Am I as foreigner allow to use British Accents?

Status
Not open for further replies.

DJ S-Force

New member
Joined
Aug 4, 2011
Member Type
Interested in Language
Native Language
Dutch
Home Country
Netherlands
Current Location
Netherlands
Hello everyone,

I have a quest for you;
Which is: 'Am I allow as a foreigner from Holland, allowed to use British Accents, wherever I go?

So like the sentence: 'That dosn't matter', rather than 'That doesn't matter'?

Best Regards,
Raymond from Holland
 

TomUK

Member
Joined
Feb 19, 2007
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
German
Home Country
Germany
Current Location
UK
Hello everyone,

I have a quest for you;
Which is: 'Am I allow as a foreigner from Holland, allowed to use British Accents, wherever I go?

So like the sentence: 'That dosn't matter', rather than 'That doesn't matter'?

Best Regards,
Raymond from Holland


It is verboten for any foreigner to use a British accent. What do you think they keep The Tower in good repair for? If you are found out punishment is to speak with a Geordy accent for the rest of your life.

'That dosn't matter' is not a British accent, just incorrect spelling.

TomUK
 

Rover_KE

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jun 20, 2010
Member Type
Retired English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
England
Current Location
England
Hello everyone,

I have a question for you:

[STRIKE]Which is: [/STRIKE]'Am I allowed as a foreigner from Holland, [STRIKE]allowed[/STRIKE] to use British accents wherever I go? You can use whatever accent you like. Who is going to stop you?

So like the sentence: (What does that mean?) 'That dosn't matter', :cross: rather than 'That doesn't matter'?:tick:

Best Regards,
Raymond from Holland

Rover
 

SoothingDave

VIP Member
Joined
Apr 17, 2009
Member Type
Interested in Language
Native Language
American English
Home Country
United States
Current Location
United States
If you are really capable of losing your native-tongue-influenced accent, more power to ya. You might do better, though, to adopt an American accent among Brits and vice versa. That way they would be less likely to "make" you as a non-native speaker.
 

allenman

Member
Joined
Jan 9, 2011
Member Type
Interested in Language
Native Language
English
Home Country
United States
Current Location
United States
As an American English native I personally find British accents on foreigners annoying. Why? I can't explain but that is the case.

But...my feelings aside, I would say that you should adopt the accent that makes *you* most comfortable. Try listening to your own accent and improve it to the point where you sound "native" for the region you are imitating.

Not a native -- AmE native
 

BobK

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jul 29, 2006
Location
Spencers Wood, near Reading, UK
Member Type
Retired English Teacher
Native Language
English
Home Country
UK
Current Location
UK
...

So like the sentence: 'That dosn't matter', rather than 'That doesn't matter'?

Best Regards,
Raymond from Holland

I suspect you weren't referring not to the spelling but to the pronunciation - /d˄znt/ vs /dɒznt/. The /ɒ/ pronunciation is regional, and not at all uncommon. It doesn't hinder comprehension. (My primary schhool headmaster used this vowel - he was from Scotland; and my grammar school English teacher did ; he was from Durham.)

But if someone with the merest trace of a foreign accent said it, it would be regarded as a mistake. (You can call this 'disallowing' if you like; but it's the way things are.):;-)

b
 

DJ S-Force

New member
Joined
Aug 4, 2011
Member Type
Interested in Language
Native Language
Dutch
Home Country
Netherlands
Current Location
Netherlands
It is verboten for any foreigner to use a British accent. What do you think they keep The Tower in good repair for? If you are found out punishment is to speak with a Geordy accent for the rest of your life.

'That dosn't matter' is not a British accent, just incorrect spelling.

TomUK

So it's absolutely prohibited to use a British Accent, as a foreigner?
But what if I'm just ''used'', on a this accent?
 

konungursvia

VIP Member
Joined
Mar 20, 2009
Member Type
Academic
Native Language
English
Home Country
Canada
Current Location
Canada
He was just kidding. No one can tell anyone else how to speak.
 

