Should someone try to get rid of his/her accent?

[Neumond]

This will be a rather confuse post. But please bear with me and share your opinion.

Some things to consider:

A study of the university in chicago found, that foreign accents seem less trustworthy to listeners. (http://news.uchicago.edu/static/newsengine/pdf/newsrelease.20100719.accents.pdf)

In my country: A few years ago, someone "leaked" that banks in hamburg don´t employ people from my area. This was due to the accent that striked hamburgers (i know you are giggling right now) as unreliable.

My own opinion:

I never tried to get rid of my accent. Not in my native language (admittedly: i try to tone it down in professional context).

Nor in a foreign language. I always thought, my origin is part of myself.

I am able to speak proper standard high german, but my intonation always gives me away to other native speaker.

I quite like that and won´t change it. It often works as a good conversation starter.

But many people want to get rid of their accent. Maybe they are on to something?

When I was in London, most people I talked to, asked where I come from. They all seemed pretty surprised when they heard "the truth".

Perhaps they wouldn´t have been as engaging in conversations with me, if I had a very thick german accent?

This would have been quite sad.

It probably also depends on where you are from? I guess a german accent isn´t something people like. A french or italian accent would probably be a plus...

So what do you think? Should one try to tone down the accent as much as possible? After all, getting rid of it completely, might not be possible.

Please share your opinions :).

[polishgenius]

I don't try to get rid of my accent but it's pretty mutable anyway. I grew up with a definite estuary twang but it only comes out now when I'm either back home, talking to people with the same (which happens less and less as most of my closer mates have also to at least an extent lost theirs) or really, really drunk.

But no, people shouldn't change their accents. Nor should they not change their accents. Just do how you feel.

For the record, I find it highly unlikely that people would be less welcoming and friendly if you had a thick German accent.

[sologdin]

like i wanna talk to another douche who sounds just like me. don't give in to xenophobic animus.

[Elder Sister]

I love an accent, personally, although my own drives me insane. I sound like a Scarlett O'Hara knock off. I can control it when I concentrate, but that flies out the window when I'm angry or excited about something.

[Ormond]

There's nothing wrong with trying to become "biaccental" in order to make it easier for people to understand you, just as it's a great advantage in the modern world to be bilingual.

However, one shouldn't underestimate the difficulty of getting rid of an accent, especially in a language that was learned after one was a teenager. Though there are of course individual differences in this, most people find it extremely difficult to hear some of the subtle sound differences between their own language and another, so find it very hard to reproduce a new language without an accent, and this problem gets progressively more difficult the older we get. Children can usually learn a new language without having much accent, but it's really difficult for adults.

[Theda Baratheon]

My accent is all over the place, I love it :D :D

I often confuse people when they ask me ''are you english or welsh??'' a lot of the time I guess I just have a standard english accent, then every now and again I will sound really welshy or say a word or two in a west-country accent :D

Also German accents are great!!

I do find my accent changes though, if I spend a week with my Nan in Merthyr I go a LOT more welsh, if I spend a week of a few days with my other nan and her cornish farmer partner then I say a few words a bit cornish. I do not consciously change it though and I would never try to get RID of my accent.

[Neumond]

I don't try to get rid of my accent but it's pretty mutable anyway. I grew up with a definite estuary twang but it only comes out now when I'm either back home, talking to people with the same (which happens less and less as most of my closer mates have also to at least an extent lost theirs) or really, really drunk.

But no, people shouldn't change their accents. Nor should they not change their accents. Just do how you feel.

For the record, I find it highly unlikely that people would be less welcoming and friendly if you had a thick German accent.

Had to look up what an estuary twang is. I like, what I hear on the internet of your twang.

On your last remark: A friend of mine studied in britain. He told me of several occasions, where he didn´t wanted to be known as a german. He even got a "talking-ban" from his friends.

Well I believe watching soccer in a crawled pub got him into this position... I am not sure if this really counts. As I understand it, english soccer fans are quite biased against germans.

There's nothing wrong with trying to become "biaccental" in order to make it easier for people to understand you, just as it's a great advantage in the modern world to be bilingual.

However, one shouldn't underestimate the difficulty of getting rid of an accent, especially in a language that was learned after one was a teenager. Though there are of course individual differences in this, most people find it extremely difficult to hear some of the subtle sound differences between their own language and another, so find it very hard to reproduce a new language without an accent, and this problem gets progressively more difficult the older we get. Children can usually learn a new language without having much accent, but it's really difficult for adults.

I don´t think, I am actually capable of getting rid of my accent completely. But you are probably right working on it has its beneficials.

My accent is all over the place, I love it :D :D

I often confuse people when they ask me ''are you english or welsh??'' a lot of the time I guess I just have a standard english accent, then every now and again I will sound really welshy or say a word or two in a west-country accent :D

Also German accents are great!!

I do find my accent changes though, if I spend a week with my Nan in Merthyr I go a LOT more welsh, if I spend a week of a few days with my other nan and her cornish farmer partner then I say a few words a bit cornish. I do not consciously change it though and I would never try to get RID of my accent.

