Your accent...
May 24th 2008, 8:22 pm
#19
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 15,883
Re: Your accent...
I was an Air Traffic Controller for 30 years.
Once for fun I issued a take off clearance with a thick scouse accent that I knew the instructor (from Blackpool) would understand. The poor student pilot didn't understand a word and thought I was speaking Korean.
Once for fun I issued a take off clearance with a thick scouse accent that I knew the instructor (from Blackpool) would understand. The poor student pilot didn't understand a word and thought I was speaking Korean.
May 24th 2008, 8:45 pm
#20
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Sep 2005
Location: Windsor, ON
Posts: 3,374
Re: Your accent...
May 24th 2008, 8:48 pm
#21
Home Sweet Home
Joined: May 2008
Location: Nova Scotia
Posts: 482
Re: Your accent...
May 24th 2008, 8:48 pm
#22
Logical & Hot Stuff
Joined: Nov 2007
Location: Ontario's Armpit
Posts: 19,815
May 24th 2008, 8:59 pm
#23
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Joined: Jul 2002
Location: Toronto, Ontario
Posts: 846
Re: Your accent...
I think it depends where you are as well. I had a much more positive response to the English accent in smaller Canadian towns where as in the city (Toronto) there is such a wide array of accents due to multi culturalism that prety much everyone you speak to has a different accent and there is much less of a Canadian accent background to stand out against. Workwise I think the fact you are fluent in English and can communicate effectively stands out more than the accent as many othe rimmigrants are speaking English as a second language and so struggle when it comes to verbal communication.
I would not worry about where your accent originates, i.e. Cockney or Scouse or Brummie or posh or not etc. as no one in Canada has any preconceptions of class or status associated with accent. They just know a "British Accent" and struggle to distinguish variations and you are as likely to be asked if you are from Australia or New Zealand etc. I have a fairly nuetral northern coastal accent and I get British, English, Australian, Irish, and some odd variations too. People say they love the "British Accent" which is always amusing as I work with a guy from Glasgow (originally many years ago) and we wonder what a "British Accent" is exactly given we can tell the regional differences easily.
My wife was always astounded that when we visited England I could tell what end of town someone was from by their accent.
It is a documented North American phenomenon though that a "British" accent is seen in a positive light, more in the US where there are less recent ties to the UK like in Canada, and in business especially it is seen as positive due to a lingering respect (whether still valid or not) for the UK educational system and business history. Lots of Brits in charge of US corporations and on their boards and in senior executive positions. I am always surprised where they turn up in the compnay I work for which is out of Texas. I haven't had any overt accent praise like in the original post, but have had no issues either unless you count the few friends at work with persistant (friendly) mockery with lots of "Cup of tea guvnor" and you do get odd looks with certain coloquialisms and turns of phrase but that is more vocabulary and mode of speech than accent.
I find that to be the most important part, not your accent, but how you use various words and phrases to both fit in but also in a more eloquent fashion to sound more authoratitive, especially when talking to folks from the US where a lot seem to be barely literate.
I would not worry about where your accent originates, i.e. Cockney or Scouse or Brummie or posh or not etc. as no one in Canada has any preconceptions of class or status associated with accent. They just know a "British Accent" and struggle to distinguish variations and you are as likely to be asked if you are from Australia or New Zealand etc. I have a fairly nuetral northern coastal accent and I get British, English, Australian, Irish, and some odd variations too. People say they love the "British Accent" which is always amusing as I work with a guy from Glasgow (originally many years ago) and we wonder what a "British Accent" is exactly given we can tell the regional differences easily.
My wife was always astounded that when we visited England I could tell what end of town someone was from by their accent.
It is a documented North American phenomenon though that a "British" accent is seen in a positive light, more in the US where there are less recent ties to the UK like in Canada, and in business especially it is seen as positive due to a lingering respect (whether still valid or not) for the UK educational system and business history. Lots of Brits in charge of US corporations and on their boards and in senior executive positions. I am always surprised where they turn up in the compnay I work for which is out of Texas. I haven't had any overt accent praise like in the original post, but have had no issues either unless you count the few friends at work with persistant (friendly) mockery with lots of "Cup of tea guvnor" and you do get odd looks with certain coloquialisms and turns of phrase but that is more vocabulary and mode of speech than accent.
