G.A.U. 2008 Raffle! *OVAH!*

[Kharybuce]

blaugh Yeah, I knew a kid who was raised in the US since he was twelve, he's twenty four now, and he still has a Korean accent. I wonder why it's so hard to lose a native accent.  

[The MoUsY spell-checker]

10

Welcome to the guild, Inferno Breeze!

Theoretically, I should eventually be able to lose my Cantonese accent. In the coming semester (which starts in March) I will take a unit called "Phonetics and Phonology". Whatever I learn there should be useful when it comes to changing my accent. xd  

[Kharybuce]

But you know, that reminds me. What do people take to learn other accents. I mean, is it just a talent you develope watching or listening to other people speak or are there actual classes where they teach you how to do it? Because I find it weird that there are a lot of Brittish who can PERFECTLY imitate and American accent, but even the most skilled American can't do a flawless Brittish accent. stressed  

[Inferno Breeze]

lol, I suppose that's because the american language is a deformed version of the british original, so you can go from high to low but not the other way around

and yes, there are "accent" classes at acting schools. But I'm not so sure if it works that well on losing an accent ^^;;

3  

[Dronning Dagmar]

The thing with accents is that when you are very young, your ear learns what sounds are useful in your language, and basically ignores other spoken sounds, or hears them as ones you find useful.

What I mean is, in Arabic, for example, there is a sound that only exists in Arabic. It is similar to a d sound, but pronounced further back in the throat. If you were not raised speaking Arabic, you will just hear a d sound. You never needed to know the difference between a d and this new sound. You have to train yourself to hear the difference between the two sounds before you have any chance at producing that difference!

So why does your Korean friend, even after living in America for over a decade, still have an accent? Because at the age of 12 years, his ears stopped hearing non-Korean sounds already. He could train himself to hear American sounds, but it does take a conscious effort, and many people who find they are understood don't see it as worth the effort, even if they realize it can be done (which you can't assume they do!). It is not that his tongue cannot produce an r or an l sound. It's that he really doesn't hear it the same way you and I do.

Ummm, can you tell I am kinda into linguistics?

(1st post)  

[Dronning Dagmar]

Inferno Breeze

lol, I suppose that's because the american language is a deformed version of the british original, so you can go from high to low but not the other way around

I suspect it is because people in the UK have a lot more exposure to American accents than Americans do to British accents. I haven't been in the UK for a long time, but I know here in Denmark there are tons of American TV shows on all the time. Waaaay more than British shows in the US.

Also, American movies and TV shows tend to have actors speak in a "normal" accent, unless they really want to highlight the character's regionality (as in "The Nanny" or Steel Magnolias). It seems to me, though I have no stats to back this up or anything, that British movies and programs are more willing to throw together a cast of various accents. Though the UK is much smaller, their range of accents is quite large!

This is just a guess though. Honestly I haven't met many British people that can fake an American accent very well anyway!

Inferno Breeze

and yes, there are "accent" classes at acting schools. But I'm not so sure if it works that well on losing an accent ^^;;

You can get lessons on how to lose an accent. They have books and tapes/CDs just like they do to learn a foreign language. (example)  

[PhaedraMcSpiffy]

So... how'd the raffle go? Can I still join?  

[Kharybuce]

Dronning Dagmar

Inferno Breeze

lol, I suppose that's because the american language is a deformed version of the british original, so you can go from high to low but not the other way around

I suspect it is because people in the UK have a lot more exposure to American accents than Americans do to British accents. I haven't been in the UK for a long time, but I know here in Denmark there are tons of American TV shows on all the time. Waaaay more than British shows in the US.

Also, American movies and TV shows tend to have actors speak in a "normal" accent, unless they really want to highlight the character's regionality (as in "The Nanny" or Steel Magnolias). It seems to me, though I have no stats to back this up or anything, that British movies and programs are more willing to throw together a cast of various accents. Though the UK is much smaller, their range of accents is quite large!

