English Accent?

[Herlene]

As Malaysians, we are living in multicultural society and hence have the opportunity to learn about other language other than our own mother tounge. For this topic, it is about English. Being an international language, with so many countries across the world using it, each with their own accent, how do we approach and master the language without say, any accent at all?

Since heavily accented language usually make people of other culture to have difficulties of certain degree of understanding you, can I be neutral?

The American accent, the Australian accent, the British accent or Manglish with our own rojak slang and mother tounge accent? How about neither of them all?

Do share your thoughts on this topic!

[music_freak28]

how do we approach and master the language without say, any accent at all?

Haha. I don't think it is ever possible to master the English language without an accent. How would you define the "correct accent" for English after all? Say if we assume English originated from UK, is the UK accent considered correct? Yet some of us find difficulties in listening to the UK accent. We will definitely develop an accent, depending on where we learn English. I doubt there'll be such thing as a neutral accent. Unless we mix and match all of them.:P

Plus, accent or not, most of the English words still retain the same meaning. Like, a "phone" is still really a phone no matter where we utter it but it's just pronounced in a different manner. :))

Unless your version of "accent" here means the unnecessary addition of words like in Malaysian, the word "ONE" has many usages. :P

[Herlene]

How would you define the "correct accent" for English after all? Say if we assume English originated from UK, is the UK accent considered correct?

:P

I'm not going to define the correct accent because I believe there is no such thing. Although English originated from UK, there are many varieties among them, and each of them underwent developments on their own.
It is true that I can't really get used to the British accent, having grown used to the American way through tv and movies. That is why I intend to have it accent free, everybody can understand it.

I doubt there'll be such thing as a neutral accent. :P
So is neutral accent just a myth?


While some chose to learn certain accent, can one "unlearn" an accent that he or she picked up subconciously and not on purpose?
Since you don't think there is a neutral accent, does the "unlearning process" meant by taking up of yet another accent?

[sultanthewise]

Basically when you learn english as a second language, you kept many of the sounds and speech rules from your first language and you are continuing to use them when you speak english. This is what give you an accent. You are using the sound and speech rules from your native language instead of the sound and speech rules of english. And you know why? Well, because when you learnt english nobody ever showed you what the sounds and speech rules of english were.

[Glassylicious]

While some chose to learn certain accent, can one "unlearn" an accent that he or she picked up subconciously and not on purpose?
Since you don't think there is a neutral accent, does the "unlearning process" meant by taking up of yet another accent?

Well, there isn't such a thing as "no accent". Even if you take away all the "-lahs" from Malaysian English and pronounce the words in the same, flat way as Malaysians do, the Brits are still going to regard us as "speaking in another accent".

Also, from my personal observations, if you talk to the same groups of people for a certain period of time, you tend to mimic them. And then you'll quickly switch back when you go talk to another group of people. This is how I just subconsciously speak with a British accent when I'm buying things/talking to people in England, yet easily revert back to the same, flat intonations when I Skype with my sister and parents.

You can never permanently forget an accent once you've picked it up and used it for a while; it'll always be tucked away somewhere at the back of your mind, just waiting for the right trigger to emerge.

[Herlene]

What about newscaster? Aren't them suppose to have neutral accent so as to be understood by all?

[youngyew]

An accent is always acquired through early childhood and is hard if not impossible to change in adulthood. You can always imitate a foreign accent but you can't do it perfectly.

[Glassylicious]

What about newscaster? Aren't them suppose to have neutral accent so as to be understood by all?

Again, what you can understand easily may not be what others can understand easily. Some of the flat intonations us Malaysians use can actually differ significantly from the way some Brits pronounce their words.

There is no universal "neutral accent". You may think that the way Malaysians speak is "lacking in accent" simply because they do not exercise the intonations used by the Brits and Americans, but the truth is, we're speaking in an accent of our own. Likewise, when talking about food, there's just bland food and flavorful food, no "neutral food" that can be easily appreciated by all.

If what you said about newscasters needing a "neutral accent" was true, then many of them would be out of a job. There are many British accents according to the regions in the UK, but people nationwide still don't have a problem if a DJ with a Liverpool accent runs the show.

Fact is, it takes A LOT for an accent to be completely "impossible to understand" [a perfect example would be the Scottish accent; I literally didn't understand a single word my Scottish friend said, the first week I met him], and many of these accents are actually quite all right in that respect. You might miss a word here and there, but at least you won't be feeling like the person's speaking a completely different language altogether.