I find that to be the most important part, not your accent, but how you use various words and phrases to both fit in but also in a more eloquent fashion to sound more authoratitive, especially when talking to folks from the US where a lot seem to be barely literate.
May 24th 2008, 9:12 pm
#24
Home Sweet Home
Joined: May 2008
Location: Nova Scotia
Posts: 482
Re: Your accent...
I think it depends where you are as well. I had a much more positive response to the English accent in smaller Canadian towns where as in the city (Toronto) there is such a wide array of accents due to multi culturalism that prety much everyone you speak to has a different accent and there is much less of a Canadian accent background to stand out against. Workwise I think the fact you are fluent in English and can communicate effectively stands out more than the accent as many othe rimmigrants are speaking English as a second language and so struggle when it comes to verbal communication.
I would not worry about where your accent originates, i.e. Cockney or Scouse or Brummie or posh or not etc. as no one in Canada has any preconceptions of class or status associated with accent. They just know a "British Accent" and struggle to distinguish variations and you are as likely to be asked if you are from Australia or New Zealand etc. I have a fairly nuetral northern coastal accent and I get British, English, Australian, Irish, and some odd variations too. People say they love the "British Accent" which is always amusing as I work with a guy from Glasgow (originally many years ago) and we wonder what a "British Accent" is exactly given we can tell the regional differences easily.
My wife was always astounded that when we visited England I could tell what end of town someone was from by their accent.
It is a documented North American phenomenon though that a "British" accent is seen in a positive light, more in the US where there are less recent ties to the UK like in Canada, and in business especially it is seen as positive due to a lingering respect (whether still valid or not) for the UK educational system and business history. Lots of Brits in charge of US corporations and on their boards and in senior executive positions. I am always surprised where they turn up in the compnay I work for which is out of Texas. I haven't had any overt accent praise like in the original post, but have had no issues either unless you count the few friends at work with persistant (friendly) mockery with lots of "Cup of tea guvnor" and you do get odd looks with certain coloquialisms and turns of phrase but that is more vocabulary and mode of speech than accent.
I find that to be the most important part, not your accent, but how you use various words and phrases to both fit in but also in a more eloquent fashion to sound more authoratitive, especially when talking to folks from the US where a lot seem to be barely literate.
I would not worry about where your accent originates, i.e. Cockney or Scouse or Brummie or posh or not etc. as no one in Canada has any preconceptions of class or status associated with accent. They just know a "British Accent" and struggle to distinguish variations and you are as likely to be asked if you are from Australia or New Zealand etc. I have a fairly nuetral northern coastal accent and I get British, English, Australian, Irish, and some odd variations too. People say they love the "British Accent" which is always amusing as I work with a guy from Glasgow (originally many years ago) and we wonder what a "British Accent" is exactly given we can tell the regional differences easily.
My wife was always astounded that when we visited England I could tell what end of town someone was from by their accent.
It is a documented North American phenomenon though that a "British" accent is seen in a positive light, more in the US where there are less recent ties to the UK like in Canada, and in business especially it is seen as positive due to a lingering respect (whether still valid or not) for the UK educational system and business history. Lots of Brits in charge of US corporations and on their boards and in senior executive positions. I am always surprised where they turn up in the compnay I work for which is out of Texas. I haven't had any overt accent praise like in the original post, but have had no issues either unless you count the few friends at work with persistant (friendly) mockery with lots of "Cup of tea guvnor" and you do get odd looks with certain coloquialisms and turns of phrase but that is more vocabulary and mode of speech than accent.
I find that to be the most important part, not your accent, but how you use various words and phrases to both fit in but also in a more eloquent fashion to sound more authoratitive, especially when talking to folks from the US where a lot seem to be barely literate.
As soon as me and hubby started talking they would say 'oh you're English - I just love the English accent it's soooo quaint'I was a bit embarrassed at first but got used to it after a couple of days
May 24th 2008, 10:15 pm
#25
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May 24th 2008, 10:24 pm
#27
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May 24th 2008, 10:31 pm
#29
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