Cork or the Northern accents - less so with foreign ones. I find myself imitating certain strains if I'm around them long enough and it is embarrassing cause it looks like you're taking the piss sometimes!

tracker-man · 11-08-2008 10:27pm

i find i do that! If i'm talking to someone with a foreign accent for some reason i 'adapt' to it and start talking with a slight bit of their accent! I.ve no idea why it happens just does!

except for real american accents... Sorry but i just can't stand
The american accent!

DonJose · 11-08-2008 11:13pm

I don't use an accent, I use subtitles

pq0n1ct4ve8zf5 · 11-08-2008 11:38pm

Reganio 2 wrote: »

Nah I just point at the sign and say "Big Mac"

P.S Op where is "foreign"? Its not on any maps I have.

Doesn't tend to show up on maps, also you can never actually be there, coz as soon as you get to where you previously thought it was it moves on. weeeeeeeird

pq0n1ct4ve8zf5 · 11-08-2008 11:41pm

pookie82 wrote: »

Ya I tend to do this a lot. More so with varying Irish accents like Cork or the Northern accents - less so with foreign ones. I find myself imitating certain strains if I'm around them long enough and it is embarrassing cause it looks like you're taking the piss sometimes!

I also apparently have different accents depending on where in the country I am :pac: in Clare I develop a pure bogger accent and none of my Cork friends understand me, in Cork I do, unfortunately, aquire that langery lilt, and when talking to my Dad and cousins I go all Norn. Don't realise I'm doing it unless I happen to be in a room with a cross section of my social circle and one of them points it out. At which point I just talk in a Polish accent

ronbyrne2005 · 11-08-2008 11:54pm

im guilty of this at times

MIN2511 · 12-08-2008 3:44am

Joe Cool wrote: »

Nah, I just speak really loudly and really slowly.

Like ffs some foreigners speak English!!!

I hate when people do that!

I remember some day in BT, some old cVnt wanted directions and she said "don't ask that negro, she cant speak English":eek::eek::eek:

I was ****ing demented! And the manager said to her "Oh she speaks good English!" No one knew where she was going except i!!!!!! I still directed her though, fecking cvnt!!!! I should have told her to kiss my fecking black ass!

mac_attack · 12-08-2008 5:15am

I worked in McDonalds for the last four years and was always told my Louth accent was quite neutral, not bad for someone who went to school in Draw-da and has a Mam from Ardee. However I would speak slower and keep the complex words to a minimum when speaking to a new foreign employee naturally. Have to say though that nothing beats hearing a Polish person "Whats the craic with the big macs?" and a Chinese guy replying "will ya relax, they're coming now", of course followed by the obligatry "no bother". Ahh I love Ireland an its influence on the world.

MIN2511 · 12-08-2008 5:21am

mac_attack wrote: »

Have to say though that nothing beats hearing a Polish person "Whats the craic with the big macs?" and a Chinese guy replying "will ya relax, they're coming now", of course followed by the obligatry "no bother". Ahh I love Ireland an its influence on the world.

hehehehe

I say alot of Irish things these days... especially gaff! I was in a cab at the weekend and was talking to a mate on my phone after the conversation the cab driver asked me how long i have lived in Ireland tbh i thought he was gonna go yer English is so good:rolleyes:... but he goes "how the fvck do you have an Irish accent"

I don't think i do(misplaced accent!:mad:)

Claire121 · 12-08-2008 8:45am

I was ****ing demented! And the manager said to her "Oh she speaks good English!" No one knew where she was going except i!!!!!! I still directed her though, fecking cvnt!!!! I should have told her to kiss my fecking black ass!

That's so rude. Where are you from? I get stuff like that all the time. People speaking really slowly and loudly and talking to me like I'm an idiot. They look SO embarrassed when I answer them in flawless English. I have no idea why people here assume that because you don't look Irish, you mustn't speak English. It's really ignorant. How do they know I'm not American/Canadian/Australian/British etc? Or, like many people these days, Irish born with foreign parent(s)? I'd always speak to someone normally and if I realised they didn't understand, I'd THEN speak more slowly/clearly. To do otherwise is borderline racist, tbh, but that's a whole other thread.