[Herlene]

An accent is always acquired through early childhood and is hard if not impossible to change in adulthood. You can always imitate a foreign accent but you can't do it perfectly.

No I'm not talking about imitating a particular accent. It's just that I would like to stay neutral. While I definitely have the Malaysian accent when talking Manglish among friends, I wouldn't want this accent to stand out too much when I'm speaking proper English.....especially to foreigners who might not understand them.

[music_freak28]

That is why I intend to have it accent free, everybody can understand it.

But how would English sound like if it was accent free? Like what Glassylicious said, understanding an accent is completely subjective to different individuals. We may find the Australian accent hard to understand, but Aussies don't get we are saying too. But we still clearly understand each other no?

So is neutral accent just a myth?


While some chose to learn certain accent, can one "unlearn" an accent that he or she picked up subconciously and not on purpose?
Since you don't think there is a neutral accent, does the "unlearning process" meant by taking up of yet another accent?

Unless we can trace the origins of English, neutral accent is difficult to define. We can avoid developing accents (unlearn it), but only if we stick to another accent. Yeap, unlearning process is staying with another accent.:)

No I'm not talking about imitating a particular accent. It's just that I would like to stay neutral. While I definitely have the Malaysian accent when talking Manglish among friends, I wouldn't want this accent to stand out too much when I'm speaking proper English.....especially to foreigners who might not understand them.

Like I said before, if we can avoid the "lahs" and multiple usages of "one", then i doubt we will develop much communication problems with foreigners. The usage of proper English is important but not how we pronounce it.

[youngyew]

No I'm not talking about imitating a particular accent. It's just that I would like to stay neutral. While I definitely have the Malaysian accent when talking Manglish among friends, I wouldn't want this accent to stand out too much when I'm speaking proper English.....especially to foreigners who might not understand them.
I wasn't referring to your original post when I am talking about imitating accents. :)

Here in Australia I do fine speaking halfway-Chinese-ed-Malaysian-English-accent-halfway-fake-Aussie accent. People understand me alright. And as a few before us have said, there's no such thing as neutral. Accents that appear neutral to Malaysians would not be neutral to, say, an American.

[yanno_yamster]

I don't really egg on people to imitate accents if they can't do it right. It might just end up as an ear sore to others.

[henry_yew]

Rather than being worried about your accent, the more important thing to do is to pay attention on your pronunciation. Pronunciation is not just enunciating the words correctly, but to also pay emphasis on the stresses on the different syllables of a particular word, because different places of the stress on a particular word can produce a different meaning.

Take for example the word "record". If you place the stress on the first syllable "REcord", it will be a noun. Change the stress to the second syllable "reCORD" and it is a verb. The same goes for words like "subject" and "object".

Malaysians have the mistake of pronouncing most words without paying attention to the stresses. As such we have people pronouncing words with incorrect stresses like (stress is marked by capital letters) "reSOURCE", "ACademic", "eCONomic", etc. but the correct stresses should have been "REsource", "acaDEMic", "ecoNOmic".

Newscasters sound as if they deliver their news in what might be perceived as Revised Standard English accent (I hope I got that right) but in true fact they were being particular about the stresses and pronunciations.

It is not hard to learn how to pronounce correctly and to place the stresses at the correct syllables. Good English dictionaries not only define the meaning of words, but also indicate how they are pronounced (with stresses indicated by an apostrophe next to the syllable).

Malaysians often speak English in a monotonous, flat manner. The reason why British and American speakers speak English in such an "interesting" style is because of the stresses. The high and low stresses give English its distinct tone.

[youngyew]

For example, "POLAR" should be pronounced as "pole-ler" instead of the Malay pronunciation po-lar.

[starlemon]

hey, i think different Languages and their own accents have to do with the nation's culture, do you agree ? sometimes, i think it is rather a norm to see people from different countries speak different accents of english, like what happen with indonesia friends of mine who speak differently.

sometimes it is very hard to grasp what they want to convey , but eventually it is upon the mouth gesture that help us a bit on what they are going to say out.

[qedx]

There's no such thing as "having no accent". Everyone has an accent, it's just a difference in the degree of familiarity with the different accents.

