I have had opportunities to be offered all trip paid temporary offers in USA. I usually get to the last stage selected but have problem at the oral interview stage. An interview I did recently via Skype, I was told I have all qualities expect my English Skills. However, I consider myself to posses an average English speaking skills but I understand it could mean my accent. I believe it's possible to blend my accent becos I know of a girl in USA, who has a blended accent and works in a store in USA.

Can anyone advise on how to improve on my Nigerian accent to a foreign accent? I understand some of you have taken special time to improve on your accent overtime. WOuld you please share some or all of the skills you employed in improving your accent and English Skills? Please note that there are many people who suffer this fate too, which I believe your meaningful contributions will help as well. Cheers

You accent is your ID, you don't need to change it. Just speak slowly and clearly, and have something to say.

Lol! go take english classes in any community college around you, it will surely help. try to raise your diaphragm when talking.

Bro , you don't need to take any classes , go and make friends with Yankee guys, flow with them try to forget the Nigeria accent lol a lot of white men can't understand Nigeria English they said it another language but when i flow Yankee my Nigeria friends got jealous , some people even speak Yoruba with there English abroad

@Cmeo,

    Denzel is right. Try to speak a little more slowly, pronouncing your words clearly and deliberately (think of ex UN head Kofi Annan's style of speaking. Listen to this interview session and try to learn to pattern your speaking/response style like him, 'slow', controlled and deliberate pronounciations.
[flash=400,300]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRIFHjRYB9I?fs=1&hl=en_US"[/flash]


Trying to 'change' or 'adapt' your accent is tricky as you might just end up butchering the word/s altogether and sounding like _____. Some people's accent will never change, others will, but I believe if you're deliberate about pronouncing your words carefully, that will help you immensely. If you'd still like to change/adapt your accent, I think the most seamless and natural way is to spend a lot of time with your american friends.

Mix with people. Don't just stick to Naija friends - Volunteer with charities, speak with people in a working capacity (as most people speak differently then) and listen carefully when people talk. Listen to words they use and think of how you pronounce those words, when compared with them. You don't have to completely change your accent, but you probably need to soften your tone and articulate your words so thatthey can be understood by others without saying "pardon" all the time.

First off the reason why someone can boldly tell you that your accent is the reason why you are not being hired is because you are based in Nigeria. If you would have been in U.S they wont dare say that to you. Now changing your accent is not easy the worst thing you can do is to sound super fake and forced when speaking people will laugh in your face. Embrace your own accent and speak clearly and dont try to act like you can rock that phonetic.

My accent has changed because i came to the u.s when i was like 16 and as time went on it changed i didnt do anything speacial as a matter of fact the one time i tried to force and fake it a school teacher laughed at me. I just watched the programs on tv and communicated with people

@ C me o

As a US-based Nigerian who is married to a native born American, I hope you should be able to agree if I say you can NEVER truly have an American accent. My advice: speak loudly, pronounce words correctly, and learn how to speak in simple but correct sentences.

Goodluck!

Stop watching Africa Magic.

If you speak Naija language at home, go to work/school speak same, go to Church, friends, etc, you will see that 20 years down the line, your accent would still be as if you just turned up from the village. It is not too late, three months is all it takes to master the American accent.

fresh_dude:

Stop watching Africa Magic.

Good advice!

You do not have any problem. You knew someone who blended her English, why not blend urs? If you dont know how, put it in a blender and blend it. Simple!

Rofl.

That's what you get when you constantly speak pidgin like an agbepo. Thank God my parents banned pidgin from the house growing up.

Nothing is worse than a guy you KNOW is faking an accent so if I were you I'd learn to speak CLEARLY and no "f-h-s-r-factors"

Asians do well despite an accent so Im betting that you dont speak well period.

If you feel your accent is holding you back, then it will.

ThiefOfHearts:

Asians do well despite an accent so Im betting that you dont speak well period.

I have to disagree with you. It is typically accent problem and most Nigerian born and raised in Nigeria has the same accent problem. It is always a problem when it comes to communicating with foreigners as most of them may not understand us.  Hence, it is very important to speak slowly and clearly to minimize this problem.

omega25red:

First off the reason why someone can boldly tell you that your accent is the reason why you are not being hired is because you are based in Nigeria.

No, language barrier is never regarded as discriminatory factors when it comes to hiring employee. Communication is one of the important skills that every employer consider when hiring staff. If their client or other employee can’t understand you why would they hire you?
Well, I think if faking it is actually helping you, then fake it.  It depends on if you are comfortable with it and if they people you are communicating with understand you.

You can disagree with me, doesnt mean you're right. You didnt even prove me wrong, I said there are many with accents doing well here esp Asians and that he's NOT SPEAKING WELL/CORRECTLY meaning he's most likely not speaking clearly, slowly and with intent.

ThiefOfHearts:

You can disagree with me, doesnt mean you're right. You didnt even prove me wrong, I said there are many with accents doing well here esp Asians and that he's NOT SPEAKING WELL/CORRECTLY meaning he's most likely not speaking clearly, slowly and with intent.