I´ve experienced the same thing in my native language. When I am talking to people from other areas, I slowly start to adjust my language to theirs. It´s quite interesting.

[MinDonner]

It's only polite to tone down one's accent a bit if it's hampering people from being able to understand you, especially if you're speaking a foreign language. But I'd never want to get rid of my accent altogether, even if it sorta makes me sound like a yokel.

The interplay between accent and class in the UK is a whole topic unto itself, so I can also see an argument for cultivating a particular accent for work purposes if you need to move in particular circles (in either direction up or down the ladder). But in general, an accent has so much coded information about a person's background that changing it is like denying a big part of yourself.

[Arkhangel]

Only if it's so thick that you actually have trouble communicating. Otherwise, hell no (and in a second language it's unlikely you'll be able to get rid of it entirely anyway. People might not know where you're from, but they'll almost always be able to tell you're not a native speaker).

I have a weird accent, people almost never guess Australian :( I get British mostly, although I fear exposure to so many Americans and Canadians is taking its toll.

[Neumond]

MinDonner:

It´s the same over here. If you´re standard high german (the equilvalent of oxford-english i guess) isn´t good enough people won´t take you serious.

I love you´re last sentence. This is exactly my line of thinking. I have a great feeling of belonging that gets transported with the accent. (If that even makes sense.)

But there are so many people seriously trying, to get rid of an accent.

Arkhangel:

I guess they wouldn´t have asked if it wasn´t obvious, that I am no native speaker.

[JoeyBanana]

I would try if i knew wtf my native language actually is. I know it's certainly not standard german.

Alemannic? Swabian? A bavarian-austrian bastard tongue?

oh oh i've discovered low german on wiki. I love it. This is even better than alemannic.

[Buckwheat]

In your own language: If you are speaking in a fomal environment to people from different backgrounds, then it is very welcome to at least try for a standard version of the language - you will be more understandable and they will take you more seriously.

In foreign languages: You probably learned a standard version of the language, but it is unlikely that you can ever be completely free of a foreign accent. Of course you are trying to sound like natives in their standard language, but usually you will not even hear some differences that native speakers do.

I would try if i knew wtf my native language actually is. I know it's certainly not standard german.

Alemannic? Swabian? A bavarian-austrian bastard tongue?

I do not think anybody's native language is a standard version of the language, there are always some regional differences ... but that might only be true of the languages I know, IDK. I know for certain that standard Slovene is nobody's native language at least. The only time you hear it when somebody is reading aloud from a written text.

[Ser Scot A Ellison]

People around here are regularly surprised that I was born and raised in the Southeastern US. My southern accent is very mild. I like accents. They are evidence of the wonderfully diverse nature of humanity.

[Castel]

I don't really feel much attachment to my accent. If I was less inclined to laziness and I had concrete evidence (like this) that it was harming me I'd try to get rid of it.

[polishgenius]

Well I believe watching soccer in a crawled pub got him into this position... I am not sure if this really counts. As I understand it, english soccer fans are quite biased against germans.

Most English football fans love Germans, but this is a recent development and during national games especially the old biases may come out. Most times it won't be serious stick though, just taking the piss.

It's amazing how subtle differences can get. I lived in the North-East for three years and during that time became able to distinguish between Geordie, Mackem and Smoggie. I've mostly lost that ability now though, unfortunately.

[MercenaryChef]

accents are good stuff.

around the holidays i was in north carolina at a brewpub and had ordered a round of beers. a bar patron took note of whatever it is my accent is and i learned he was from kentucky and we discussed beer for a bit.

in newcastle everywhere kair and i went our north american accents were noted and we were able to meet a lot of cool fucking people...and understand a few of them. whoa, geordies.

[Raja]

As a couple of people have mentioned above, if people are having difficulties understanding what you're saying, then perhaps try and tone it down. Other than that, I can't imagine trying to change my accent.

I like to think I have a fairly neutral accent ( doesn't everyone though), I don't think I can change it even if I'd want to. The standard response to my accent seems to be 'but you don't have an Indian accent at all', I'm not sure what people expect, probably something akin to the stuff Russell Peters puts on.

[polishgenius]

As a couple of people have mentioned above, if people are having difficulties understanding what you're saying, then perhaps try and tone it down.

Yeah, if you're from Glasgow it's probably a good idea to have a backup accent to talk to anyone who isn't.

[Arch-MaesterPhilip]

My New York accent is part of who I am. I would never change it for anyone.

[Neumond]

JoeyBanana: You´re description makes my brain explode. What kind of dialect is that. I can´t even begin to imagine :).

Buckwheat: Actually hannover-german was announced as standard high german by the prussians. So people from Hannover actually talk standard high german.

polishgenius: good to know, perhaps my friend was exaggerating. Sounded definitely more interesting that way ;).

People from my state are actually able to pinpoint my intonation to the exact city. Isn´t that cool? Even if I use standard-high-german words.

And people in my city are able to tell the part of the city where an accent came from.

Raja: I actually know what they mean. I was approached by an indian student in the institute. I wasn´t able to understand him at all. He wanted to know a direction. But I only got that after he wrote his question down. It was quite strange.