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Nigerians And Fake Foreign Accents - Culture (10) - Nairaland

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Top Ten Sexiest Accents / Do Nigerians Who Study And Live In The US Lose Their Accents As Fast As Kenyans / Nigerians & Foreign Accents (2) (3) (4)

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Re: Nigerians And Fake Foreign Accents by creamy1990(f): 11:43am On Nov 02, 2014
shedraq1:
It has become extremely difficult to identify a Nigerian from his or her accent these days. We are now sounding more American and British than the Americans and Britons themselves. When you listen to radio and voice in some TV commercials and radio jingles these days, you hardly hear the ‘Nigerian accent’ we grew up to know, and I begin to ask how we got here. Is this western influence? Did over half of our population suddenly travel abroad overnight to acquire an accent?

As I begin to ask questions, let me take a look at the people closest to me. Two of my uncles studied in the United States. Not just first degree but master’s degree as well. One of them even had a Ph.D and lived there for over 20 years before returning to Nigeria; none of them has an American accent. One of my maternal uncles and another aunt have been living in the UK ever since I can remember. When they came visiting some years back, none of them had a British accent. And so does my uncle that has lived in Australia for about 20 years.

My wife schooled in the UK for her master’s degree and does not have an atom of British accent when she speaks. Her elder sister schooled for 2 years in the United States and doesn’t have an American accent either. My wife’s half brother and sister are half-caste because their mum is a white English woman. They schooled in the UK to master’s degree level and lived there for a while as well and they don’t have a British accent (though a few words can’t escape her). I can go on and on about so many others. So it beats me hollow when a Nigerian travels to the United States for two months and returns with an American accent or when a Nigerian goes for her master’s degree in the UK and starts talking through her nose when she returns. It’s even so bad now, that some people accompany someone who is travelling overseas to the international airport and comes back home with an accent!

I can understand that some people were born and raised there and it has become part of their system and way of life. But one thing I have discovered is that those that travelled there don’t lose their Nigerian tongue completely. When I was in New York, I stayed in Manhattan with my cousin who had been living in the United States since he was 8 years old. He is about 30 now. He has a flat mate that is also a Nigerian who went there to school and has been living there.

I observed that they had this strong black American accent when they speak on the phone or have a conversation with their American friends, but whenever we were having a chat in the house, they always returned to their Nigerian accent. Even when he visits Nigeria, He speaks in his Nigerian accent even though he can speak like an American very well and not those fake and undone accents I get to hear on radio. I have observed closely those ‘returnees’ that have lost their Nigerian accent really haven’t. Once in a while, when you have a conversation with them, it slips out in some words or sentences and they return to their other accent. But will you blame them? Speaking in an American or British accent is now a status symbol. We admire and respect anything that has a resemblance to America or England. We see them as superior and since as they enjoy that position they would want to remain there.

I have worked in the entertainment and media industry for over 10 years and trust me, I have seen a lot. Most of our on-air personalities now have a foreign accent. There was even a radio station in Lagos that wouldn’t even want to hire you if you had a Nigerian accent. Our voice over artists who grew up in Ibadan can’t even pronounce “Adeola Odeku Street’ anymore the way we will know that it’s a street on Victoria Island and not Los Angeles. Some of them cannot even pronounce their own name very well. This is sad. I grew up listening to Tokunbo Ajayi, Cyril Stober and Ruth Benemesia Opia deliver news casting in a way that made you admire them for their professionalism. All that is gone. A young girl once worked as a newscaster in a TV station in Lagos and I heard that because she had a foreign accent, she got lots of privileges and I know this for a fact because it’s my industry and I have friends in every media house. She got holidays oversees and other perks that others who had been working there could not dream of.

