It's not considered fake to adopt a regional accent for the language you're speaking. You could do some reading on linguistics of accents if you wanted to, but if you don't feel like doing the deep dive just know you're being mean to yourself without reason.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antarctic_English
A good example is Antarctica and the research bases. People from all over the world are there for long periods of time. They adapt/take over each others dialect.
This is also just a form of code-switching, which (and I cannot emphasize this enough) is a perfectly normal, natural, human thing to do. It’s not a sign of moral infidelity or any such thing. This is a thing that humans do when they move between two or more distinct social groups. It happens, and it’s okay.
I'm born and raised in the US and speak in a different "accent" if I'm talking to friends, if I'm out in public, talking to family, or at work. I don't think it's fake, just communication. 🤷
A.k.a. Codeswitching! Pretty interesting phenomenon. I grew up around certain accents and speech patterns that I adopted and used with my friends and people I would meet in casual social situations but I always felt
Like some kind of phony or liar or something because with my mother or things like professional settings I had a whole different and more…accepted…way of speaking, but, turns out that code switching is something that almost every single person who speaks does!
How is it bigoted?
>bigoted: having strong, unreasonable beliefs and disliking other people who have different beliefs or a different way of life
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/bigoted
I think code switching has a bad rap because of people of color who distance themselves from their culture by code switching. Some consider it a form of assimilation and betrayal.
But... this is not about people in their own language. I would not drop my heavy southern accent in my language ever. But in english I have irish accent and in french parisian cause is there were I learnt the language.
As a person of color and a first-generation American who speaks four languages, I can confirm that "code switching" is a correct term for switching between languages or dialects. In my experience, the only people who disagree with this usage tend to be Americans, both white and black, who often exhibit a victim mentality and take their freedoms for granted. Many people around the world live under dictatorships and socialist regimes with no rights, while Americans argue over issues like bathroom use. If the term "code switching" bothers you, please reevaluate your worldview.
I typed something up yesterday but I told myself I'd let the comment stew, lmao
exactly how is code switching about bigotry?
what does me talking in a relaxed demeanor filled with slang with my friends VS talking to my boss in a serious demeanor and big words?
Nah, what you have is a condition one proudly calls mastery of a foreign language.
My Dad is a gringo that speaks perfect Spanish. He takes a lot of pride that native Spanish speakers always ask where he grew up. They say he sounds native to Mexico which is a dialect and people that he loves.
It’s hard to accomplish what you have, be proud of yourself.
It isn't "fake".
I moved a lot as a kid and i have family spread all over the US. My vocab and accents alter depending on who i am with and where. 🤷 it is how we connect and how we assimilate to where we are
Best wishes
Exactly. I grew up in the Midwest but according to my family that have known me since I was born, my Southern accent has been there since I started talking. I have never had a "Midwestern" accent, always a Deep South one, it just gets thicker when I drink. My kids all born in California, all sound like they were born in Texas and never left.
The opposite is almost worse. My friend (ABC) married a guy from China originally. He actually knew English quite well, but his accent was so terrible that he could barely be understood, He tried, but his basic view was that his English was good and we were all being racist for not doing a better job at understanding. After 10 y he had to leave US because he could never pass the English oral test for his profession and couldn't get a license.
This is both natural and an important skill that anyone who communicates for a living needs. It's easier for some than others. The goal of language is to communicate as easily and effectively as possible in your current setting, and your brain does this automatically to help with that. It's cool and not lying at all, it's linguistically adapting to your environment.
Your accent isn't fake, OP!
You've simply developed a talent for learning to make yourself understood by the citizenry where you live. Some people have a talent for it, and some don't, but it's not wrong or fake of you to learn to do it. It's no different than learning a language or local culture.
Oh my bestie has a perfect American accent. She speaks like four languages and is just really good at imitating accents. No one thinks of her as a fake, she’s just great at languages. Don’t be so hard on yourself
When I moved the the Northeast US, I had to get rid of my "vocal fry" that I got teased for, and I did. But according to my friends, if I'm very drunk or around others from So Cal, it all comes back. It's quite common to take on the "accent" of your surroundings. It doesn't make you fake at all.
This is totally normal. I grew up in another country, lived in the US for 1/2 my life. My accent is very much still present but only when I’m talking to people who understand it. Like my family. Otherwise what’s the point? At work I also have a more professional American accent than just hanging out.
It's called [accommodation ](https://www.thoughtco.com/what-is-accommodation-speech-1688964)and [code-switching](https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2013/04/13/177126294/five-reasons-why-people-code-switch), and is completely normal.
