How Do I Work On My Accent. - Culture

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How Do I Work On My Accent. - Culture - Nairaland

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How Do I Work On My Accent. by lillaowow(m): 7:21am On Feb 13, 2015

Hello guys,

so i have this issue right now.

i just got a part time job on campus and i was informed about their concerns after the interview (i really did great on the screening and interview so dem dey impressed). Their main concern is my accent if i am going to work with them for so long.i don't really know how to go about it cos it's kinda hard talking without sounding like a Rat and audible at the same time.
how do i "get rid" of my accent temporarily till i close from work. why i asked is cos i know some people can easily switch between accent depending on their audience but once i open my mouth, my accent gives me away as West African. i do not have a problem with sounding as me but. This job pay a lot better that all jobs on campus and they work around your Time table so you get to decide the hours you want to work daily

(i should tell you pronouncing and differentiating between Hours,hers,ours,hairs,Theirs na die months ago grin

story for another day)

Re: How Do I Work On My Accent. by tpiar: 7:30am On Feb 13, 2015

in what way do you sound like a Rat?

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Re: How Do I Work On My Accent. by Cutehector(m): 7:33am On Feb 13, 2015

Lol if u r a yoruba man den dr is fire on d mountain. Lol just go for phonetic classes. U wil be surprised dat we don't even knw how to pronounce most words. For example 'chasis'. Lol I bet u will be pronounce it completely buh the tru pronounciation is pronounced without d last 's' in d word,

Re: How Do I Work On My Accent. by lillaowow(m): 7:39am On Feb 13, 2015

tpiar:
in what way do you sound like a Rat?

once i try to imitate their accent, i sound terrible (speaking on high pitch and refusing to open my mouth)

Re: How Do I Work On My Accent. by lillaowow(m): 7:45am On Feb 13, 2015

Cutehector:
Lol if u r a yoruba man den dr is fire on d mountain. Lol just go for phonetic classes. U wil be surprised dat we don't even knw how to pronounce most words. For example 'chasis'. Lol I bet u will be pronounce it completely buh the tru pronounciation is pronounced without d last 's' in d word,

lol.. you understand my troubles

i have been speaking this way for over 20years. Now, i have got to tone it down to get a temp job.

i am yoruba and truly, it seems that way

i am not getting rid of my accent completely, i just want it to not show up when i am speaking for a while.. i don watch youtube but i find it hard imitating what i've heard so far.

The only time i got it perfect without issues is me taking my bath and talking to myself (i think)

Re: How Do I Work On My Accent. by lillaowow(m): 7:51am On Feb 13, 2015

i need peoples ideas particularly Nairalanders that have lived in different countries (especially Canada and America) how they tune down on an accent, i know people do it. i need ideas how they go about it.

Re: How Do I Work On My Accent. by Cutehector(m): 7:51am On Feb 13, 2015

lillaowow:

lol.. you understand my troubles

i have been speaking this way for over 20years. Now, i have got to tone it down to get a temp job.

i am yoruba and truly, it seems that way

i am not getting rid of my accent completely, i just want it to not show up when i am speaking for a while.. i don watch youtube but i find it hard imitating what i've heard so far.

The only time i got it perfect without issues is me taking my bath and talking to myself (i think)

lol practice makes perfect. Its just d 'h' factor dats ur problem ryt now.

Re: How Do I Work On My Accent. by tpiar: 7:55am On Feb 13, 2015

lillaowow:
i need peoples ideas particularly Nairalanders that have lived in different countries (especially Canada and America) how they tune down on an accent, i know people do it. i need ideas how they go about it.

The two places you mentioned are actually big on people retaining their accents.

Meaning you are more likely to get ahead if you speak with your original accent instead of faking an implausible one.

If you already got the job then i'd say you should focus on other things it entails besides accent.

1 Like

Re: How Do I Work On My Accent. by lillaowow(m): 8:01am On Feb 13, 2015

Cutehector:
lol practice makes perfect. Its just d 'h' factor dats ur problem ryt now.

i have gotten rid of my "H" accent (or i think i have). that isn't an issue for me anymore. i never knew what "H" factor really means until i left naija. you should see the way my friends laughed the first day i said "ours" louder.

