So last week I was a speaker at an international conference in Washington DC in which a number of Nigerians from Nigeria were in attendance.
Information on the proceedings of the conference was distributed well in advance. Thus, from my Nigerian name boldly contained among the speakers' list and the accompanying presentation abstracts, it was clear to those Nigerians that one of the speakers would be a Nigerian. Not surprisingly, I received email messages from nearly all of the Nigerian attendees wanting to discuss with me during the conference.

After my presentation, one of them, a university professor from xxxx university, xxxx State, who approached me first asked me ''Bros, how come you still have an Igbo accent despite living in the US''? I was like, duh!! ''I may be an American by adoption, but I am still a proper Igbo man''.

Then I asked him how many Americans or Britons he had met in Nigeria and he replied ''quite a number''. I asked him how many of those Americans/Britons speak English with an Igbo, Yoruba or Hausa accent? He said ''none, of course''. Then I pressed him further on why he expected me, a complete Igbo man, to speak English with an American accent. He replied with ''well, I thought if you live in Rome you should behave like Romans'', to which I responded ''but the Americans who live in Nigeria do not speak English like Nigerians, let alone speak a Nigerian language''. At that point he realized the folly of his expectation and we laughed it off and went into the more serious business of discussing their presence in the conference and its relevance to Nigeria.

Upon further reflection later in the day, the whole thing sank home to me that this man is not alone in this. When I used to watch Nollywood movies, I observed some of the actors/actresses doing all they could to speak in foreign accents, even to us their Nigerian movie watchers.

So, I ask you fellow Nairalanders why do Nigerians feel speaking in an American or British Accent is great? Is it a case of inferiority complex for such Nigerians?

Op, your signature na die!
Anyway, don't mind Dem america wannabes

Walahi i no send.

Mrcdorv: Walahi i no send.

Meaning?

omongbatim:

Meaning?

ask google.

omongbatim:

Meaning?

sorry ask google.

Mrcdorv: sorry ask google.

Ask google what?

Because they are distortedly schoolled. They are thought all the wrong things to be the right things. When a people are inherently and continuously brainwashed,they stand no chance. A people without original culture and formations are more or less nonexistent. They are like are like rolling stones with no fixed place to anchor.

op, if u think i will strine my eyes to read that garbage, then u r standing on a long thing!!!

Kessyy2k4: op, if u think i will strine my eyes to read that garbage, then u r standing on a long thing!!!

That (strine strain) in color speaks volume about you. Bloody, bloody semi illiterate.

Ramnon is an Igbo name?

tpia1: Ramnon is an Igbo name?

What language is Ramnon2? And who is Ramnon2? Do you know what pseudonym means?

This is business. When marketing a product, you talk in the style and language of the market. This is superior mentality. As I am concerned, you are the inferior being trying to remain maumau in the US even when you are the President of the market.

Orunto: This is business. When marketing a product, you talk in the style and language of the market. This is superior mentality. As I am concerned, you are the inferior being trying to remain maumau in the US even when you are the President of the market.

See this inferior malu. So the American/Briton working in Nigeria who do not (and do not) adopt Nigerian accents are inferior in Nigeria? You are a proper goat.

Ramnon2: So last week I was a speaker at an international conference in Washington DC in which a number of Nigerians from Nigeria were in attendance.
Information on the proceedings of the conference was distributed well in advance. Thus, from my Nigerian name boldly contained among the speakers' list and the accompanying presentation abstracts, it was clear to those Nigerians that one of the speakers would be a Nigerian. Not surprisingly, I received email messages from nearly all of the Nigerian attendees wanting to discuss with me during the conference.

After my presentation, one of them, a university professor from xxxx university, xxxx State, who approached me first asked me ''Bros, how come you still have an Igbo accent despite living in the US''? I was like, duh!! ''I may be an American by adoption, but I am still a proper Igbo man''.

Then I asked him how many Americans or Britons he had met in Nigeria and he replied ''quite a number''. I asked him how many of those Americans/Britons speak English with an Igbo, Yoruba or Hausa accent? He said ''none, of course''. Then I pressed him further on why he expected me, a complete Igbo man, to speak English with an American accent. He replied with ''well, I thought if you live in Rome you should behave like Romans'', to which I responded ''but the Americans who live in Nigeria do not speak English like Nigerians, let alone speak a Nigerian language''. At that point he realized the folly of his expectation and we laughed it off and went into the more serious business of discussing their presence in the conference and its relevance to Nigeria.

Upon further reflection later in the day, the whole thing sank home to me that this man is not alone in this. When I used to watch Nollywood movies, I observed the actors doing all they could to speak in foreign accents, even to us their Nigerian movie watchers.