This is just a guess though. Honestly I haven't met many British people that can fake an American accent very well anyway!

Inferno Breeze

and yes, there are "accent" classes at acting schools. But I'm not so sure if it works that well on losing an accent ^^;;

You can get lessons on how to lose an accent. They have books and tapes/CDs just like they do to learn a foreign language. (example)

(2nd post)

Technically you only have one. You should read the rules a little closer.

Anyway, I never thought of that. It makes sense since a brittish friend of mine always talked about how much she loved "Friends" and loved to watch "Clueless" when she was younger.

PhaedraMcSpiffy

So... how'd the raffle go? Can I still join?

Absolutely, this contest has no sign up date. However, you may want to keep an eye on this thread seeing as you only have five days to make 20 posts. Make sure you read all the rules, and you can count your question post as your fist. wink  

[The MoUsY spell-checker]

11

Dronning Dagmar

What I mean is, in Arabic, for example, there is a sound that only exists in Arabic. It is similar to a d sound, but pronounced further back in the throat. If you were not raised speaking Arabic, you will just hear a d sound. You never needed to know the difference between a d and this new sound. You have to train yourself to hear the difference between the two sounds before you have any chance at producing that difference!

What sound would that be? An English d would be a voiced alveolar stop, and a similar sound that is further back would be a retroflex stop, but that's not really "at the back of the throat", is it?

Kharybuce

However, you may want to keep an eye on this thread seeing as you only have five days to make 20 posts. wink

What if there are fewer than three people who get up to 20 posts by then?  

[Dronning Dagmar]

The MoUsY spell-checker

What sound would that be? An English d would be a voiced alveolar stop, and a similar sound that is further back would be a retroflex stop, but that's not really "at the back of the throat", is it?

Maybe that wasn't the best description. The only thing I can find says it's a voiced emphatic alveolar stop, at least in MSA. Other dialects differ. Not sure if that helps. neutral It's, ummm, deeper-sounding?

(actual 2nd post)  

[Kharybuce]

The MoUsY spell-checker

What if there are fewer than three people who get up to 20 posts by then?

Then I only give out the top two prizes. Unfortunately, the way things are going, there may not be any winner. sad  

[Redem]

18

Brains suck evil

Intelligent design my a**.  

[The MoUsY spell-checker]

12

Redem

18

Brains suck evil

Intelligent design my a**.

Ah, you're close to 20.

Intelligent design... more like unintelligent design, huh?

Come to think of it, there is a book called Unintelligent Design. Have you read it? (When I saw the book in a shop, the author's name got my attention. xd It was written by one of the ABC Radio National hosts.)  

[Dronning Dagmar]

Well, there's pretty much no way I'll get to 20 since I can never get more than one post in a day. All the activity happens while I'm sleeping.

Time zones suck.

Speaking of intelligent design, I was thinking we should make some YouTube videos. You know those dumb "Atheist Nightmare" ones about bananas and peanut butter, etc. How about making "Theist Nightmare" ones and highlighting man nipples, the appendix or wisdom teeth. Or morning sickness, a topic close to my heart these days.

(3rd post)  

[The MoUsY spell-checker]

13

Dronning Dagmar

Well, there's pretty much no way I'll get to 20 since I can never get more than one post in a day. All the activity happens while I'm sleeping.

Time zones suck.

Speaking of intelligent design, I was thinking we should make some YouTube videos. You know those dumb "Atheist Nightmare" ones about bananas and peanut butter, etc. How about making "Theist Nightmare" ones and highlighting man nipples, the appendix or wisdom teeth. Or morning sickness, a topic close to my heart these days.

(3rd post)

Aww, are you having morning sickness?

There seems to be some shifting in the activity times in this thread. Before I started posting, most of the activity happened in the morning my time, but now there's more in the afternoon.

By the way, at what time on the 5th does this end? (Please specify the time zone.)