Speaking in a foreign accent?

[zega frega omega]

Do you ever speak in a foreign accent to be ironic? Where I come from, Michigan, U.S., it's not really that uncommon. Sure, we don't do it all the time, but sometimes I like to indulge in Ebonics or maybe a British accent. I have a teacher who speaks in accents related to what he's talking about. (Today, we were discussing Hitler, so he spoke in a German accent). We don't exactly converse in accents, as much as we just sometimes make quick remarks...

Do people in countries other than America do this? Do you think it's offensive or mocking to speak in another dialect?

 

[PayneTrayne]

Yeah, we do it here in Canada too. We like to make it rules in drinking games.
I do however find speaking ebonics a bit annoying, but that's just me. Hate the way that people who speak ebonics speak.

 

[Flames66]

Do you ever speak in a foreign accent to be ironic? Where I come from, Michigan, U.S., it's not really that uncommon. Sure, we don't do it all the time, but sometimes I like to indulge in Ebonics or maybe a British accent. I have a teacher who speaks in accents related to what he's talking about. (Today, we were discussing Hitler, so he spoke in a German accent). We don't exactly converse in accents, as much as we just sometimes make quick remarks...

Do people in countries other than America do this? Do you think it's offensive or mocking to speak in another dialect?

We do that here in the UK sometimes. I don't think it's insulting as long as you do it properly. How is your British accent?

 

[Grimfolse]

I often randomly lapse into accents for fun. Mostly English, German, Scottish, Irish, Russian, and French.

 

[Shockolate]

Not intentionally.

I apparently sound very British when I ask question sometimes.

Canadian, by the way.

 

[MrGalactus]

(Today, we were discussing Hitler, so he spoke in a German accent)

????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
Weird. Why German?

 

[Prof.Wood]

I do all the time, mostly I give bad news in an Australian accent or Irish it helps I have been told.
Basically I do any accent than the one I should have because I HATE it.

 

[easternflame]

I am fluent in six million forms of communication. Well not really but 6 million forms of foreign accents.
Also to whoever gets the gyst is so fucking awesome

 

[ThatLankyBastard]

I enjoy randomly switching between Russian and German accents in the middle of conversations...

... also, I have a bad habit of saying the word "terrible" in a bad British accent, so it ends up sounding like "tarble"...

"Oh my god! That's just tarble!"

 

[Radeonx]

(Today, we were discussing Hitler, so he spoke in a German accent)

????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
Weird. Why German?

Because for very obvious reasons Hitler is associated with Germany.
And not everyone knows that he is Austrian (I think he's Austrian at least, I've never really cared enough to get a definitive answer)

 

[SilentCom]

I hate it when Americans try to speak with a british accent. Often it's over the top and makes them sound stupid. Some reason a lot of them think it makes them sound sophisticated. I'm American btw and sometimes I say words with a slight german accent such as the word armor (armour spelt elsewhere =P). In America, it's typically pronounced "ahr-mer" but sometimes I catch myself saying it aur-mor. This is not intentional, and I'm not sure why I say it that way other than I had German ancestors.

 

[Nimcha]

(Today, we were discussing Hitler, so he spoke in a German accent)

????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
Weird. Why German?

Because for very obvious reasons Hitler is associated with Germany.
And not everyone knows that he is Austrian (I think he's Austrian at least, I've never really cared enough to get a definitive answer)

He was Austrian, yeah. But German is the main language of Austria, so that's why.

 

[Biosophilogical]

I have a great deal of difficulty saying Ireland and Irish without gaining a slight Irish accent. It is purely unintentional and it isn't that strong of an accent, but I find it takes me a conscious effort NOT to use an Irish accent.

EDIT: Captcha: nterte called

... anyone know who nterte is, and why s/he would want to call me? More importantly, did s/he leave a message?

 

[zega frega omega]

We do that here in the UK sometimes. I don't think it's insulting as long as you do it properly. How is your British accent?

Not perfect, but better than a lot of kids'. I think a real Brit could spot the American influence after a few sentences, but I have yet to test that hypothesis.

Snippity

I do the same thing, but it's usually in my head. I'll be thinking and come to a word like "what" and pronounce it as "Waut" sort of in a German/British accent. Odd.

 

[LostNumber]

Not intentionally.

I apparently sound very British when I ask question sometimes.

Canadian, by the way.

That's weird, i'm Canadian too and have that exact same problem. I've had multiple people ask me if i'm British.

The only explanation i've been able to think of was the way I say "r". When I was younger, I had a speech problem where I couldn't pronounce the letter r at all. It's mostly fixed now, but I still sometimes pronounce "r" softly, like you would with a British accent. Maybe that's what throws people off.

 

[Asuka Soryu]

I like to do Brittish and German accents. xD Just love those accents. And Scottish.

Japanese accent seems easy, just speak like this:

Ai, Asuka Soryu kan teiku yu on in bataru Apiaa, da Buraku Rozu Howiichu!

 

[Peteron]

(Today, we were discussing Hitler, so he spoke in a German accent)

????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
Weird. Why German?

Im no genius, but I am guessing because Hitler is German? Just taking a shot in the dark here.

 

[thylasos]

I don't really do it; haven't since I was... mid-teens, maybe.

As a linguist, it's slightly... I don't know, disrespectful, especially given how crap most people's attempts at imitating the sounds of whatever-foreign-language and translating them onto English sounds are.

I've completely lost the ability to do a French or Russian accent since learning French and Russian... hell, I can barely do the regional accent of the area I grew up in any more... my speech is an odd mix of low-RP, Essex, Manchester, and Sheffield, varying in the strength of those influences on a day by day basis. I can Yorkshire it up, nowadays, to a slight extent, but I can't do Essex any more, and most of the time I don't think about it at all.

It's largely so I don't get looks from charvers on the train between Sheffield and Doncaster, if I ever slightly-Yorkshire my voice, intentionally.

 

[Thaluikhain]

Im no genius, but I am guessing because Hitler is German? Just taking a shot in the dark here.

That's probably the reason, yes. Regardless of being born in Austria, I'm pretty sure he got German citizenship fairly on in his career, and probably would have adopted a local accent to get the locals on side.

I dunno about doing bad accents for fun...it's painfully unfunny most of the time, and that's when it's not actually being racist. Very difficult to do well.