Re: How Do I Work On My Accent. by Nobody: 8:02am On Feb 13, 2015

Get a coach

Re: How Do I Work On My Accent. by Raiders: 8:08am On Feb 13, 2015

Unfortunately, you cant do away with your accent even if you stay in US for 100 yrs. My uncle has lived in US for over 30 yrs and still has his Nigeria accent. You should learn to speak slowly and pronounce the words clearly and you will be understood. It can get annoying sometimes when you are asked to repeat your sentence. But with time you will improve your accent. Please don't try to fake your accent like some Nigerians in America because an average American would know you are faking it.

1 Like

Re: How Do I Work On My Accent. by lillaowow(m): 8:08am On Feb 13, 2015

tpiar:

The two places you mentioned are actually big on people retaining their accents.

Meaning you are more likely to get ahead if you speak with your original accent instead of faking an implausible one.

If you already got the job then i'd say you should focus on other things it entails besides accent.

well, getting the job isn't the problem. it is keeping it. like i said, It is customer related. The working hours and condition is great and knowing that i can move up the ladder while working part time, i wouldn't want the something as trivial as my accent be the issue.

Re: How Do I Work On My Accent. by Cutehector(m): 8:09am On Feb 13, 2015

lillaowow:

i have gotten rid of my "H" accent (or i think i have). that isn't an issue for me anymore. i never knew what "H" factor really means until i left naija. you should see the way my friends laughed the first day i said "ours" louder.

hahahhahahhahahhahaha. Lol dat h factor is really an identification of a yoruba man. I believe its due to d language itself dat is d main cause. If dey can remove the H in d HO of the yoruba alphabet den I think it won't be a problem for unborn generations. Well I can't change my accent for anybody, I love my voice lol. Anyone who can't aCcept it can go to hell.

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Re: How Do I Work On My Accent. by lillaowow(m): 8:20am On Feb 13, 2015

Raiders:
Unfortunately, you cant do away with your accent even if you stay in US for 100 yrs. My uncle has lived in US for over 30 yrs and still has his Nigeria accent. You should learn to speak slowly and pronounce the words clearly and you will be understood. It can get annoying sometimes when you are asked to repeat your sentence. But with time you will improve your accent. Please don't try to fake your accent like some Nigerians in America because an average American would know you are faking it.

it is really annoying.

i speak better English than most i have met but they speak faster and on a higher pitch.

i really don't want to fake accent, i want to sound neutral like for example sound like Omotola or Wole soyinka.
i stayed majorly in Osogbo,Ibadan, and Akure when i was in Naija. Example of what i am asking is how an Ondo guy can get rid of his deep ondo dialect and sound more like a typical festac guy.

and thank you. i am so Nigerian to fake it. i just don't want to be asked to repeat my sentence everytime.

Re: How Do I Work On My Accent. by lillaowow(m): 8:29am On Feb 13, 2015

Cutehector:
hahahhahahhahahhahaha. Lol dat h factor is really an identification of a yoruba man. I believe its due to d language itself dat is d main cause. If dey can remove the H in d HO of the yoruba alphabet den I think it won't be a problem for unborn generations. Well I can't change my accent for anybody, I love my voice lol. Anyone who can't aCcept it can go to hell.

Well, i love my accent too but i need a job cos i should be able to pay my rent and afford my travels around without putting pressure on my sponsor.

i do love my voice too until people start getting amusing hearing me talk

Re: How Do I Work On My Accent. by tpiar: 3:19pm On Feb 13, 2015

lillaowow:

well, getting the job isn't the problem. it is keeping it. like i said, It is customer related. The working hours and condition is great and knowing that i can move up the ladder while working part time, i wouldn't want the something as trivial as my accent be the issue.

Aunty, aim for something better than all this standard goobledygook.

They have already hired you with your accent, check your employee handbook to see if you can be fired for not having an american one.

They saw americans before hiring you, not so?