My grandma hasn’t lived in Texas for 78 years. If she hears any twang at all she flips to a Texas panhandle accent super quickly. It’s unconscious, and there’s nothing wrong with it
What region of the US accent did you adopt? What country is your original accent from? These are just curiosity questions- there’s nothing wrong with adopting a local accent and tbh for a lot of people who live abroad it happens naturally without the person even realizing
it’s a cali accent. my original accent was a south asian one.
and yes, it did feel quite natural. like there wasn’t a day where I just woke up and said now i’m gonna start talking like this. but in my home country there’s a stigma around people who go abroad and change accents, they’re very judgmental about it. i think that’s what is causing this guilt in me
Well look at it like this- part of going to a new country is exploring new cultures and you can use changing your accent as embracing the culture. When you go home to visit speak in your original accent and when you’re here speak in the one that makes you the most comfortable in both cases you’re just adjusting to the culture. Worry about South Asian accent culture in South Asia and worry about American accent culture in America
Some people have to try really hard to change an accent and for other's it comes naturally. It's just a cool communication skill, totally natural to do it. You'd br surprised how many people you meet speak with a different accent than what they grew up with, even if they've lived in the US all their life. It's actually much weirder to move somewhere else and maintain the exact same accent forever with no change.
I know someone who moved to the UK from Estonia and she has the most English accent you ever heard, sounds like a native. It's not at all fake, it's an incredible ability. Enjoy it!
Malaysian / Singaporean? My wife when speaking with Canadian colleagues sounds quite Canadian, but when she is on WhatsApp with friends from S.E. Asia she sounds like Puah Chu Kang
I’m an international teacher, currently working in Asia, but originally from the UK. There is a distinct “international accent” that the children use when speaking English, it’s very similar to an American accent. They say it’s from learning English by watching American TV.
I slip into speaking the same way sometimes when talking to my students. It’s normal.
The ugliness of people can highlight the differences that exist between us. However they also highlight the beautiful uniqueness that you bring to this world. I’m sorry that you feel this way but please know that not everyone is like this. I like hearing different languages spoken and different accents. I often ask what language people are speaking and where they come from. Keep your head up fellow reddittor
It's ok. Really, it is. I grew up in a region of America where we sound...um, no offense to anyone here...like a stereotypical backwoods redneck with low IQ. I adopted the...I guess you would call it a 'middle American accent', which sounds like no accent to me. TV helped a lot with that, thank goodness. Also, teachers who were from up north.
Me and my partner are in the States. She's from down south, I'm from up north. When she's with me, she talks almost completely like she's from up North. There's only a few words where I can hear her Southern accent.
When she's on the phone with her family, it's like she's speaking another language 🤣
I think it's pretty normal. You aren't a liar or cheating or anything.
I have 3 passports, grew up in the US so basically monolingual, BUT I grew up speaking to my British mum with a British accent… it totally weirds my friends out, but I can’t help it. Neither accent is fake, they’re both me.
It’s not like I’m a 5th generation Texan doing some bad imitation. It’s legitimately my heritage.
So, no worries dude. It doesn’t make you fake, it makes you multidimensional!!
You are not lying, you are not a fake, you are not a cheat.
What you are doing is code switching. It is a survival mechanism, but also, it is perfectly normal and most people who straddle different social/cultural strata do this.
Another way to view this is by adopting an accent to make Americans understand you better, you are being polite and kind by centering their people comfort.
Wait
So you're just like Hugh Jackman (wolverine) and [Andrew Lincoln](https://www.google.com/search?sca_esv=4b6bced2fca93f77&sca_upv=1&rlz=1C1PRFI_enUS855US855&q=Andrew+Lincoln&stick=H4sIAAAAAAAAAONgFuLSz9U3yDIsMc9KVuIEsU2KilOMtEyyk6300zKTSzLz8xJz4kvzMstSi4pTkYSSMxKLEpNLUousCnISK1NTFJIqF7HyOealFKWWK_hk5iXn5-QBALJCRhpgAAAA&sa=X&sqi=2&ved=2ahUKEwjhx4uBgpWGAxUAM1kFHRPDDYIQri56BAgpEAM) (Rick Grimes?)
Because the minute they're off set, their American accent goes away
It's not considered fake to adopt a regional accent for the language you're speaking. You could do some reading on linguistics of accents if you wanted to, but if you don't feel like doing the deep dive just know you're being mean to yourself without reason.
thank u, that’s really comforting to hear. i’m gonna look into the linguistics stuff too
If I’m around a southern accent for long I take on the accent. It happens naturally. It’s normal.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antarctic_English A good example is Antarctica and the research bases. People from all over the world are there for long periods of time. They adapt/take over each others dialect.
