Is there a way to tone down my Texas twang? :)

So do Californians have “accents” or do we just sound boring??  BTW, I love all accents,  but will admit that sometimes I can’t handle it when people talk too slow.  Maybe that’s a CA thing; we’re all in a big hurry, .

I think accents are wonderful if they don’t get in the way of communication or learning.  E.g., I live in the south and a local study about 30 years ago found that many of the children had a hard time learning to read and spell because the phonics that are taught in school don’t match the sounds used to enunciate the words using the local accent.

My father came from England in high school, but deliberately lost his accent so that he would not be picked out from among the other kids at school. It made things interesting for him when he went through boot camp.  At one point he was punished for answering that he was not proud to be an “American,” as there was no accent to distinguish him from the “Americans” in the group. (He became a citizen wearing his military uniform.) However, he feels that not having an English accent helped him in the work force because no one ever looked at him as an outsider.

Now, the important part is I have a degree in Spanish Language. I didn’t want to sound like a “gringa” when I talked in Spanish, so I took lessons to learn to speak like a “native.” In a sense that is a joke because they have as many different accents in Spanish as we do in English. However, when I’m in Spain the people swear I’m from South America. When I’m in South/Central America they believe I’m from Spain. They never think I’m a “gringa.”

This is how it worked. We had a child’s reader that encompassed all the basic sounds of the language. I read each word or line over and over again until I could say it exactly the way the coach (or taped recording) pronounced the word or line. And don’t trust your own ear, record your reading and play it back – it’s amazing what the recorder picks up that we don’t J. One of the things I remember most distinctly is that it is not just how we form the sounds, but also where we place our tongue, how much is aspirated or not, and the rhythm of how words are joined which varies from language to language and accents, as well. This process took about 6 months of daily, or near daily, practice. I did this over 20 years ago in college and to this day native speakers assume I am one, too, which is now a disservice since I don’t speak that frequently anymore and I’m quite rusty.

In English I can switch from a light Southern accent to “no” accent, but in Spanish I cannot put on a “gringa” accent even when I try. Please pm me if you would like more detail of the process I went through.

Simple home I totally know the feeling! I do not like my accent either, even after being in the US for 20 years I know people know I am not native American as soon as I open my mouth. I have a French Canadian accent which some people say they like but it doesn’t change the fact I don’t like it and can’t stand to hear myself recorded either!!

I get self countious when I read to the kids, some words I need to ask them how to pronounce lol!

Oooo !  Oooo!  I have an idea !!!   Start reading in British stories in an English accent!  Tehe he…. James Bond movie might have to be watched first… LOL..

  Or how about Irish stories in an Irish accent.   Oh, me lassie don’t ya be so grieved by such a accent!  Maybe incorporate a war story or two with that one… Maybe you can watch the water Horse for help getting started. 

  French?  German? Italian?  If you don’t like your accent find one you do like.  Maybe you like the U.S? accents just not southern.  

    To change that you just don’t pause. or draw out the word…. Tehe he…

Anyway,  If you want the really northern accent try using,  “Eh” after you ask a question. Or just in general when ever you feel like adding an “Eh”  Ex… In a southern type accent. say, Want ta go shopin’ Eh?  Close to what you have just add the “Eh”  Now, if you go a little further south you want to add “Yah” or “yes” after being asked a question or just to agree with someone…. Ex,  I was going to tell susie she was going to go and  add yeh here) she said, Yes. (Here is where you add another Yeah)  but her dog had puppies. (OH Yeah???)  or a yup, yep, or something of the sort… If you go all the way out west you have… I can’t beleive it man!, Totally rad, plus other slang depending on what part of the west you are in… 🙂  Then the East.  They have a language all their own. Some words don’t have the same meanings as they do for us here in the midwest….  Depending on what part of the country you live you may have a yes sir, ma’am, madam, or Yes, yep, yo, or na, nope, I a never a tried that one, ect….  You just have to pick up on what you want to try and start working at it. 

   You could also just move to one of those states or countries that intrege you about their accent and practice with the locals.  Sort of like a witness protection program. 🙂  And you may out grow your accent.  Then again, maybe they will start talking like you. 🙂  I personally like the southern accent myself. I have a friend from Texas and she is so cool to listen to.  So, aside from practice, practice, practice. I guess you better embrace that wonderful accent. 🙂   I wish I could be blonde with blue eyes. Ok, I would just settle with tall and skinny. Who cares what I sound like.  I would rather look great…  Tehe he….

   I guess we can all dream at least yours can be somewhat helped…. I will never be tall, skinny, and it cost to much to redo roots and contacts. 🙂     EMBRACE ………  and be blessed.  🙂