What Accent To Use

Supercell

Am not really sure where this topic belongs , here seems to be most relevant though.

If I move to another english speaking country (i will be) , should I hang on to my Irish accent or adopt the local accent?

Keeping Irish accent...

Pros..

I feel that i'm still Irish ,and that i'm not betraying my roots.

Con's..

I'm living in another country, i'll integrate better if I speak like they do.
If I have kids there they will feel normal if their father speaks like the locals.

Anyone have thoughts on this?

RE*AC*TOR

I think this is far to trivial for you to worry about. Actively thinking about it makes it contrived and silly. Go with no preconceptions, don't choose either way. Whatever happens happens. At least it will be an organic process.

pickarooney

I can't see why you think you'll integrate better somewhere because you imitate the locals' accents. Unless you're moving to Ballbreak, Mississippi or somewhere - I mean it's not like learning the language.

aidan_walsh

Unless you speak with a rich, native accent (think Jackie Healey Rae) I shouldn't worry about it.

michaelanthony

The Dublin accent can sound a bit leprachaunish abroad more so than flat country ones so maybe if you have a dublin accent, you might consider changing it.

nobodythere

Mate they'll probably think you're taking the piss outta them!

CathyMoran

Have not lived in another country - however, I used to work in a call centre and a lot of my friends are not Irish. I have found that a neutral accent works best - cross between American, Northern Irish and South Dublin...is my natural accent but have found it useful in the past.

Supercell

RE*AC*TOR wrote:

I think this is far to trivial for you to worry about. Actively thinking about it makes it contrived and silly. Go with no preconceptions, don't choose either way. Whatever happens happens. At least it will be an organic process.

Hmm, not sure I agree, its Texas, traditionally a pretty conservative part of America. Thinking and talking in the natural accent probably has benifits, dont want to be constantly having..."ohh your Irish" comments , would like to fit in.

mike65

Its not possible to just change your accent, either it'll happen by osmosis or not at all. You try having an argument in a false voice!

Mike.

ixoy

Longfield wrote:

Hmm, not sure I agree, its Texas, traditionally a pretty conservative part of America.

Oddly, when we were holidaying in Florida awhile back, an American couple heard our accents and thought we were from Texas....

gandalf

FFS be true to who you are and don't worry about it!!!

If people do not accept you for what you are its their loss !!

CathyMoran

Says someone with a near perfect accent...

RE*AC*TOR

Longfield wrote:

Hmm, not sure I agree, its Texas, traditionally a pretty conservative part of America. Thinking and talking in the natural accent probably has benifits, dont want to be constantly having..."ohh your Irish" comments , would like to fit in.

I wouldn't give a monkeys tbh. What are they going to do? Linch (sic?) you? I'd be more concerned about being myself and not pretending to be a texan or whatever you want to do. If you develop the accent so be it, if not so be it. Christ, if people don't want to get to know you / talk to you because of your accent, are these really people you want to talk to? Are you THAT starved of human interaction?

pickarooney

Longfield wrote:

Hmm, not sure I agree, its Texas, traditionally a pretty conservative part of America. Thinking and talking in the natural accent probably has benifits, dont want to be constantly having..."ohh your Irish" comments , would like to fit in.

You'll probably mess it up and end up sounding like a Messican, and get lynched.

No, seriously, this is a bit silly. What else are you planning to change so as not to stick out - your morals, your headwear, your pasty Irish complexion?

pickarooney

CathyMoran wrote:

Says someone with a near perfect accent...

These notions of 'neutral' and 'perfect' accents are all in your imagination, you know.

Zaph

Seriously, I don't get this at all. That would be like a Texan coming to Ireland and trying to adopt an Irish accent. I know I for one would think they were taking the piss rather than trying to fit in. I have friends who have moved to the States and their accents have changed over the years so that they're a cross between Irish and American. I don't believe any of them deliberately tried to change. Similarly, I have a mate from Boston who's lived in Dublin for about 8 years and you'd swear he just got off the plane. His girlfriend is Irish and the elder of their two kids has an Irish accent (the other can't speak yet), and it doesn't seem to be a problem for them.