Re: How Do I Work On My Accent. by tpiar: 3:21pm On Feb 13, 2015

lillaowow:

it is really annoying.

i speak better English than most i have met but they speak faster and on a higher pitch.

i really don't want to fake accent, i want to sound neutral like for example sound like Omotola or Wole soyinka.
i stayed majorly in Osogbo,Ibadan, and Akure when i was in Naija. Example of what i am asking is how an Ondo guy can get rid of his deep ondo dialect and sound more like a typical festac guy.

and thank you. i am so Nigerian to fake it. i just don't want to be asked to repeat my sentence everytime.

In that case, hire a voice coach.

Re: How Do I Work On My Accent. by Raiders: 1:19am On Feb 14, 2015

lillaowow:

it is really annoying.

i speak better English than most i have met but they speak faster and on a higher pitch.

i really don't want to fake accent, i want to sound neutral like for example sound like Omotola or Wole soyinka.
i stayed majorly in Osogbo,Ibadan, and Akure when i was in Naija. Example of what i am asking is how an Ondo guy can get rid of his deep ondo dialect and sound more like a typical festac guy.

and thank you. i am so Nigerian to fake it. i just don't want to be asked to repeat my sentence everytime.

I guess you have not been in US for a long time. You are going to improve on your accent with time. I had similar problem when I first got to the States too. You should try to make more friends with native American speakers. The more you communicate with them, you will learn how they pronounce some words which is quite different from the way Nigerians pronounce their words. I think you will do okay with time.

Re: How Do I Work On My Accent. by Emmyk(m): 6:53am On Feb 16, 2015

Practice makes perfect. Watch lots of movies. You can get App (mobile) where you have to dictate the H'Factor words. With time, you'll know the difference. wink

Re: How Do I Work On My Accent. by lillaowow(m): 9:14pm On Apr 29, 2015

i have to update this topic....

I am doing great (meeting and exceeding expectation)

Been a good experience for me.

Thanks to all those that contributed to the thread. i got 100% NPS scores

People say i don't have a strong Nigeria accent ( i have no idea what that means)

i talk gentle, slow and learned few pronunciation and it has been working fine for me.
i got a new offer now and i am thinking of resigning. Was a good experience

Re: How Do I Work On My Accent. by thewatcher2020: 2:36am On Dec 04, 2015

lillaowow:
i need peoples ideas particularly Nairalanders that have lived in different countries (especially Canada and America) how they tune down on an accent, i know people do it. i need ideas how they go about it.

Lol. same issues i had months back and still having, tho little. Initially when i landed in Toronto, I just believed I was an illiterate after 2 days. Everybody I interacted with never understood me mehnnnnnn, oh girl was I pissed? hell yeah pissed as Bleep! I've improved tremendously now but I sound incredibly better when I go out at night after taking alcohol. Trust me, after a shot of whiskey or henny I dont hear stuffs like "pardon" "excuse me" again all through our conversations but sustaining the same speaking tempo afterwards is another thing. sad

. So sad a whole me wey my friend back in Naija dey believe my English die, come dey sound like pry 4 dropout for Obodo Oyibo. Its better now sha than July.

1 Like

Re: How Do I Work On My Accent. by lillaowow(m): 7:04pm On Dec 04, 2015

thewatcher2020:

Lol. same issues i had months back and still having, tho little. Initially when i landed in Toronto, I just believed I was an illiterate after 2 days. Everybody I interacted with never understood me mehnnnnnn, oh girl was I pissed? hell yeah pissed as Bleep! I've improved tremendously now but I sound incredibly better when I go out at night after taking alcohol. Trust me, after a shot of whiskey or henny I dont hear stuffs like "pardon" "excuse me" again all through our conversations but sustaining the same speaking tempo afterwards is another thing. . So sad a whole me wey my friend back in Naija dey believe my English die, come dey sound like pry 4 dropout for Obodo Oyibo. Its better now sha than July.

