accents and languages : annoying/sexy

[Renfield]

Maurice Chevalier could seemingly pronounce English without much of a French accent. He however decided there was no mileage in it and therefore laid on the thick Gallic accent to charm the ladies.

Mike

Hah!

[Siedler]

I like the sound of French, Italian and Spanish. Actually German too, I don't think it's an ugly language especially when sung (German opera and lieder). I think Danish sounds terrible and I'm not sure about Swedish either (some accents) nor my mother tongue Finnish. 

[Bonehelm]

I hate it when Karajan talks. His voice is so.....ARGUH! a pain to listen to. It's so weak and sharp and dry and unsteady. Downright annoying.

[greg]

Vancouver. But I lived in Toronto for 4 years prior to going back to HK, then to here.

ok, just making sure

[EmpNapoleon]

My favorite is the Greek accent.  Zito H Ellatha!

[Renfield]

My favorite is the Greek accent.  Zito H Ellatha!

*Gah* The G- *choke* *cough* *cough* The what!?

()

[greg]

My favorite is the Greek accent.  Zito H Ellatha!

lol that's somewhere around the bottom of my list

[Renfield]

lol that's somewhere around the bottom of my list

Τελ μη αμπάουτ ιτ.

(Tell me about it, written in Greek characters: not a translation. )

Although, truth be told, modern Greek itself, in its original form and when it is not abused by so-called "modern" Greeks, does maintain quite a portion of the texture and aural qualities inherent in the ancient form of the language. And ancient Greek is fantastic.

Important Clarification: Not a Greek accent in English, though, as that is plain gruesome torture. Yes it is.

[Mozart]

Japanese is probably the most erotic spoken language on earth. When spoken by girls only, obviously.

I went on the internet searching for Japanese friends to chat with. And I have to agree, I rather liked their voices.  But JC dude, if there is an ugly Japanese girl shield your eyes! Some on the are really hot, but some are just...woaw. There are seems to be little middle ground...

[greg]

I went on the internet searching for Japanese friends to chat with. And I have to agree, I rather liked their voices.  But JC dude, if there is an ugly Japanese girl shield your eyes! Some on the are really hot, but some are just...woaw. There are seems to be little middle ground...

which sites did you go on?

[маразм1]

which sites did you go on?

did you find any fellow pokemon trainers? 

[orbital]

Has anyone ever known anyone that learned a language so well, they spoke their native language with an accent, and spoke their new language like a native?

AFAIK, that has a lot to do with the plasticity of the brain. I've read that after a certain age it is nearly impossible to develop a second language as perfect as your own native one. You may get close but it will remain, in some ways at least, a second nature forever.

I also think that has a bit to do with where you first learn the language. For people like me who learn a foreign language in their native country and then go and live somewhere where that language is native, the accent is generally here to stay. If you go to that country without knowing the language, and learn it by just living there, there is a good chance that you will not have [much of a ] foreign accent.

Over the years you do develop an accent for your native language as well, unfortunately. You do not notice it but when you go back people will tell you, or they will not understand what you're saying (which is normally the case for me anyway  )

[greg]

did you find any fellow pokemon trainers? 

no, but i found a few Digimon owners....

we gathered together and unleashed our forces on Osama Bin Laden, destroying him with a Pepper Spray and Wind Gust attacks, and then at the end used the Infinite Darkness attack to secure his soul in eternal hell 

[Renfield]

AFAIK, that has a lot to do with the plasticity of the brain. I've read that after a certain age it is nearly impossible to develop a second language as perfect as your own native one. You may get close but it will remain, in some ways at least, a second nature forever.

I also think that has a bit to do with where you first learn the language. For people like me who learn a foreign language in their native country and then go and live somewhere where that language is native, the accent is generally here to stay. If you go to that country without knowing the language, and learn it by just living there, there is a good chance that you will not have [much of a ] foreign accent.

Over the years you do develop an accent for your native language as well, unfortunately. You do not notice it but when you go back people will tell you, or they will not understand what you're saying (which is normally the case for me anyway  )

Indeed, and I'm not about to suggest my prowess in English (including my accent) has nothing to do with the fact that I spent a year in an English-speaking environment, around the age of eight. Yet even given that, I will not stop supporting the notion that one's incentive to learn and master something comes before all else. It might be harder to do, the older you get...

But if Karajan could  - upon reaching the maximum age for flying airplanes - learn to fly a helicopter in his late 70's, then surely there is more relativity than might be usually suspected, in this issue.

[Mozart]

Mmm French girls have the sexiest voices. I think I've made up my mind. At least in English...I like how Italian girls sound but not in English...they sound horrible. And I like how Sweedish girls sound, but in English again...its horrible But French girls stay sexy when they speak in English. Plus I can talk about pronunciation for ever because there are no real rules to it. Say this word...yeah ok now say that one 


Ohh and are French Fries really from Belgium?

[greg]

But French girls stay sexy when they speak in English.

i think that's why French people hardly ever learn how to speak English with any other accent besides their own

[prémont]

i think that's why French people hardly ever learn how to speak English with any other accent besides their own

What is supposed to be the point of learning to speak English with another accent besides your own???

[Mozart]

What is supposed to be the point of learning to speak English with another accent besides your own???

When you travel speaking in the right accent can integrate you better into the culture.

[Lethevich]

i think that's why French people hardly ever learn how to speak English with any other accent besides their own

Have you HEARD the average English speakers attempts at pronouncing French words? It's a nightmare...

[Nunc Dimittis]

What is supposed to be the point of learning to speak English with another accent besides your own???

In some languages how one pronounces a certain word changes the meaning of that word.