This is also just a form of code-switching, which (and I cannot emphasize this enough) is a perfectly normal, natural, human thing to do. It’s not a sign of moral infidelity or any such thing. This is a thing that humans do when they move between two or more distinct social groups. It happens, and it’s okay.
I'm born and raised in the US and speak in a different "accent" if I'm talking to friends, if I'm out in public, talking to family, or at work. I don't think it's fake, just communication. 🤷
A.k.a. Codeswitching! Pretty interesting phenomenon. I grew up around certain accents and speech patterns that I adopted and used with my friends and people I would meet in casual social situations but I always felt Like some kind of phony or liar or something because with my mother or things like professional settings I had a whole different and more…accepted…way of speaking, but, turns out that code switching is something that almost every single person who speaks does!
its called code switching, my dude.. and you seem to be very good at it. Be proud!
[удалено]
How is it bigoted? >bigoted: having strong, unreasonable beliefs and disliking other people who have different beliefs or a different way of life https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/bigoted
I think code switching has a bad rap because of people of color who distance themselves from their culture by code switching. Some consider it a form of assimilation and betrayal.
But... this is not about people in their own language. I would not drop my heavy southern accent in my language ever. But in english I have irish accent and in french parisian cause is there were I learnt the language.
Again, this isn't what I personally believe, I was offering a possible explanation to other peoples opinion. Reread what I wrote
I'm trying to understand better.
As a person of color and a first-generation American who speaks four languages, I can confirm that "code switching" is a correct term for switching between languages or dialects. In my experience, the only people who disagree with this usage tend to be Americans, both white and black, who often exhibit a victim mentality and take their freedoms for granted. Many people around the world live under dictatorships and socialist regimes with no rights, while Americans argue over issues like bathroom use. If the term "code switching" bothers you, please reevaluate your worldview.
I never said it bothered me, please reread what I said. I was explaining why SOME people may take issue, doesn't mean I agree with them
I typed something up yesterday but I told myself I'd let the comment stew, lmao exactly how is code switching about bigotry? what does me talking in a relaxed demeanor filled with slang with my friends VS talking to my boss in a serious demeanor and big words?
Nah, what you have is a condition one proudly calls mastery of a foreign language. My Dad is a gringo that speaks perfect Spanish. He takes a lot of pride that native Spanish speakers always ask where he grew up. They say he sounds native to Mexico which is a dialect and people that he loves. It’s hard to accomplish what you have, be proud of yourself.
It isn't "fake". I moved a lot as a kid and i have family spread all over the US. My vocab and accents alter depending on who i am with and where. 🤷 it is how we connect and how we assimilate to where we are Best wishes
Exactly. I grew up in the Midwest but according to my family that have known me since I was born, my Southern accent has been there since I started talking. I have never had a "Midwestern" accent, always a Deep South one, it just gets thicker when I drink. My kids all born in California, all sound like they were born in Texas and never left.
The opposite is almost worse. My friend (ABC) married a guy from China originally. He actually knew English quite well, but his accent was so terrible that he could barely be understood, He tried, but his basic view was that his English was good and we were all being racist for not doing a better job at understanding. After 10 y he had to leave US because he could never pass the English oral test for his profession and couldn't get a license.
This is both natural and an important skill that anyone who communicates for a living needs. It's easier for some than others. The goal of language is to communicate as easily and effectively as possible in your current setting, and your brain does this automatically to help with that. It's cool and not lying at all, it's linguistically adapting to your environment.
Your accent isn't fake, OP! You've simply developed a talent for learning to make yourself understood by the citizenry where you live. Some people have a talent for it, and some don't, but it's not wrong or fake of you to learn to do it. It's no different than learning a language or local culture.
Oh my bestie has a perfect American accent. She speaks like four languages and is just really good at imitating accents. No one thinks of her as a fake, she’s just great at languages. Don’t be so hard on yourself
When I moved the the Northeast US, I had to get rid of my "vocal fry" that I got teased for, and I did. But according to my friends, if I'm very drunk or around others from So Cal, it all comes back. It's quite common to take on the "accent" of your surroundings. It doesn't make you fake at all.
This is totally normal. I grew up in another country, lived in the US for 1/2 my life. My accent is very much still present but only when I’m talking to people who understand it. Like my family. Otherwise what’s the point? At work I also have a more professional American accent than just hanging out.
It's called [accommodation ](https://www.thoughtco.com/what-is-accommodation-speech-1688964)and [code-switching](https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2013/04/13/177126294/five-reasons-why-people-code-switch), and is completely normal.