Hahahaha!!!
i actually resigned, got a better job, i worked the two for a while. (the money was good, job wey person no see for naija, see me holding two jobs lol). i quit cos it wasn't allowing me focus on school. was a really good experience.

i think talking after taking alcohol has an effect on me too. i just keep yapping like blah blah blah.
and yeah, my accent is better (i dont mean it was worse before i mean in terms of communicating). not americanish, a bit away for my original naija accent but any time i see my naija people, i go full blown pidgin!!! that feeling ia the bomb men

if you wan catch babe well well tho, speak with the upscale nigerian accent (the lag type) lol

Re: How Do I Work On My Accent. by itstpia8: 7:36pm On Dec 04, 2015

i thought you were female before.

I think you should stick to your original accent, it will help you better if you're in America but if you're in Britain, I think they prefer you speak with a British accent. Dont know about Canada, how important accent is to them.

Re: How Do I Work On My Accent. by Petyprincess(f): 9:04am On Jun 15, 2020

lillaowow:

I am obviously trolling you. Stop lying on the internet tho.

You will always be Mrs Poland for that lie. . When is your polish bae coming to Ibadan

Okay we will see who is good at trolling grin

But it is a good thing most people know alot about me while i never even notice their pathetic life b4 grin

Yes call me Mrs Poland,he will be coming to ibandan tomorrow infact today,infact right nw nd i can't wait to see him kiss

Nw the question when will you leave your Ibadan accent? Imagine not proud of your accent it proves hw shameless nd stupid you are!! No wonder whites treat you like trash, dnt worry when you will be a victim i will gladly pull up my card nd rally #blacklivesmatter
As for nw I'm done giving you attention nd dnt forget to mention me next time nd ask about my polish boo,its not easy to be popular nd everyone knows about you grin

Anyways i will be opening a YouTube Channel soon to talk about pros nd cons of interracial relationship/marriage nd hw to get a Audio attractive white man, reason why ladies are tired of yall bullshit, imagine a full grown man with hairy balls who 45 years old claiming he is trolling someone he can give birth to grin

#teamwhitemen cheesy

2 Likes

Re: How Do I Work On My Accent. by lillaowow(m): 8:16pm On Jun 15, 2020

Petyprincess:

Employer that stalks someone that knows nothing about you? Lol Audio employer
Anyways i will stop arguing with a old fool like you!! I hope b4 your 50th birthday you would have gotten more sense, if no one wants me then leave me alone na
You that you will remain single in your entire miserable life,you think you can troll me lol
#Wastedfool
Whenever you quote me just know i will upload it here so people can see what a fool you are!
Take care stoopid!!!

After careful observation, you're no even worth the effort. grin

. But I'm bored, so you'll get trolled for all the lies you told on Nairaland. grin

You haven't even left the south west Nigeria all your life.
I see you love joining FB groups and befriending foreigners with the hope someone will take you out of poverty your family have invested in and concoction rice you can't seem to get enough of grin

Madam Poland. grin

Re: How Do I Work On My Accent. by loadedvibes: 8:42pm On Jun 15, 2020

Chai I feel your pain. But anyway.. one way to work and better your accent is to grasp the real spellings of words first cos there are some words we pronounce wrongly because we don't know the spelling.. next thing is to make effort to pronounce words rightly listen to alot of foreign people talk your brain would begin to imitate them shortly.. you don't have a problem when you do these

Anyway come and buy kids Educational Tablets for your your children to help them stay ahead of their peers view my profile now

Re: How Do I Work On My Accent. by Petyprincess(f): 8:56pm On Jun 15, 2020

[quote author=lillaowow post=90707669]

Why the Fúck do you love lying this much? Dating Emeka because if his yellow complexion isn't considered interracial you retârd

1 Like

Re: How Do I Work On My Accent. by Petyprincess(f): 9:06pm On Jun 15, 2020

lillaowow:

After careful observation, you're no even worth the effort. . But I'm bored, so you'll get trolled for all the lies you told on Nairaland.

You haven't even left the south west Nigeria all your life.
I see you love joining FB groups and befriending foreigners with the hope someone will take you out of poverty your family have invested in and concoction rice you can't seem to get enough of

Madam Poland.

Okay olanrewaju michael
Better start quoting all my comments on nairaland grin

This is my last comment trust me wink

Anyways cheers tongue

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