CathyMoran

Maybe - but if someone has a clear consise voice that can be easily understood then that surely is an advantage - I agree that someone should not change their accent but being able to say the words clearly helps.

Pigman II

ixoy wrote:

Oddly, when we were holidaying in Florida awhile back, an American couple heard our accents and thought we were from Texas....

Maybe they were just startled by your knowledge of flatpack furniture?

//

To original poster: I'd imagine the locals would be more appreciative if you concetrated your time efforts on speaking CLEARLY rather than just trying to mimic them (badly in all likelihood). From my own experiences there definetly is an amount of difficulty with some Americans in understanding the Irish brogue .... and bare in mind I've a pretty clear/neutral (within the confines of Ireland you'll understand) accent myself.

As for your kids .... well who gives a damn what kids think?

DonkeyStyle \o/

Just smile and nodd.

Unpossible

I get problems with people understanding my accent here (which is odd because back home Im told I have a clear accent). I have been told by a few people (three germans in particular) that I should change my accent so that non-native speakers can understand me, I told them: "f**k off, my accent is who I am, it shows where I come from and where Ive been*, Im proud to be Irish and when I talk I want people to know Im not a local"**.
So bottom line dont change for other people or in an attempt to be accepted, if it happens it happens.




*When you live in a certain place for a period of time you can pick up local accents

**they had been plaguing me for hours about it, they didnt even try to understand me just kept saying this to me as soon as I started talking. Even worse I usually wasnt talking to them, but to the Americans in the group.

elivsvonchiaing

DonkeyStyle \o/ wrote:

Just smile and nodd.

I found speaking with my native dub accent - just slowed down a bit - I got understood pretty well ( in an English speaking country - where they say things like hey bai - yoo gurl lookin' goo-ood!) - Response- Fcuk of you court street gimp. Unlike the Times there's no prize for guessing where this is

Supercell

zaph wrote:

Seriously, I don't get this at all. That would be like a Texan coming to Ireland and trying to adopt an Irish accent. I know I for one would think they were taking the piss rather than trying to fit in. I have friends who have moved to the States and their accents have changed over the years so that they're a cross between Irish and American. I don't believe any of them deliberately tried to change. Similarly, I have a mate from Boston who's lived in Dublin for about 8 years and you'd swear he just got off the plane. His girlfriend is Irish and the elder of their two kids has an Irish accent (the other can't speak yet), and it doesn't seem to be a problem for them.

zaph, I'm some one that never ever looses the accent, have worked abroad before but counciously stopped the local twang coming in..
My main point is more about kids i might have over there (is long term move) ..in school accents can be cruel.

Hmm, anyhow, volume of opinion seems to be stay true to what you accent you have, would love to hear what immegrants into Irl think about this, or ppl that moved to America before.

NeMiSiS

Wtf are you an actor ? Who cares ? Certainly not me. Do you get out of bed for six million dollars or less ?

MrPinK

Keep the accent man, Americans love them. My accent became twice as Oirish when I was living in the US, particularly when talking to American women in bars. And when you meet so called Irish-Americans it's a lot of fun to tell them you're from the same town their family came from. When they ask if you know the O'Reillys there, say you know them well.

And if you came back home with a US accent you will be shunned by your family and friends.

Zaph

I understand your concerns about how your kids might speak Longfield, but from what I've seen in the past, kids are more likely to pick up the accents of the other kids they hang around with rather than their parents. I was walking down Nassau Street the other day and three 14/15 year old girls passed by, one of them Asian (Chinese/Vietnamese/whatever) and she spoke with as flat a Dublin accent as I've ever heard. I'm pretty sure she didn't pick that up at home. Similarly, my uncle and his wife moved to Canada 36 years ago. He has picked up a bit of a Canadian twang but you'd know he wasn't a native, she sounds like she's never left Dublin and my cousins all have Canadian accents. In the end you might pick up a bit of a Texan accent, but why try to force it?

pickarooney

Not sure if you already have a mother for those kids and if she's also Irish, but either way, the young 'uns will develop Texas accents growing up, unless you home-school them.

elivsvonchiaing

pickarooney wrote:

Not sure if you already have a mother for those kids and if she's also Irish, but either way, the young 'uns will develop Texas accents growing up, unless you home-school them.