DJ S-Force

New member
Joined
Aug 4, 2011
Member Type
Interested in Language
Native Language
Dutch
Home Country
Netherlands
Current Location
Netherlands
He was just kidding. No one can tell anyone else how to speak.

But what if I meet a pure English Gentlemen, maybe I can ask it him.
Especially when it is someone above an age of 50, maybe 60 years.
 

skotopes

Member
Joined
Feb 28, 2011
Member Type
Other
Native Language
Russian
Home Country
Russian Federation
Current Location
Russian Federation
As an American English native I personally find British accents on foreigners annoying. Why? I can't explain but that is the case.

But...my feelings aside, I would say that you should adopt the accent that makes *you* most comfortable. Try listening to your own accent and improve it to the point where you sound "native" for the region you are imitating.

Not a native -- AmE native
Sorry, but I'm a British accent is not annoying. As for the American pronunciation, then it is difficult to understand.
 

5jj

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Oct 14, 2010
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
Czech Republic
Current Location
Czech Republic
But what if I meet a pure English Gentlem[STRIKE]e[/STRIKE]n, maybe I can ask [STRIKE]it[/STRIKE] him.
Especially when it is someone above an age of 50, maybe 60 years.
Well, I am over 60, but there are few who would consider me a gentleman; I pass on the "pure". I agree with konungursvia; "No one can tell anyone else how to speak".

The majority of non-native speakers who have managed to remove their own native accent, speak with either an RP or a General American accent - acquired from their teachers and from recorded materials. Those who have spent some time living, and possibly working, in an English-speaking environment with a different accent may well acquire that accent. We native speakers may be intrigued by this, but we do not think it is 'wrong' or 'should not be allowed'.
 

Rover_KE

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jun 20, 2010
Member Type
Retired English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
England
Current Location
England
Sorry, but I'm a British accent is not annoying.

That doesn't make sense, skotopes.

You're entitled to express your opinion, but please state that you are not a teacher.

Rover
 

Tdol

No Longer With Us (RIP)
Staff member
Joined
Nov 13, 2002
Native Language
British English
Home Country
UK
Current Location
Japan
So it's absolutely prohibited to use a British Accent, as a foreigner?
But what if I'm just ''used'', on a this accent?

The British accent is not some sort of exclusive property- anyone can use it. :lol:
 

TomUK

Member
Joined
Feb 19, 2007
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
German
Home Country
Germany
Current Location
UK
But what if I meet a pure English Gentlemen, maybe I can ask it him.
Especially when it is someone above an age of 50, maybe 60 years.


There are gentlemen and then there are gentlemen; I don't know which sort you would like to meet.

I always wanted to speak English with a funny German accent as they sometimes do in British comedies. I really do wonder how difficult it would be to learn this. Maybe I need to take electrocution lessons.

TomUK
 

birdeen's call

VIP Member
Joined
Jul 15, 2010
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
Polish
Home Country
Poland
Current Location
Poland
There are gentlemen and then there are gentlemen; I don't know which sort you would like to meet.

I always wanted to speak English with a funny German accent as they sometimes do in British comedies. I really do wonder how difficult it would be to learn this. Maybe I need to take electrocution lessons.

TomUK
It's really fascinating how some accents are rendered by native comedians. I've never heard an Indian speaking what I hear when I watch British or American people poking fun at the Indian accent.
 

Hedwig

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 17, 2011
Member Type
Interested in Language
Native Language
Spanish
Home Country
Argentina
Current Location
Argentina
There are gentlemen and then there are gentlemen; I don't know which sort you would like to meet.

I always wanted to speak English with a funny German accent as they sometimes do in British comedies. I really do wonder how difficult it would be to learn this. Maybe I need to take electrocution lessons.

TomUK

I sometimes do English with a strong Spanish accent for fun. :)
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top