Of course she left after a while and we hardly see her anymore but this is our reality. Though I thought she was a good newscaster. I also know a certain media house on cable TV where they all speak through their noses and form cliques amongst themselves. You are valued according to your accent. So everyone wants to belong, whether you grew up there, or you only visited for two weeks, or you went there for your master’s degree; all join, just dey blow foneh dey go. That’s the only way you can be seen as a sophisticated babe or big boy. I remember one time when one of them referred to those of us with Nigerian accent as ‘locals’. Na wa oh!

These led some of my friends in a certain radio station in Lagos to start what they call the LAFA Awards. LAFA stands for Locally Acquired Foreign Accent. It was done to expose on air personalities on radio that never lived outside the country and have a foreign accent. I had a good laugh as they called out the winners and I can’t wait for the next LAFA Awards.

I would also like to ask; I know a lot of white people who have lived in Nigeria for so many years. Some of them were even born here, especially the Lebanese. But how come they don’t have a Nigerian accent? Why is it the other way round?

I think Nigerians should be comfortable with speaking with their Nigerian accent. CNN recently ranked the different accents in the world according to how sexy they sounded and Surprise! Surprise! The disdained Nigerian accent was ranked 5th. It ranked even higher than the American and British accents. I don’t think you need a foreign accent to have a high self-esteem. The people we admire here in Nigeria for their success and all they have achieved did all they did without an American accent and still have a high place in our society. The likes of Aliko Dangote, Mike Adenuga and Femi Otedola don’t have one.

Even in our entertainment industry, Tuface, P square, Wizkid and Asa don’t have foreign accent. Likewise Nneka, D’Banj and Don Jazzy that have lived abroad don’t have it not to talk of Davido who was born abroad. We should learn to embrace the way we speak and be proud of it just like the Americans and the British would never change their accent for anyone.
you just need to hear victoria in beat f.m,she stammers a lot just to get this accent out of her big mouth thereby making mistakes.yeye people

1 Like

Re: Nigerians And Fake Foreign Accents by olatiler(m): 11:59am On Nov 02, 2014
@OP pls go and look for way of speaking ur own English like those claiming Big Boyz/Big Girlz in ur industry, moreover u have to remember that English wasn't part of our Language and the case on ground has to do with individual interest so never force everybody to follow ur mind. Assuming u meet me in person who only visit Burundi, Abidjan, Lesoto and plan to Visit Comorus and Somalia and u listen to my mode of speaking, maybe u just gonna bring out gun and blow off my fucking brain
Re: Nigerians And Fake Foreign Accents by OmoUSH(m): 12:06pm On Nov 02, 2014
Calculux95:
. You r+tarded sob, to belittle myself and come down to your level of stupidity would be an embarrassment, every one has a right to their opinion if you don't like it do me a favor jump of a bridge, it seems you have been living under a rock for the last decade.... All the collabo's by nigerian artists with famous others t.I, akon, rick ross, rihanna to mention a few.... But a d•ck head like u won't know that...
Which nigerian so-called artist collaborated with Riri? You are really more pathetic than i imagined!
Re: Nigerians And Fake Foreign Accents by Nobody: 12:07pm On Nov 02, 2014
creamy1990:
you just need to hear victoria in beat f.m,she stammers a lot just to get this accent out of her big mouth thereby making mistakes.yeye people
and then many will call that stammering fluency when it is known she does not stammer normally.
Re: Nigerians And Fake Foreign Accents by Nobody: 12:09pm On Nov 02, 2014
olatiler:
@OP pls go and look for way of speaking ur own English like those claiming Big Boyz/Big Girlz in ur industry, moreover u have to remember that English wasn't part of our Language and the case on ground has to do with individual interest so never force everybody to follow ur mind. Assuming u meet me in person who only visit Burundi, Abidjan, Lesoto and plan to Visit Comorus and Somalia and u listen to my mode of speaking, maybe u just gonna bring out gun and blow off my fucking brain
he isnt forcing anyone , he only said we should try and communicate in a way majority will understand . why would he blow of your brains when you can spea fluently.
Re: Nigerians And Fake Foreign Accents by Nobody: 12:22pm On Nov 02, 2014
Beautiful write up, hope tonto and her co horts are hearing dis, fakelicious individuals, originality and creativity are seriously waning