[frankchong]

One should not have a complex because he/she has a different accent, but if you can, try to improve your speech, it will be useful.
I have an accent, may be less so now because the last time I visited Singapore, the taxi drivers didn't think that I was from Singapore/Malaysia before I told them so.
My work is mostly technical, so even as speaker in international conferences or as speaker in technical panels, people were more intersted what I had to say. People I work with got used to my accent after a while.
However, if you are in marketing or involve with the mass, it helps if others can understand your speech easily. When my children were in high school, in USA, they were LD debators, and we as parents had to help in organizing and at times as judges. Good delivery is definitely a plus, in many cases it can mean a win or lost, especially with novice judges. Besides accent, intonation, people also went for speech lessons. It is a skill that takes time to perfect.
Besides English, most people from Singapore and Malaysia about my age, have problem with Chinese too. When kids went to school leaning the "standard" pinyin, we were unable to help. When it comes to Chinese character entry, we face similar problems too.
Most of you are young, please help yourself by learning "proper" English. You do not want to be one when you speak English, the native English speakers cann't understand you. When you speak Chinese, the Chinese couldn't understand you. A lot of people think we are talented in languages, it is not so, we have very little depth.

Best regards,
Frank

[henry_yew]

hey, i think different Languages and their own accents have to do with the nation's culture, do you agree ? sometimes, i think it is rather a norm to see people from different countries speak different accents of english, like what happen with indonesia friends of mine who speak differently.

sometimes it is very hard to grasp what they want to convey , but eventually it is upon the mouth gesture that help us a bit on what they are going to say out.

Indonesians speak English with quite a thick Indonesian accent because some of their pronunciations in Bahasa Indonesia, I believe, are also influenced by Dutch. I have noticed that they tend to read words containing the letter "v" with an "f" sound, and the pronunciation of their R's and T's are more prominent than usually heard from a native English speaker. This is all common in Dutch, too.

But I think let us not confuse accent with pronunciation, like what I have done in my first paragraph here. While accent may be an in-born thing, pronunciation can always be corrected.

If your idea of getting closer to attaining a more British-sounding accent is actually to correct your pronunciation, then I'd suggest that you get your pronunciation and stresses right first before you even think of sounding like a British.

[Leen]

I don't like people who go abroad and come back with a foreign accent and pretend that they have better English than people without that foreign accent.

I'm fine with people acquiring the accent over the time because of the exposure to foreign countries but I am not fine with people who try hard to acquire the accent just to prove themselves to be better than the rest of the people.

I strongly believe that language is used for communication. As well as the person next to you understand what you are trying to communicate, accents don't matter. There is no superior/right accent as long as your English is reasonably comprehensible.

[youngyew]

Very well put, Leen!

[yeng]

My english pronounciation is not very good and it is really like hell to get my pronounciation right for local aussies to understand me. Accent is not a big issue when you get the pronounciation right.
I am developing weird accent - influenced by the aussies and my malay housemates. O.o

[henry_yew]

My english pronounciation is not very good and it is really like hell to get my pronounciation right for local aussies to understand me. Accent is not a big issue when you get the pronounciation right.
I am developing weird accent - influenced by the aussies and my malay housemates. O.o

Aussies may have an accent which is difficult to understand, but over time, that wouldn't be a problem. A bigger problem lies in slang. That requires more time to pick up.

If you're worried about pronunciation, get a dictionary to help you with.

It's a big mistake if you don't check the dictionary for guidance just because you feel lazy. It's not just to give you definitions.

[davidchak]

Yesterday I saw this girl, she was like totally hot, then i was like totally into her. So, you know like, I was really gonna make the move on her, then like she suddenly digs her nose for treasure...then I am like feeling totally turn off by that already. isnt this like, totally turn off, man?!

<<= this is annoying and yet you hear ppl talk like that all the times around Sunway/Taylor area

[youngyew]

But then this has nothing to do with the accent..

[yanno_yamster]

Yesterday I saw this girl, she was like totally hot, then i was like totally into her. So, you know like, I was really gonna make the move on her, then like she suddenly digs her nose for treasure...then I am like feeling totally turn off by that already. isnt this like, totally turn off, man?!

<<= this is annoying and yet you hear ppl talk like that all the times around Sunway/Taylor area

Yeah, it IS annoying when you add this talking style with a poorly imitated accent.

[Glassylicious]

Yesterday I saw this girl, she was like totally hot, then i was like totally into her. So, you know like, I was really gonna make the move on her, then like she suddenly digs her nose for treasure...then I am like feeling totally turn off by that already. isnt this like, totally turn off, man?!