Back to the topic, I pick up accents ridiculously easily but make an effort not to. It's hilarious when people start speaking in a German accent to a German person, but I can see they why do it.

JIZZLORD · 12-08-2008 9:08am

i hated learning french with an accent, i mentioned to the teacher one day that the french wouldnt come over here and speak in the bogger west sligo accent that some of the people in my year had.

Captain Ginger · 12-08-2008 9:11am

MIN2511 wrote: »

Like ffs some foreigners speak English!!!

I hate when people do that!

I remember some day in BT, some old cVnt wanted directions and she said "don't ask that negro, she cant speak English":eek::eek::eek:

I was ****ing demented! And the manager said to her "Oh she speaks good English!" No one knew where she was going except i!!!!!! I still directed her though, fecking cvnt!!!! I should have told her to kiss my fecking black ass!

Damn, I'm trying but I just can't make out what you're saying.

Sqaull20 · 25-08-2008 10:12pm

Listen to this idiot.

If you cant speak the language throw in an accent and you are set!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8oN58cyp2c

Curlypinkie · 25-08-2008 10:16pm

Hah, I'm the other way around! I can't help but speak with a Dublin accent although I'm... eh, Scandinavian.

Accents are VERY contagious imho...

MIN2511 · 25-08-2008 10:17pm

Sqaull20 wrote: »

Listen to this idiot.

If you cant speak the language throw in an accent and you are set!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8oN58cyp2c

It's Steve McClaren... what do you expect?:rolleyes:

phasers · 25-08-2008 10:32pm

Where is this "foreign" place?

I find I get a very thick Neilstown accent when talking to somebody of a foreign persuasion.

Guy:Incognito · 25-08-2008 10:35pm

Everyone knows raising your vooice and articulating your wrods is the way to speak to foreigners.Also say si and que at random intervals.

herbieflowers · 25-08-2008 10:38pm

Sqaull20 wrote: »

Listen to this idiot.

If you cant speak the language throw in an accent and you are set!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8oN58cyp2c

ha, I was hoping someone would post that!

ewj1978 · 25-08-2008 11:10pm

SPEAK SLOWLY AND CLEARLY BUT LOUDLY ALL THROUGH! well thats what most people do..... i just snigger*

Guy:Incognito · 25-08-2008 11:21pm

ewj1978 wrote: »

SPEAK SLOWLY AND CLEARLY BUT LOUDLY ALL THROUGH! well thats what most people do..... i just snigger*

Do the foreigners not get upset when you just stand there sniggerig at them instead of talking?

ewj1978 · 25-08-2008 11:34pm

oops sry... I mean i snigger at people who do the TALKING LOUDLY YET SLOWLY thing... I speak as normal, Work with poles,czechs and russians after all..

IceICEbaby · 25-08-2008 11:55pm

haha
i kind of do this....but again, its more with people from other regions of Ireland.

Im from Greystones so i have quite a 'neutral' accent
My Dad is from Clare though so when we visit and im talking to my relatives, i kind of "magically" pick up a slight culchie accent....

My Dad has lived in Wicklow for about 25 years and his accent is almost 'phased out' at this stage...
But when we visit the West, out comes the big Clare accent :rolleyes:

Ah but are'nt we conformists at heart

rhapsody! · 26-08-2008 12:17am

My mum has an english accent but once you get her round her friends she has an Irish twang... quite annoying actually. With her friends she says "Sure" alot.. GAHHHH!!!

eg: "Ah well sure..."
"Sure that's fine.."

Conbro · 26-08-2008 12:18am

"Whats the craic with the big macs?" and a Chinese guy replying "will ya relax, they're coming now", of course followed by the obligatry "no bother". Ahh I love Ireland an its influence on the world.

lmfao

When talking to people from foreign...

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