1 Like

Re: Nigerians And Fake Foreign Accents by Calculux95: 12:37pm On Nov 02, 2014
OmoUSH:

Which nigerian so-called artist collaborated with Riri? You are really more pathetic than i imagined!
lol funny guy, check out your profile pic to find the true meaning of pathetic, word of advice keep your ramblings to the ghetto, wait for wiz kid's new tracks before you say stuff you have no idea about..., go pick on some one you can bully, I read most of your comments, you take pleasure in trash talking people when you have no idea what the topic is about, grow up..., your the type that get high from picking an e-fight

By the way your childish antics bore me, I'll lo longer exchange words with you, its beneath me... undecided
Re: Nigerians And Fake Foreign Accents by babeface3: 12:58pm On Nov 02, 2014
The dumbest post I have ever seen and its making front page. If you speak a language like the owners of the same language, wouldn't that be a plus rather than a minus.
I noticed something about this dude, they are not intelligent enough in their family to learn new thing. Despite the PhDs in their family, they are stuck with the old ways.
A little bit about my experience. I acquired British accent from my Italian girlfriend who I dated for long in Europe. It is there and no body complains about the new identity.
I as a Nigerian was hardly understanding one Yoruba lady, a close friend whenever she spoke with this tick Yoruba accent. After her masters in the UK, honestly she speaks now like a Briton.
Let's stop ridiculing ourselves.

2 Likes

Re: Nigerians And Fake Foreign Accents by creamy1990(f): 1:36pm On Nov 02, 2014
majekdom2:
and then many will call that stammering fluency when it is known she does not stammer normally.
am telling you,dat girl can piss some1 off wit he accent. Once I turn on my radio set and she's d one speaking @ dat point in time,I'd switch channels immediately
Re: Nigerians And Fake Foreign Accents by mikkyphp(m): 1:39pm On Nov 02, 2014
annoymous:
A lot of the things we actually call nigerian accent is mostly bad English because the inflections in Yoruba and other nigerian languages are very different from English. So we tend to stress on the wrong syllables when we speak English. So when people try to speak proper English, it comes across as 'forming British English'. But then again, a lot of our lagos and Abuja babe's dey overdo, lol
An example: Wole Soyinka. He speaks "proper English" in your parlance, but he doesnt sound british/american. Speaking clear and proper English and speaking English with a foreign accent do not equate to the same thing.

True! Cool FM won't employ you if you speak with a Nigerian Accent. in 2010 my friend got a job with them, and told me how they "bounced" those with Nigerian accents during the interview.
He learnt his "British" accent as a result of growing up with his dad who lived most of his life in the UK.

1 Like

Re: Nigerians And Fake Foreign Accents by Nobody: 1:44pm On Nov 02, 2014
nobilis:
OP, Thanks for giving us your life And family history. You should have also mentioned when you naturalized as an American or a British citizen.

Back to the topic.
What's all the fuss about accent?
There is No hard And fast rule anywhere that a person must speak a language in a certain way because he is from a particular country . People can decide to pick up new accents or drop the old ones they acquired in the past. People can also decide to learn new accents And be using them interchangeably with the previous ones they acquired.
As for me, there is absolutely nothing wrong with it. As long you are communicating with your audience, you're covered. After all, a person's nationality must not be known through his accent.

And (I stand to be corrected), I don't think there is anything like Nigerian accent because the way an Hausa man speaks English is so different from the way an Igbo or Yoruba man speaks it. Let alone other ethnic groups.