<<= this is annoying and yet you hear ppl talk like that all the times around Sunway/Taylor area

Funnily enough, having lived in the Sunway/Taylor area for a year and a half back when I was doing my A levels in 2007, I haven't had much experience meeting people who talk like that.

[vseehua]

You guys should try Scottish. It's a totally different language over there :P

[senksiang90]

Funnily enough, having lived in the Sunway/Taylor area for a year and a half back when I was doing my A levels in 2007, I haven't had much experience meeting people who talk like that.

Well, I encountered a few from PL classes who speaks american english. It is quite annoying to a certain extent but they are brought up this way-they were previously frm Sri KL- so can't really blame them... they took O Level so they can't even speak Malay or Chinese for the Chinese....

Erm, to me, having English accent is barely that important. What's most important is your ideas and that the way you present them. You don't have to look far to see this. Just turn on 812 every week and you can watch the English Shebby speaks which is not good as compared to John Dykes and gang. Despite that, ESPN still hires him for his ability to make ridiculous football forecast results and his continuous denial that Manchester United is not a good team. LOL.

So, conclusion is, no matter who you are, what's matter most is you have the idea and originality. You don't have to be very good in speaking to show your ability.

[henry_yew]

The Scotch rocks man! I remember my conversation with a Scotch (I guess he must be one!) while waiting to board a train to Aylesbury from London in the winter of 2000...

Henry: Excuse me. Do you know which platform should I go to take the train to Aylesbury?
Man: (Looks at my ticket) Platform "AAIT" (eight).
Henry: (feels lost) I beg your pardon?
Man: Platform "AAIT".
Henry: (thinks for a while) Oh, platform eight!
Man: Yeah.

[FoxyWoxy25]

I think having a neutral accent would be a sort of mix of the different accents in the world. Friends of mine have trouble placing my accent, saying that it's very neutral-like. I suppose it's because I've been in a British international school, before going to a local school, and then moving to Australia to study, all the while watching American programs. However when I'm back in Malaysia, some people find it hard to understand me, which is odd.

[amara93]

I think having a neutral accent would be a sort of mix of the different accents in the world. Friends of mine have trouble placing my accent, saying that it's very neutral-like. I suppose it's because I've been in a British international school, before going to a local school, and then moving to Australia to study, all the while watching American programs. However when I'm back in Malaysia, some people find it hard to understand me, which is odd.

LOL. I'm in the same boat! I've been to the UK and Australia and when I enrolled in an SMK in Malaysia (what more in Kedah :P), I have pretty much a cocktail blend of accents.

[ayjiahui]

I think having a neutral accent would be a sort of mix of the different accents in the world. Friends of mine have trouble placing my accent, saying that it's very neutral-like. I suppose it's because I've been in a British international school, before going to a local school, and then moving to Australia to study, all the while watching American programs. However when I'm back in Malaysia, some people find it hard to understand me, which is odd.

I think my accent's rather neutral too. And I think that's good because people from around the world will have less trouble understanding you? =/ Funny about Malaysians not understanding you though...

[Dman90]

Haha but what IS a neutral accent? One that has no traces of influence from other accents?

[FoxyWoxy25]

I reckon one that has traces from multiple accents. Or even the command of English; whether you're using British (real) English, or American English.

[Cactus]

I've always thought that if you speak a language, then you have an accent.

For English I think I speak more like British + Manglish (depend on situations). E.g. I don't pronounce the "r" in hair, pair, hear, there etc....

[cycycy]

Hmmm. I speak English with a Chinese slang. -.-

[AnnSecret]

Hmmm... A neutral accent. I have actually been pondering about these few days -- coincidence lol?

But I suppose it's fairly impossible to have a neutral accent since most Malaysian's pronunciation -- which differs from Aus, UK or US -- is considered an accent itself.

Unless you speak monotonously likened to a robot. But who are you kidding, no one wants to sound like a robot :|

[weiliang]

I've always thought that if you speak a language, then you have an accent.

For English I think I speak more like British + Manglish (depend on situations). E.g. I don't pronounce the "r" in hair, pair, hear, there etc....

one thing i notice when i watch american sitcom. 'th' is pronounced as 'f'?? eg. there pronounced as fair?? i'm still able to watch FRIENDS without subtitle thou, :)

[youngyew]

Hmmm. I speak English with a Chinese slang. -.-
You mean Chinese accent. Accent is the variation of intonation of speech, slang means words that are in common use in a particular geographical area but not not used as much outside it. For example, some slangs in Australia are "chook" for "chicken", "barbie" for barbieque etc.