Have now come to conlusion - best to keep kids with one language till 5 or 6. Best to introduce new language before 10. Did not apply to me - just reckon it could work!

littleninja

Stick with your own accent. If you're moving there permanently either your accent will adapt slightly or if it's a short term move, then I don't think the locals will mind the accent too much. You might get the odd person going "oh you're from Ireland, but I would imagine the novelty would wear off and then there will be no hassle.

nutkase

MrPinK wrote:

Keep the accent man, Americans love them. My accent became twice as Oirish when I was living in the US.

And if you came back home with a US accent you will be shunned by your family and friends.

Thats right I've been over here over 10 yrs and when they ask "where are u from i just love your accent" i reply guess, they normally say austrailia, new zealand, south africal, scotland, england rarely guess right then when it gets to point of i give up i tell em texas.

just let your mouth say what you want it to say

Esel

Longfield wrote:

Hmm, not sure I agree, its Texas, traditionally a pretty conservative part of America. Thinking and talking in the natural accent probably has benifits, dont want to be constantly having..."ohh your Irish" comments , would like to fit in.

Two tips for Texas - one good, the other.... well, keep the engine running:

1. Business is 'bidness'

2. "Sheet, we'll cut Alaska in half and make Texas the third biggest state in the Union."

ps Ask about the 'Bought and Paid For' law.

ShevY

I'm living in north carolina atm.
there is no way i would want to adopt the local accent.
Besides, they love the Irish accent around here

embee

Longfield wrote:

Thinking and talking in the natural accent probably has benifits, dont want to be constantly having..."ohh your Irish" comments , would like to fit in.

Your "natural" accent is your Irish accent, not any Texan accent that other people will speak to you.

If you really want to "fit in", by all means, start trying to talk in an authentic Texan accent and see what happens. People are going to look at you strangely, and you would probably get even more comments than your own "natural" accent will.

When I moved to Cork, I picked up slight inflections etc from the Cork accent, but I sure as hell didn't just adopt this completely different accent to my own! Just talk as you are - you might find that you will start to pick up certain nuances anyway.

Longfield

Longfield wrote:

zaph, I'm some one that never ever looses the accent, have worked abroad before but counciously stopped the local twang coming in..
My main point is more about kids i might have over there (is long term move) ..in school accents can be cruel.

Hmm, anyhow, volume of opinion seems to be stay true to what you accent you have, would love to hear what immegrants into Irl think about this, or ppl that moved to America before.

Your kids will have the local accent after a short while , a very short while in school , it's inevitable.
Even here in Ireland, my mums from Cork, we all had strong cork accents untill we went to school, and now we have thick arkla accents and never looked back.

Do nothing with your accent, anytime I'm in America it gets attention, people love it,it's part of who you are.

meepmeep

I can't see any good reason for changing your accent

I'm Scottish, but living in Ireland and theres no way i would try and change my accent. I'm Scottish, not Irish.

Although I do often get accosted by drunk people in the pub who are like "oh you're Scottish! I love your accent....talk to me" and i'm like emm ok hello. But I like it

LegacyUser

In re: accents... well nu... if you take on for example a yank accent... when in Rome so to speak... you may slip up on a word or two here and there as I have done, then been asked right away where you are from... and then be told by a local quite confidently by a boorish local, "No you are defniitely NOT from there..." (although I *am Scots*). Funny thing is I never have been advised by a Brit or a Scot that I am not native ...

So there is a slight danger of detection with chagrin we could say. Norming to local accents when possible does however help vastly inasmuch as it reduces the inevitable and obnoxious "Where are you from?" from nosy local yokels.