And for those mentioning culture And pride about culture, I wonder when English language became part of your culture. So what has a "Nigerian accent" got to do with culture? Do tell.
Don't mind them. I see furore as an helm of inferiority Complex. What's wrong if I speak in british or 'Nigerian accent. a lot of people posting here don't even know the meaning of accent. an analogy is for example, if you speak Yoruba, we hav3 diff accents: oyo, Ibadan(lol), ekiti, ijesa, ilorin, ijebu... And Eko. can the Op and his cohorts kindly also blast people from osogbo who are trying to speak Eko? ?.. .. even in britain, scottish English is soo poor.. . Don't even compare liverpuldian. The correct English is what we call the queen's English. That's what Is taught in british curriculum. I speak in british accent because i was taught phonetics right from nursery school. And if you say OAP are fake in their accents, let me introduce you to Adenike of Nig Info whose Father is a professor of law in the states. She was a distinction student of ll. B... and Secondary Degree in international politics.
She came to Nigeria to study mass com in unilag before joining nig info. 99.3fm. So who the hell are you people shouting fake accents.. . Nonsense

2 Likes

Re: Nigerians And Fake Foreign Accents by Marcsolo1(m): 1:59pm On Nov 02, 2014
I won't blame anyone.... how many years did our former captain (Yobo) spend in England... but did u notice his accent....look at KANU that stayed in London for years... can u compare his accent with Yobo?

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Re: Nigerians And Fake Foreign Accents by ttmacoy: 2:06pm On Nov 02, 2014
This is not trash. I attended Corona in the early 80s when there were quite a few British teachers and I remember the bead when I started was white as well. So there are some people who will have adopted such accents from such a foundation.

This has probably changed now.


This is not saying there are lots of people faking accents.

shedraq1:


Thrash.....All Nigerian educational system, syllabus or curriculum is tailored after the British model..whether private or public school from primary to university
Re: Nigerians And Fake Foreign Accents by Nobody: 2:08pm On Nov 02, 2014
babeface3:
The dumbest post I have ever seen and its making front page. If you speak a language like the owners of the same language, wouldn't that be a plus rather than a minus.
I noticed something about this dude, they are not intelligent enough in their family to learn new thing. Despite the PhDs in their family, they are stuck with the old ways.
A little bit about my experience. I acquired British accent from my Italian girlfriend who I dated for long in Europe. It is there and no body complains about the new identity.
I as a Nigerian was hardly understanding one Yoruba lady, a close friend whenever she spoke with this tick Yoruba accent. After her masters in the UK, honestly she speaks now like a Briton.
Let's stop ridiculing ourselves.
after one year , a thick accent disappears ? bros , how she take do am abeg , I wan do too . do you know what thick accent is ... you should hear kanu who lived more than 10 years in europe speak .
Re: Nigerians And Fake Foreign Accents by erico2k2(m): 2:10pm On Nov 02, 2014
Tpharell:

My point exactly! You don't have to listen to them "properly" to get turned off by their phony affected half baked British accent!
Just cos someone pronounce something correctly and sounds different from what you are used to does not automatically mean he has adopted a Foreign accent, he/she is just speaking proper English, You only Notice these things when you feel Intimidated or feel inferior and your fight back constitute Stereotyping.
Re: Nigerians And Fake Foreign Accents by Nobody: 2:17pm On Nov 02, 2014
Marcsolo1:
I won't blame anyone.... how many years did our former captain (Yobo) spend in England... but did u notice his accent....look at KANU that stayed in London for years... can u compare his accent with Yobo?
most times I feel embarrassed when I hear yobo talk ... that guy speaks bad english but some babes be like " he got british accent"
Re: Nigerians And Fake Foreign Accents by Nobody: 2:25pm On Nov 02, 2014
erico2k2:

Just cos someone pronounce something correctly and sounds different from what you are used to does not automatically mean he has adopted a Foreign accent, he/she is just speaking proper English, You only Notice these things when you feel Intimidated or feel inferior and your fight back constitute Stereotyping.
proper english is not just pronuounciations it is the use of tenses and connecting words rightly . soyinka , fashola are fluent , they both have the nigerian accent . jonathan , buhari , atiku are average and not so fluent , they got a thick accent which is obvious . used those folks as examples because we have all heard them speak on our media. speaking fluently not with an accent is what is essential . why fake an accent when you know people may not understand ...those OAPs do stammer and pause mostimes just to know what words to use and how to match the fake accent, thats not fluency my brother.