So, I ask you fellow Nairalanders why do Nigerians feel speaking in an American or British Accent is great? Is it a case of inferiority complex for such Nigerians?

He speaks like an Ibo man because his accent (like most Nigerian accents) is one of the hardest to lose and not because he "Chose" not to lose it. If he arrived in this country, say, prior to his 12th birthday of course he would speak like his hosts, just like if an American child lives in your country at that age he'd develop the speech process of his hosts. This has nothing to do with "National Pride".

You're speaking like that because you can NEVER lose that accent without professional coaching.

ISpiksDaTroof: He speaks like an Ibo man because his accent (like most Nigerian accents) is one of the hardest to lose and not because he "Chose" not to lose it. If he arrived in this country, say, prior to his 12th birthday of course he would speak like his hosts, just like if an American child lives in your country at that age he'd develop the speech process of his hosts. This has nothing to do with "National Pride".
You're speaking like that because you can NEVER lose that accent without professional coaching.

I am a regular attendee of international forums; I am yet to see any Indian, Chinese, German, French, Russian etc, raised and educated in those countries and now living in the US who tries everything in his power to change his accent to American. Only some complex-ridden Africans (especially some Nigerians) do so. The important thing is to speak clearly, coherently and understandably, and these I have mastered long before even coming to America.

Ask Okonjo Iweala - who even studied in the US- the accent she used to manage the World Bank for many years.

Its simple,They've not fulfilled the socratic dictum: "man know thyself". For any man who truly knows himself, will never feel inferior to any man, be him an american or south african. "Education is an eye opener".

joseph1832: Its simple,They've not fulfilled the socratic dictum: "man know thyself". For any man who truly knows himself, will never feel inferior to any man, be him an american or south african. "Education is an eye opener".

My sentiments, exactly.

ISpiksDaTroof:

You're speaking like that because you can NEVER lose that accent without professional coaching.

Why would anybody even try to lose their accent?

you modify your accent so people can understand what you are saying?


even within nigeria you modify your home accent to match wherever you are, in order to communicate.

After my presentation, one of them, a university professor from xxxx university, xxxx State, who approached me first asked me ''Bros, how come you still have an Igbo accent despite living in the US''? I was like, duh!! ''I may be an American by adoption, but I am still a proper Igbo man''.

so people who do not have thick accents like you are not proper Igbo men?

Ramnon2:

What language is Ramnon2? And who is Ramnon2? Do you know what pseudonym means?

you couldnt find any Igbo pseudonyms?

The truth is bitter. Different mentality: different perception: different pursuit. Common mouse!

tpia1:


you couldnt find any Igbo pseudonyms?

Stop diverting this thread, pls. Ramnon2 is not English. It is not any language. It is just a coinage I made for Nairaland. And, I have an Igbo pseudonym of course. Thank you.

tpia1: you modify your accent so people can understand what you are saying?


even within nigeria you modify your home accent to match wherever you are, in order to communicate.

The important thing is to speak clearly, coherently and understandably, and these I have mastered long before even coming to America.

I hope you read that too

tpia1:

so people who do not have thick accents like you are not proper Igbo men?

Can you define ''thick'' accent?

Ramnon2:

I am a regular attendee of international forums; I am yet to see any Indian, Chinese, German, French, Russian etc, raised and educated in those countries and now living in the US who tries everything in his power to change his accent to American. Only some complex-ridden Africans (especially some Nigerians) do so. The important thing is to speak clearly, coherently and understandably, and these I have mastered long before even coming to America.

Ask Okonjo Iweala - who even studied in the US- the accent she used to manage the World Bank for many years.

Good for you that you attend a lot of International forums, but you need to learn to properly comprehend what you read or just be quiet if you have no idea about the topic at hand.

Like I said Age 12 is the cut off mark to lose your old accent without professional coaching; 15yrs-17yrs old tops. Has Okonjo-iweala or those European friends of yours lived here since their childhood and is now in their 50's?

Ramnon2:

Why would anybody even try to lose their accent?

Same reason you go to China and it's advisable to learn Mandarin.

ISpiksDaTroof: Same reason you go to China and it's advisable to learn Mandarin.

Duh! Learning Mandarin is not the same as expecting an American (for example) to speak mandarin with a Chinese accent. I am not surprised that you are equating language with accent; you have always been a confused, identity crisis-ridden fellow.

Ramnon2:
Duh! Learning Mandarin is not the same as expecting an American (for example) to speak mandarin with a Chinese accent. I am not surprised that you are equating language with accent; you have always been a confused, identity crisis-ridden fellow.

See, youre just a dummy! I made that analogy to let you see that when you speak like your hosts they quickly see you as one of them as opposed to when you sound different. I bet even if you were offered a Billion dollars you couldn't lose your accent, so stop pretending like it's your choice.