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Wannabe?....me? | ||
Tags: Cultural Identity | Accent | ||
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 Language Learning Forum : Cultural Experiences in Foreign Languages |  | |
| GauchoBoaCepa Triglot Senior Member Brazil Joined 5419 days ago 172 posts - 199 votes  Speaks: Portuguese*, English, Spanish | Message 1 of 34 01 May 2010 at 3:38am | IP Logged | ||
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I guess you all know that studying any language requires a pattern to be followed. I mean in terms of accent. Therefore, I wonder how we'll speak that same language just regarding an accent, basing on a way to express what we're learning and absorbing.
I decided to come up with this thread because some guys have already called me "wannabe" as I like putting on an American accent during a conversation in English...or speaking just like an Argentinian as I talk to anyone in Spanish...both accents really please me. Things worsen if you admit enjoying the culture of a certain country....my personal case, being a Brazilian, I love Argentinian culture and some people deride it. Have you been through the same situation just considering your favourite languages? Edited by GauchoBoaCepa on 01 May 2010 at 3:39am 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| GREGORG4000 Diglot Senior Member United States Joined 5523 days ago 307 posts - 479 votes Speaks: English*, Finnish Studies: Japanese, Korean, Amharic, French | Message 2 of 34 01 May 2010 at 4:09am | IP Logged | ||
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"Don't learn English, only English-native-speaker-wannabes learn English"
People are against you learning about culture and trying to adopt a native-like accent? Pretty silly Edited by GREGORG4000 on 01 May 2010 at 4:11am 2 persons have voted this message useful | |||
| Smart Tetraglot Senior Member United States Joined 5339 days ago 352 posts - 398 votes Speaks: Spanish, English*, Latin, French Studies: German | Message 3 of 34 01 May 2010 at 4:12am | IP Logged | ||
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Hmm. Never met one of those people.
Keep your accent :) 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| Kounotori Triglot Senior Member Finland Joined 5344 days ago 136 posts - 264 votes Speaks: Finnish*, English, Russian Studies: Mandarin | Message 4 of 34 01 May 2010 at 3:27pm | IP Logged | ||
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You shouldn't care about everything others think. A clichéd response I know, but tried and tested by millions the world over. :) Just let them wallow in their own ignorance.
And if you pronounce English well in real life, then I think there might even be some envy mixed in there as well. 5 persons have voted this message useful | |||
| GauchoBoaCepa Triglot Senior Member Brazil Joined 5419 days ago 172 posts - 199 votes Speaks: Portuguese*, English, Spanish | Message 5 of 34 01 May 2010 at 4:39pm | IP Logged | ||
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Considering English accents we prefer to put on, fortunately I've faced a few jealous people but my main concern is Spanish....as I'm Brazilian and also admit enjoying Argentinian culture there's a huge rivalry involving both national soccer teams...whereas such rivalry should be restricted only to the pitch. However, many uneducated Brazilians have been molded by bad-intended channels. Thus, that's been led to a certain hatred from many Brazilians towards Argies because of soccer stuff and other silly assumptions.
As my favourite accent is the "porteño" and being a southern (my homestate has border with Argentina just being the southernmost one), sometimes the result isn't good....people stare at you as though you were a twat. Nowadays whoever speaks Spanish here in Brazil is still seen as "cucaracha", leftist, a fella who licks Argentinian boots. Edited by GauchoBoaCepa on 01 May 2010 at 4:41pm 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| Luai_lashire Diglot Senior Member United States luai-lashire.deviant Joined 5828 days ago 384 posts - 560 votes Speaks: English*, Esperanto Studies: Japanese, French | Message 6 of 34 01 May 2010 at 5:15pm | IP Logged | ||
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In America (at least where I am) you get some of this as well, in particular against Japanese culture..... There's even
a word just for "japanese wannabes"... the "weeaboo". Any interest in anything from japan can get you labeled as one, but knowing some of the language or liking anime are the most grievous. Really people just use it to make fun of anyone they consider a nerd, and seeing as I'm proud to be a nerd, I don't really mind being called a weeaboo, either. The only thing that bothers me is the assumption that if you're interested in a particular culture, you must hate your own country and wish you were born somewhere else. 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| GauchoBoaCepa Triglot Senior Member Brazil Joined 5419 days ago 172 posts - 199 votes Speaks: Portuguese*, English, Spanish | Message 7 of 34 01 May 2010 at 5:41pm | IP Logged | ||
That bothers me too...whereas I cannot see myself agreeing with overstated nationalism that turns into a sheer chauvinism afterwards....and chauvinism is the remedy for the uneducated ones. 2 persons have voted this message useful | |||
| robsolete Diglot Senior Member United States Joined 5385 days ago 191 posts - 428 votes Speaks: English*, Spanish Studies: French, Russian, Arabic (Written), Mandarin | Message 8 of 34 05 May 2010 at 6:22am | IP Logged | ||
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In terms of accent and "wannabe" status, I've actually given some thought of--as a fun motivator for learning--trying to study the accents (and possibly the nonverbal affects) of areas that I could "pass" for. I'm a mix of Swedish, Irish, and Sicilian, which makes me a bit "ethnically ambiguous" at first glance.
On looks, for Spanish I could possibly pass for Chilean or Argentinian. I could probably convince someone I was French or Quebecois if I tried hard enough. Russian and Arabic would maybe be possible (although for Arabic I'd have to work the tanned Sicilian and for Russian I'd have to work the pale Swede, so passing for both at the same time wouldn't work). As for Mandarin I wouldn't be fooling anyone. . . Anyway, nothing I'm planning on worrying about. I just see it as a possible fun motivator during the intermediate/advanced plateau stages. Would make the FSI drills go a bit faster I suppose. Edited by robsolete on 05 May 2010 at 6:23am 2 persons have voted this message useful |
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