2 Likes

Re: Nigerians And Fake Foreign Accents by dooch(m): 3:01pm On Nov 02, 2014
I have a friend who studies in Russia. When he got to Russia initially, he wasn't learning Russian-which was the language in which the course was thought in. He will translate the Russian into English, try and see what was important to study and "chew" the Russian equivalent of the answer he wants to keep. This continued until there was a presentation which he was expected to do in Russian.. He nearly failed. He was advices to stop that form of learning and learn the Russian.. After that experience, this friend of mine learned the Russian so well that, anytime he speaks English, it has a Russian accent.
Re: Nigerians And Fake Foreign Accents by Theblessed(f): 3:31pm On Nov 02, 2014
[b][size=16pt]It is because, most Nigerian who borrow foreign accent - suffer from imbedded inferiority complex too difficult to irradicate out lives.

Also, Nigerians are good at copy-catting. Nigerians find it difficult to spend time and learn a subject or anything (to them, it is time wasting).

Thirdly, our so called educated elites/leaders still suffer from inferiority complex - as many of them who went to school abroad, tried to fit into the system by copying the locals and came out with these funny accents they brought home with them. And because they have influence in the community they live and work - they infected lesser minds who also, join them in speaking English with funny accent.

I leave you now to think of your leaders, elites and also, some Spiritual leaders in the Ministries you support and see whether yours is one of them that speak with funny foreign accent - we know them all and they know themselves.

So, this is how the disease of speaking English with funny accent got into Nigerian's psych - Nigerian elites/influencers with low self esteem.
[/size][/b]

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Re: Nigerians And Fake Foreign Accents by Nobody: 3:35pm On Nov 02, 2014
Heheheh .... how well would it have been if okonjo iweala the havard babe speaks with a fake accent or diezaini alison . This fake lifestyle has got something to do with the brain.
Re: Nigerians And Fake Foreign Accents by elected(m): 5:34pm On Nov 02, 2014
What the heck? Dam too much to read meh! cheesy
Re: Nigerians And Fake Foreign Accents by ModestSam(m): 5:50pm On Nov 02, 2014
Tpharell:

My point exactly! You don't have to listen to them "properly" to get turned off by their phony affected half baked British accent!
There's this lady presenter on Splash FM, Ibadan. I just tune to the next available station whenever i hear her fake accent.
People should learn to speak proper English, and not these fake accents.
If you've stayed in these foreign climes for an extended period, you would subconsciously change your flow to suit your environment, but then when you stay for a long period in the Naija environment, why isn't the subconscious taking place? My people like to fake, too much!!!
Re: Nigerians And Fake Foreign Accents by ModestSam(m): 5:59pm On Nov 02, 2014
milky3:
Especially beat fm Ib city sometimes I wonder if they poo at all, d likes of Vicky
I just press the tune button to the next available station, whenever I hear that her fake voice.

1 Like

Re: Nigerians And Fake Foreign Accents by cophild: 6:41pm On Nov 02, 2014
Fulaman198:


They are not understanding you on purpose and your inferiority complex is allowing them to affect you and change who you are. Most people don't even attempt to change, Japanese, Russian, Brazilians, Chinese, other parts of Latin America and Europe. So why are you trying to sound more American or British while they are not?