Majority of Asians work for Asians, they don't really face the same problem as Nigerians

ThiefOfHearts:

Rofl.

That's what you get when you constantly speak pidgin like an agbepo. Thank God my parents banned pidgin from the house growing up.

Nothing is worse than a guy you KNOW is faking an accent so if I were you I'd learn to speak CLEARLY and no "f-h-s-r-factors"

Asians do well despite an accent so Im betting that you dont speak well period.

Abeg stop being a snub! So because people grow up speaking pidgin means they are going to struggle later on in life? There are many people who speak english 24-7 yet their english writing is abject.

justwise:

Majority of Asians work for Asians, they don't really face the same problem as Nigerians

what are you talking about?

Tee_Jay:

Abeg stop being a snub!

No

and it's "snob", thanks for proving me right

ThiefOfHearts:

what are you talking about?


No

and it's "snob", thanks for proving me right

I'm saying that many Asians employees work for Asian employers here in the UK, so the problem of accent doesn't affect them that much, many Asian owned companies here employ Asian workers, the language barrier is not there as they speak the same language in most cases.

why are you bringing up the UK when we're talking about the US?

ThiefOfHearts:

why are you bringing up the UK when we're talking about the US?

Its problem everywhere, not just in the USA, if i may ask, why did u bring Asians into it when we are talking about Nigerians?

my friend you are drunk. That phenomena in the UK doesnt happen here. That is my point so your comment doesnt make sense in this scenario, he's asking about the US, those of us who live here are telling him the deal.

@ThiefOfHearts
Asians still face the same problem if the employer put priority in communication skills. I dont understand why brought the Asian into the matter. Nevertheless, if you want to compare the chances of having gainful employment between Nigerians and Asians then there are so many factors to consider. Justwise has given you one of the factors. Others may include, colour of skin, industry sector, native country’s prestige, degree of native country’s development, awareness created by the government of the native country. Etc.
Again, Accent problem is not just Nigerian problem. Even some UK citizen has the same problem when they move to other countries like US.  E.g. cheryl cole faced the same problem with US X- factor until recently.

ThiefOfHearts:

my friend you are drunk. That phenomena in the UK doesnt happen here. That is my point so your comment doesnt make sense in this scenario, he's asking about the US, those of us who live here are telling him the deal.

Noi'm pretty sober, and the scenario is the same everywhere, Asians company owners prefer Asian workers for so many reasons. . .to avoid the problem of language barrer is one of them.

juzme:

@ThiefOfHearts
Asians still face the same problem if the employer put priority in communication skills. I dont understand why brought the Asian into the matter. Nevertheless, if you want to compare the chances of having gainful employment between Nigerians and Asians then there are so many factors to consider. Justwise has given you one of the factors. Others may include, colour of skin, industry sector, native country’s prestige, degree of native country’s development, awareness created by the government of the native country. Etc.
Again, Accent problem is not just Nigerian problem. Even some UK citizen has the same problem when they move to other countries like US.  E.g. cheryl cole faced the same problem with US X- factor until recently.

She will not get it, some Americans think that the world start and end in America.

*rolls eyes* You two cant read so I cant be bothered.

where did I say accent was only a Nigerian problem? what part of Asians here do well DESPITE their heavy accents did you not understand

abeg let justwise help you. Im sure his knowledge of the job situation in the UK is the same as the US. Good luck LOL

I once heard of a Nigerian woman with a thick accent,who could not be hired by a school because they thought her accent was almost incomprehensible.They said if Us adults had a problem understanding her,little children would be absolutely no clue regarding her statements.

ThiefOfHearts:


and it's "snob", thanks for proving me right

Oh thanks for correcting my typo, that said I do not see how that proves you are right; i refer you to one of your previous posts
Forums / Nairaland / Re: >> Nairaland Oldbies Meet Here 2006-2009 Section
on: Yesterday at 09:34:12 PM
Gosh T banana split? what a horrid comparison. *imagines and pukes*

Tpia what happened to your marrage to David?   

You'll find that the word is spelt (MARRIAGE), which just goes to prove my point.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1390959/Cheryl-Cole-SACKED-X-Factor-USA-Geordie-accent.html
Cheryl cole's parents should have banned pidgin in the house,

Wow how embarrassing for you
so because I corrected a "typo", you decided to look up my post history? after all mine is more than a regular typo than yours because snub and snob DO exist, they are just different definitions, however any idiot would know mine merely excluded the letter "i" by mistake as "marrage" isnt even a word. What a dork.

But if it makes your little world seem better since you had to sniff around for a typo of mine as "self defense", who am I to take that from you. Pat yourself on the back o, jare. Nothing do you. Odada

@ poster, I don't want to agree that its your Nigerian accent that is killing your opportunities. I believe your time has not come. I believe Obasanjo's accent is not better than yours yet he traveled the world, his accent didn't work against him. Have faith in yourself. Don't try to speak like a white man, you are not one. Just say whatever you want to say correctly and CLEARLY. All the best.

.