Then too you can have fun because most non-natives (outside UK) really cannot distinguish from Aussie / Kiwi English from ours. So tell them to guess, and when they say knowingly "Australia" you can say "Right!" Of course if you really want some blarney you may tell them how Crocodile Dundee is these days...

tovalee

I dont think the accent is going to be an issue. If you really want to fit in, its the expressions and irish-"isms" that'll make more of an impact than the accent itself. Example: in the states toilets = bathrooms or restrooms. Noone says lovely, lovely things are nice or pretty. Deadly is a definite "ism". But overall, nobody's really going to care. If youre a decent human being and dont treat people like poo, they'll like you however you speak. Good luck in the Lone Star State and take your sun cream

Stark

Actually when I was working up in Dublin, I got a good deal of comments over my Cork accent because many people had difficultly in understanding me. Granted my accent can be quite thick if I don't take the time to speak each word slowly and clearly.

Mercury_Tilt

This post has been deleted.

damnyanks

Keep the accent People usually remember you easier. If strangers at home can understand you then foreingers can.

There is also the plus side in that a lot of people find foreign accents sexy... I've been told by at least 3 different people that "My accent makes them cum in their pants"

Thats since I moved to Wales in September. I've had others say / do other things but not such a detailed explanation as the above things from random strangers

elivsvonchiaing

You might find you need to slow down your speech - but do keep the accent. They will understand you when it's slow enough!

jonny68

Get ****in real will you..no c u n t should ever change their accent for ANYONE OR ANYTHING......... :eek:

michaelanthony wrote:

The Dublin accent can sound a bit leprachaunish abroad more so than flat country ones so maybe if you have a dublin accent, you might consider changing it.

Gordon

jonny, please, less of the swear Mary's.

elivsvonchiaing

jonny68 wrote:

Get ****in real will you..no c u n t should ever change their accent for ANYONE OR ANYTHING......... :eek:

I once was on a work night out when I came across a girl I knew - Chinese Scottish who would leave Rab C Nesbitt scratching his head I could just about understand her. I even had a standing joke - "I'm sorry, can you speak high Glaswegian please?". Was with an Australian - Chinese collegue of mine and introduced them... Went to the bar, came back to find out I was an interpretor

To communicate abroad you do need at least to cut "isms" out of conversation and slow the tempo to be understood. Do agree with changing accents. Met a cousin of mine (from Clare) who's living in London since she was 19 - has near Cockney accent :eek:

mycroft

Longfield wrote:

Anyone have thoughts on this?

Finest words in the english language.

"Gee your accent is sexy"

Spalk0

Keep your accent mate!its part of who you are and where your from!

Plus it will be unique which allways goes down well with the ladies!

JB64

While I've never lived abroad I have travelled a bit. Nearly every country I've been in I've had someone tell me "I love your accent", or "I love the Irish accent". I speak with a normal Dub accent which I've been told is very clear so I wouldn't want to change it. I reckon your accent will change over time without you consciously doing it anyway from just listening to the locals.

Zascar

I'm living in Australia at the moment and I do get lots of "I love your accent..." but I also get lots of people saying "Top of the morning to ye!" and "To Be Sure, To Be Sure, To Be Sure!" and lepauchaun jokes etc - they find it very ammusing...

ven0m

You are who you are & speak how you speak. Deal with it. 'changing' for sake of only makes you a sheep, & they get slaughtered cos they're lower on the food chain ;-)


::: ven0mous :::

Gordon

Zascar wrote:

I'm living in Australia at the moment and I do get lots of "I love your accent..." but I also get lots of people saying "Top of the morning to ye!" and "To Be Sure, To Be Sure, To Be Sure!" and lepauchaun jokes etc - they find it very ammusing...

Do you respond with "Thraiw anatha shrimp an thu baaahhbiee cobbah!"? You should!

koneko

I've been told I sound Irish now. It isn't a conscious thing, my accent was fairly nondescript before, I guess I just absorbed it.

Woe is me.