@Fulaman198...U have never lived outside the country before. If you have, u will take back your comment
Re: Nigerians And Fake Foreign Accents by Fulaman198(m): 7:30pm On Nov 02, 2014
cophild:


@Fulaman198...U have never lived outside the country before. If you have, u will take back your comment

That's completely false, I lived in the United States for 5 years. It sounds like you have never lived abroad before
Re: Nigerians And Fake Foreign Accents by Fulaman198(m): 7:32pm On Nov 02, 2014
Ebenezerk2:
I don't know if you have travelled to these countries before, if you have not, you will not understand my point, these are the people you deal with everyday, you can not do without them

I lived in the United States for 5 years for school and my Nigerian Fulani accent is still intact. I didn't feel any inferiority complex towards the Oyibo. Why should I?
Re: Nigerians And Fake Foreign Accents by wildikeman(m): 7:46pm On Nov 02, 2014
tpia6:


so you'll be blowing : AI GORT TUUU write something down

and WORT ARRRR you talking about

without modification ?
oga she's joking na...which one be ur own sef...is English part of our language And for those of you shouting culture...why are you even speaking English
Re: Nigerians And Fake Foreign Accents by erico2k2(m): 7:59pm On Nov 02, 2014
majekdom2:
proper english is not just pronuounciations it is the use of tenses and connecting words rightly . soyinka , fashola are fluent , they both have the nigerian accent . jonathan , buhari , atiku are average and not so fluent , they got a thick accent which is obvious . used those folks as examples because we have all heard them speak on our media. speaking fluently not with an accent is what is essential . why fake an accent when you know people may not understand ...those OAPs do stammer and pause mostimes just to know what words to use and how to match the fake accent, that not fluency my brother.
You are wrong my friend, you have to pronounce correctly to speak correctly irrespective of accent, do you know in the Uk they have different accents,the Welsh man talks different from the Manchester man and the Irish man.
Re: Nigerians And Fake Foreign Accents by Nobody: 8:16pm On Nov 02, 2014
erico2k2:

You are wrong my friend, you have to pronounce correctly to speak correctly irrespective of accent, do you know in the Uk they have different accents,the Welsh man talks different from the Manchester man and the Irish man.
bro , I never said pronounciation is not part of a good diction. what I mean is you can fake an accent and still speak bad english because you use the wrong tenses and words .... thats the case of yobo and likes . would you say soyinka does not pronounce words rightly because he has got an accent .. No I guess . There is that "tongue" effect on the way we speak . this may affect the intonation and manner which words may be pronounced. like you said , would you conclude a scottish speaks bad english because he got a different accent from a briton . you dont need to fake an accent to pronounce words rightly ... thats the point . My English teachers in high school pronounced words so perfectly but she had any british accent.
Re: Nigerians And Fake Foreign Accents by 19naia(m): 1:57am On Nov 03, 2014
majekdom2:
bro , I never said pronounciation is not part of a good diction. what I mean is you can fake an accent and still speak bad english because you use the wrong tenses and words .... thats the case of yobo and likes . would you say soyinka does not pronounce words rightly because he has got an accent .. No I guess . There is that "tongue" effect on the way we speak . this may affect the intonation and manner which words may be pronounced. like you said , would you conclude a scottish speaks bad english because he got a different accent from a briton . you dont need to fake an accent to pronounce words rightly ... thats the point . My English teachers in high schoo pronounced words so perfectly but she have any british accent.


We are all ok no matter how we pronouce, except in the rare instance such as this foul creature in the video.. As long as you dont pronounce words like him, then we are ok and will survive well..
[url][/url]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nV5T_6aWMdA
Re: Nigerians And Fake Foreign Accents by Herrmes: 2:25am On Nov 03, 2014
I hate American accent so bad, let me hear a beautiful light-skinned Nigerian girl with the British accent and I'll fall in love, I don't care if it is faked or not as far as you can do it often that not.
Re: Nigerians And Fake Foreign Accents by totorimi: 8:28am On Nov 03, 2014
Infact when i come across some of them or listen to them on radio like that one they call Mozimo and that pastor who's wife just pursued him away. i just feel like throwing up, they all sound like rubb1sh to my ears. There is one hopeless one in my office from Agbor that keeps sounding like he was born there infact to complete his inferiority complex he even bakes his hair jerry curl. The problem with them is that when they meet the real oyinbo they can no longer hear properly because they are fake.

1 Like

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