[cycycy]

You mean Chinese accent. Accent is the variation of intonation of speech, slang means words that are in common use in a particular geographical area but not not used as much outside it. For example, some slangs in Australia are "chook" for "chicken", "barbie" for barbieque etc.

Thanks youngyew. (:
By the way, the examples you've given reminded me of my EALD listening exam last year. :P The recording was about Aussie slang and consisted of phrases like "BYO" and "barbie". And there was someone who wrote babi on the question paper. I forgot what he wrote for BYO. Something weird too. :laugh LOL.

[senksiang90]

to me there's no such thing as real accent or real way of pronouncing it. we have to find the reason to why language is being invented and it is to communicate among one another. as long as your accent can be heard and understood, that's fine.

PS : i hate very much pple who tries to fake their accent. its gibberish to do so if you cannot talk in that sense. as long as you are able to convey what you are trying to say, that's what matters most.

[FoxyWoxy25]

You'd be surprised how many Asians come over here to Australia and lose their accents, and they sound absolutely ridiculous. In fact I've got some Malaysian friends asking me why I haven't started talking like an Aussie.

On a similar note, do you know any people who switch accents depending on who they talk to?

[Cactus]

You'd be surprised how many Asians come over here to Australia and lose their accents, and they sound absolutely ridiculous. In fact I've got some Malaysian friends asking me why I haven't started talking like an Aussie.

On a similar note, do you know any people who switch accents depending on who they talk to?

I do try to switch accents depending on the audience. But, because my English is just so-so....fluency became a problem when I try to accommodate their erm...ears.

[vikraman]

I do tend to switch accents depending on who I'm talking to. I've got a rough country NSW accent when I'm in Australia talking to white people. I moderate it down to a mild Australian accent when I'm talking to Asians in Australia. When I talk to my parents I go to a Malaysian accent and I drift to a clipped, well-enunciated accent when I speak to continental Europeans.

[yanno_yamster]

I speak with a Malaysian accent regardless with whom; the difference is the heaviness of the accent.

[Cactus]

I speak with a Malaysian accent regardless with whom; the difference is the heaviness of the accent.

I wasn't aware that there is a Malaysian accent.

[twin]

I wasn't aware that there is a Malaysian accent.

I bet the British aren't aware of their British accent either! LOL.

Anyways, my friend who is completely born and bred in London sometimes tries to imitate the Malaysian accent, which to him is a breeze. However when we (Malaysians) try the British accent, we tend to sound ridiculous. As if we're trying too hard. ;p

[Cactus]

I was trying to be sarcastic when I said I hadn't been aware that there was a (unified) Malaysian accent. (sorry)

What I was trying to imply is that, Malaysians, coming from so many different cultures/first languages/backgrounds, can't have a single "Malaysian" accent right?
(In a way, there also isn't a "British"/American/Australian accent?)

[yanno_yamster]

I was trying to be sarcastic when I said I hadn't been aware that there was a (unified) Malaysian accent. (sorry)

What I was trying to imply is that, Malaysians, coming from so many different cultures/first languages/backgrounds, can't have a single "Malaysian" accent right?
(In a way, there also isn't a "British"/American/Australian accent?)

Sorry for not being very specific, haha... The accent I meant is the typical way of speaking Manglish (similar to the Singaporean accent).

True, accent varies according to region within the country itself. Even so, I think all those variations have something common in them that you would know they are from the same country when you hear them.

[FoxyWoxy25]

I was trying to be sarcastic when I said I hadn't been aware that there was a (unified) Malaysian accent. (sorry)

What I was trying to imply is that, Malaysians, coming from so many different cultures/first languages/backgrounds, can't have a single "Malaysian" accent right?
(In a way, there also isn't a "British"/American/Australian accent?)

There isn't a singular British accent, as there are variations wherever you go. I suppose in America there's the southern accent, and then a general accent. Australians, despite the country's vastness, all tend to sound the same. The difference is whether or not they sound bogan. I think all Malaysians pretty much sound the same, but that depends on the level of education.

[stephchow86]

I know a friend of mine who speaks in a really thick australian accent when speaking in public and to foreign ppl! but when he talks to his friends and family, back to typical malaysian accent :P