drake2005: [b]It's easy to detect fake if you are a Nigerian who has lived in America for a while and probably went to school there and understand the language a lot better. When a Nigerian is faking it, we can tell. You can fake British but can never fake American to native speakers. Here is why? American english is built on jaw, mouth; tongue movement and their distinctive vowel and consonant sounds. The tongue is the most noticeable part of the mouth that American utilize often. Here is why? If a Nigerian is not sticking out his/her tongue out in saying voiced and unvoiced "th" sounds as in the, three, thought, think, with, and many others; RIGHT THERE, He doesn't know the language enough well and is just faking it. Why? 99% of the time, American native speakers will never understand what he/she is saying. You must stick out your tongue saying these sounds and takes time to get used to it and doing subconsciously. And understanding the difference between voiced and unvoiced.

They are many instances as in "h" sound. Nigerians don't pronounce "h" until they get to learn that american; stress "h" in all their words. Another, wish is perhaps the overarching of all american sounds besides "th" is "r". American stresses "r" in every word. Nigerian fake it will pronounce car as in "ca" but native speakers and nigerians who are genuinely speaking it correctly, will say "carrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr".....you must roll that tongue back to pronounce the "r".

To Nigerians faking it particularly American English, it's the "pronunciation" and not the "voice" that changes your accent. I have encountered some Nigerians speaking with pinched nose or talking like a pidgin bird to imitate whites but forgetting that it is the pronunciation that matters and not the voice. Blacks; black men in particualr have coarse voice than any other races of men...yes we do. So speak proud with that masculine voice but pronounce correctly. Obama speaks with African/black voice if you listen to him carefully but his pronunciation is what separates him and makes him an American native speaker. [/b]

delors:
I dont think mikel fakes it...he's been in England for up to 7 years now and he converses with these people on a daily basis, what do u expect? he must have either picked it up deliberately to help his conversation or it came naturally while relating with people. Me and my Ghana friends speak pidgin eyeday like craze but when we relate to others, for the sake of understanding, we dont even know when the accent comes out. For one, they teach foreigners how to relate esp if you intend to spend more than four years in their land.

Mamacita007: If u stay abroad for some time, u'll start pronouncing some words differently without knowing same thing with accent

apache77: I always hear people say Nigerians who travel abroad always come back with a fake accent, even if its only one month they spend in London or America. Is this true? Do Nigerians try to speak like foreigners?

What i think is that the biggest problem you face the minute you step into obodo oyinbo apart from the cold is your accent. Our accent is so thick foreigners cant make out head or tail what we are trying to say. So from immigration right to your next door neigbour, you struggle to communicate- nobody hears's your type of English. Our slow drawl is a big problem, not just to Americans or british but even to arabs and asians.

The quickest way to be heard is trying to speak like these people (americans or Brits) who cant hear you. Asians and arabs ahve grown up watching american movies and mingling with the Brits, so their ( Brits or American) type of accent is hearable and hence universal-much like the dollar is the globally accepted currency everywhere. So for you to be heard, you a naija boy or girl just stepping into America must speak like them.





COME ASK OKADA PEOPLE NAA

Over time, if you stay there long enough, you start speaking like these people and substitute your Naija accent for theirs. Some people manage to retain their naiaja accent and use that when home only to switch to their americana accent when they go back.

Do you agree with me? or there is a more profound reason? Share your thoughts

Man_51ut: Which people are you guys meeting that don't understand your accent?

I've never had that problem. As long as you speak clearly, people will understand you. The only thing that really tripped them was how I pronounced water, waTer, instead of waDDer.

I went to Corona and then Atlantic Hall, but I wouldn't even say they thought us how to speak well or anything.

Diasporan:
Wait until you are embarrassed by the way you speak abroad then you can come and tell us if you are proud of it or not.For the now stay calm and enjoy the accent

PeeDaVinci: i think 2 different issues are being mixed up here - faking an accent and learning a new accent (and maybe, a new diction) to make yourself more understandable to some set of people.
one simple difference between the two is that, the former is based on assumption of the accent of a set of people based on movies you have seen, while the later is acquired by interacting with the set of pple using the accent

Chillisauce: Yall have said it!
Speak well and clearly!

chreld_b: The key is to speak in a manner that you could be understood. Even within the so called Nigerian accent you will agree with me that some people are more articulate than others. A very good example is Prof Wole Soyinka. Will you say he is faking his accent or that he has a good command of the English Language? As far as Nigeria and all other colonies of Great Britain are concerned the epitome of the English language is the Queen's English and that is the ideal English accent. What most people don't understand is that the typical British accent is not the Queens English. Some British accents are local and unrefined such as the Newcastle or Manchester accent even to British people. So the bottom line is that some people don't fake it because they are Nigerians but they just have a good command of the language such as Soyinka. If you attended a good primary and secondary school there is the likelihood you will be more articulate than a person who attended an inferior school in Nigeria. So some people don't actually fake it because it comes naturally to them.

whitecat007: My accent has stayed the same and I don't care if they understand me or not. Few people have asked me to speak slowly, that's it. Its all mischief.

See as they understand you fast the moment you ask if they need hearing aid.

chreld_b: The key is to speak in a manner that you could be understood. Even within the so called Nigerian accent you will agree with me that some people are more articulate than others. A very good example is Prof Wole Soyinka. Will you say he is faking his accent or that he has a good command of the English Language? As far as Nigeria and all other colonies of Great Britain are concerned the epitome of the English language is the Queen's English and that is the ideal English accent. What most people don't understand is that the typical British accent is not the Queens English. Some British accents are local and unrefined such as the Newcastle or Manchester accent even to British people. So the bottom line is that some people don't fake it because they are Nigerians but they just have a good command of the language such as Soyinka. If you attended a good primary and secondary school there is the likelihood you will be more articulate than a person who attended an inferior school in Nigeria. So some people don't actually fake it because it comes naturally to them. The American accent is a different ball game all together but same applies.

Doff_Man:

It goes both ways. Last time I was in America I had lunch with this lady and her (black american) boyfriend, and I could hardly hear what he was saying!

Needless to say that he wasn't any clearer after 5 brandies.

Lilimax: I detest fake accents. I only speak their accent(American) when I'm in their midst but always speak my Nigerian English(especially pidgin)when I'm in the midst of my Nigerian friends. There is no need of faking it...

mruknaijaboy: I dont think nigerians talk in a foreign accent to sound more clear,i think they try and speak in other accents to think theyre cool and they think they will get more respect

adaobi123: All those fakers who come to London and leave London with an American accent.