savanaha:

If they tell you they can't understand you tell them the same thing and go about your business. Thats how other Nigerians in America handle them and they quickly understand when they figure out you don't give a flying f.

abi o.

I dont know how they understand bullshit like Cockney and try to act like a Naija accent is so out of the ordinary. Nonsense.

KarmaMod:

Siena, does it make sense to you for the girl to join these people on their "smoke breaks"? Second hand smoke anyone?

and I don't know why you people are acting like she said she declines everything. She goes for the things she enjoys. She said she goes to lunches, picnics, etc. how is that not enough? Why is going to a bar so important?

and once again wasnt this thread about accents?

Thank you.I wonder why the OP never seem to read the part where i siad i go for lunches and other activities that are of interest to me.I am all for team bonding as that is the reason i even raised a concern in the first place if not i would go into the work in the morn do what i am paid to do and leave in the eve.I am used to having a very good working relationship with my work colleagues which i must add was one of the illustrations that i gave at my interview that got me the job.The lady that interviewed me at my face to face stage actuallly told me that a very important criteria for selection is to demonsrate team spirit.So i wonder why some people are making me out as someone who lacks team spirit.You spend most of your day(at leats the part where you are awake) at work so why would i want to work in a strained cool enviroment.But as i said earlier not everone can like you and there has to be an avenue for them to justify the dislike and the way i sound makes it easier for them to get an outlet.That is why slim gals in secondary schools taunt and tease the plump one,i am not saying the slim one cant be teased but the fact that the plump looks different is an outlet to transfer the aggression.If she was slim she would have just fit in with the rest of them.

Thanks for your comments Siena. Its obvious you must be an intelligent person.

To be an effective team member, you must be prepared to be flexible. You don't have to participate in activities that you like. You must make an attempt to participate in what they like as well. When you are with them, it gives them little opportunity to engage in gossip about you. I started attending badminton session not because I knew how to play but because I wanted to learn few things from them. I have difficulty in hearing them at times and I don't pretend about it. I ask them if I don't understand them.

Like a poster said earlier, some of them can be dangerous to deal with but not all. Even Black British can be more dangerous at times. You may consider inviting them to participate in things you like doing.

Don't let accent be an hindrance to your career growth. We are in their country and we shouldn't expect them to change for us. It has to be the other way round.

tos:

Thanks for your comments Siena. Its obvious you must be an intelligent person.

To be an effective team member, you must be prepared to be flexible. You don't have to participate in activities that you like. You must make an attempt to participate in what they like as well. When you are with them, it gives them little opportunity to engage in gossip about you. I started attending badminton session not because I knew how to play but because I wanted to learn few things from them. I have difficulty in hearing them at times and I don't pretend about it. I ask them if I don't understand them.

Like a poster said earlier, some of them can be dangerous to deal with but not all. Even Black British can be more dangerous at times. You may consider inviting them to participate in things you like doing.

Don't let accent be an hindrance to your career growth. We are in their country and we shouldn't expect them to change for us. It has to be the other way round.

I quite agree with most of what you posted.

I also need to point out that the professional UK workplace is a little different from others and so a comparison with what takes place in the U.S environment may not be appropriate. I have found that people here appear to be more sensitive to team bonding and will continue to repeat it in different ways and actions when they think you are not bonding. It doesn't negate the fact that one participates in many activities with them, but they give more weight to certain activities and I realise that going to the pub is one such activity. It is usual of Nigerians not to want to go to the pub with them as it may be uninteresting to you if you don't drink, or consider it unreligious to be near alcohol and sometimes their jokes and discussions may also not be of interest.

My general advice in this matter is that it is not a wrong thing to follow your mind, but flexibility can be exercised in some regards. In addition, we may have to go out of our way to do things in some instances. As for some of the carribean folks, we Nigerians and them are like Oil and water!. We do not mix.

All opinions respected.

My view is that I don't subscribe to the idea of going out of my way to do team bonding. I partake in only what I am interested in and it works for me. 

THERE MUST BE SOME REASONABLE GAP/DISTANCE BETWEEN PEOPLE in d workplace.

I think the original poster is already doing enough team bonding. they are not best friends in the office. everyone is there to add value - team bonding only enhancing d value adding goal.

tumufulu (not sure if thats d right spelling) also mentioned keeping conversations official. well, i partly agree with this because don't want to stereotype d whole oyinbos - here is the approach i take:

1.) You can intuitively weigh if a person is just making conversation with you because he has to (i.e. part of his job so he can't avoid it). typical signs include talking about weather and delayed trains time and time again all d time when on lunches/dinners. if so, then be official.
2.) If you intuitively think the person is nice and is actually talking with you on par (not `talking down' on you, respects that you are a skilled immigrant not an asylum seeker, friendly, etc) then by all means do not be official with such nice people. Many english people are nice. they r not all racists. 

as for accent, please as long as you are sure that ur english is fine - DO NOT CARE! Investment Banks have offices in japan, hong kong with many workers there having stronger accents than naija one. yet front-office traders still communicate across d globe effectively despite their ehavily accented japanese/hong kong colleagues.

peace.

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people with their original accents have it easier, imo.

a lot of them dont know this.

@ poster,
i feel you, had the same problem, took me more than a yr to figure it out, this is/was how i resolved it.

started watching more british Tv (Coronation street etc) and less american shows like CSI,

Nigerians are more influenced by the american culture than british so i appreciate it might be difficult,

I Started hanging out with work colleagues but keeping my dignity (no pub crawling), they get use to the way you talk and apart from better communication they tend to know u better, also i started talking a bit slower and more body gesture.

If you try and copy a particular accent say scottish or SE london, u will struggle, be yourself and have your accent, dont fit into theirs, its just like listening to a white man trying to speak english, it cld be very annoying

Always be yourself and do your job well .Fight for your rights and ignore them .When they know you are more qualified and good at work,you must expect them to gang up and conspire and try to perceive you as inferior to them.To me ,how you speak the language is not the big issue but the Brain and Energy .
Aim for the top and dont let them distract you in any form.There prob is BAD belly,Jealousy and they feel threatened because they know they ll soon be serving you.Cant change the way i speak ,not as good as yours and i am discovered to be for the top,they mocked me,blocked opportunities but still,they noticed me .You cant compare GCSE with a degree,Can YOU?

@Esosele what do you mean by "Typical Nigerian warped mentality" why is everything from naija termed bad? what is wrong with naija mentality? doesnt the average brit have his own "mentality", thats what makes us who we are. we keep fighting our identity and making a futile effort at it,

@ poster some advices here are really spot on especially the ones from Nos, obalende Elosela, you are already doing just fine but maybe just loosen up a bit, u come across to me as a bit uptight (pls dnt take it personal)

Wish you well!

When an White English person is always constantly saying "Sorry" or "I beg your pardon" when you speak to them within an audible range, it because most of the time they are *intimidated" by you due to the fact that your are
not the "stereo-typical" african that they always see on TV!!!

And more importantly you are more qualified and more intelligent than them,

THe best thing to do to put them in their place is to "Ignore Them" for a while, they will get the message and will mellow!!!

Dont be bothered by it,

Very serious matter; and better appreciated by folks who have worked abroad.

My experience has not been exactly exciting. Interestingly, english is the only language I speak- and I speak it well.
Some colleagues and superiors would use your "thick" accent to try to put you down simply because they might feel
threatened by a bright, black person.

On your part you must simply make the effort to speak clearly, and quite understandbly so, because North Americans
aren't simply used to our accent. The thing is everyone has an accent, and that's the beauty in diversity.

Even George Soros (google him if you havent heard of him), has a "thick" eastern european accent!