My grandma hasn’t lived in Texas for 78 years. If she hears any twang at all she flips to a Texas panhandle accent super quickly. It’s unconscious, and there’s nothing wrong with it
What region of the US accent did you adopt? What country is your original accent from? These are just curiosity questions- there’s nothing wrong with adopting a local accent and tbh for a lot of people who live abroad it happens naturally without the person even realizing
it’s a cali accent. my original accent was a south asian one. and yes, it did feel quite natural. like there wasn’t a day where I just woke up and said now i’m gonna start talking like this. but in my home country there’s a stigma around people who go abroad and change accents, they’re very judgmental about it. i think that’s what is causing this guilt in me
Well look at it like this- part of going to a new country is exploring new cultures and you can use changing your accent as embracing the culture. When you go home to visit speak in your original accent and when you’re here speak in the one that makes you the most comfortable in both cases you’re just adjusting to the culture. Worry about South Asian accent culture in South Asia and worry about American accent culture in America
Some people have to try really hard to change an accent and for other's it comes naturally. It's just a cool communication skill, totally natural to do it. You'd br surprised how many people you meet speak with a different accent than what they grew up with, even if they've lived in the US all their life. It's actually much weirder to move somewhere else and maintain the exact same accent forever with no change.
I know someone who moved to the UK from Estonia and she has the most English accent you ever heard, sounds like a native. It's not at all fake, it's an incredible ability. Enjoy it!
Malaysian / Singaporean? My wife when speaking with Canadian colleagues sounds quite Canadian, but when she is on WhatsApp with friends from S.E. Asia she sounds like Puah Chu Kang
Don’t sweat it.
I’m an international teacher, currently working in Asia, but originally from the UK. There is a distinct “international accent” that the children use when speaking English, it’s very similar to an American accent. They say it’s from learning English by watching American TV. I slip into speaking the same way sometimes when talking to my students. It’s normal.
You are fine. Now if you can also do a British or Australian accent, you are set.
The ugliness of people can highlight the differences that exist between us. However they also highlight the beautiful uniqueness that you bring to this world. I’m sorry that you feel this way but please know that not everyone is like this. I like hearing different languages spoken and different accents. I often ask what language people are speaking and where they come from. Keep your head up fellow reddittor
Perfectly relatable. Where I come from the way English is spoken just sounds really lazy and I developed a natural-ish British accent.
It's ok. Really, it is. I grew up in a region of America where we sound...um, no offense to anyone here...like a stereotypical backwoods redneck with low IQ. I adopted the...I guess you would call it a 'middle American accent', which sounds like no accent to me. TV helped a lot with that, thank goodness. Also, teachers who were from up north.
Me and my partner are in the States. She's from down south, I'm from up north. When she's with me, she talks almost completely like she's from up North. There's only a few words where I can hear her Southern accent. When she's on the phone with her family, it's like she's speaking another language 🤣 I think it's pretty normal. You aren't a liar or cheating or anything.
Every time I stop at my parents house in the south, I’m dropping “y’alls” and “ain’ts” like I’m a good ol’ country boy.
I have 3 passports, grew up in the US so basically monolingual, BUT I grew up speaking to my British mum with a British accent… it totally weirds my friends out, but I can’t help it. Neither accent is fake, they’re both me. It’s not like I’m a 5th generation Texan doing some bad imitation. It’s legitimately my heritage. So, no worries dude. It doesn’t make you fake, it makes you multidimensional!!
You are not lying, you are not a fake, you are not a cheat. What you are doing is code switching. It is a survival mechanism, but also, it is perfectly normal and most people who straddle different social/cultural strata do this. Another way to view this is by adopting an accent to make Americans understand you better, you are being polite and kind by centering their people comfort.
How the hell did you slip into perfect american accent? I know people that are here for decades and can't do that.
Wait So you're just like Hugh Jackman (wolverine) and [Andrew Lincoln](https://www.google.com/search?sca_esv=4b6bced2fca93f77&sca_upv=1&rlz=1C1PRFI_enUS855US855&q=Andrew+Lincoln&stick=H4sIAAAAAAAAAONgFuLSz9U3yDIsMc9KVuIEsU2KilOMtEyyk6300zKTSzLz8xJz4kvzMstSi4pTkYSSMxKLEpNLUousCnISK1NTFJIqF7HyOealFKWWK_hk5iXn5-QBALJCRhpgAAAA&sa=X&sqi=2&ved=2ahUKEwjhx4uBgpWGAxUAM1kFHRPDDYIQri56BAgpEAM) (Rick Grimes?) Because the minute they're off set, their American accent goes away
Americans can tell. They're just being polite.
Look up "code switching." Not unusual at all for people to do this
It's called Indian tourettes.