Losing your accent

[STEUPS!!]

for d trinis who livin abroad an everybody in general. why it is when a trini go away for two hours, when dey come back , dey american an english accent thick,thick like if dey born dey. if dey stand up in front of dey fridge to long dey ketch a accent. steups.take yorke for example.

for d trinis who livin abroad, allyuh realise if allyuh accents change?
why does this happen?.

and dont say is because since everyone around u talkin a certain way , u happen to adopt it.

if something in yuh , it in yuh!

jamaicans live abroad for years an they still have dey original accent.

i doh know bout allyuh, but i real love my accent and if im to go away, dis accent never leavin me.


bless!!

[TriniCana]

cause is we playing dey ass, trying to sound like ah american and canadian or british...we playing dey ass

half ah dem only went on ah 2 week vacation and come back spiting foreign accent like if dey born dey. steups

i living over here for 3 plus years and meh trini slang still dey same way...no change, ah just cussing like ah red neck trucker des days.

why change ? TNT accent is dey most beautiful ting ya ever hear....well datz what dem canadian does tell meh...so i use it to dey best of my ability....now i ain't saying i using green verbs and adjectives eh.
I do know how to use my pronouns together with my verbs....it's just the sing sound accent we have 

[Pointman]

for d trinis who livin abroad an everybody in general. why it is when a trini go away for two hours, when dey come back , dey american an english accent thick,thick like if dey born dey. if dey stand up in front of dey fridge to long dey ketch a accent. steups.take yorke for example.

for d trinis who livin abroad, allyuh realise if allyuh accents change?
why does this happen?.

and dont say is because since everyone around u talkin a certain way , u happen to adopt it.

if something in yuh , it in yuh!

jamaicans live abroad for years an they still have dey original accent.

i doh know bout allyuh, but i real love my accent and if im to go away, dis accent never leavin me.
bless!!

which accent yuh talking bout? yuh Jamaican one?

[cowman]

yuh talking rubbish.
you must not generalise like that i know trinis living in england 20 30 years and does still talk with dey trini accent.
and i know loads of jamaicans living here 4 , 5 years and talking like they are from here.
trinis in england dont really change their accent but might drop some of the dialect when they speaking to some one from england so they would understand.
yuh cyah call a banana a fig

[morvant]

cowman they making sense i notice it too

and men have to notice iz another language we does speake

i am a professional and i does have to talk to planes in the air, air traffic control, ships, etc... so i does talk in their language so they could understand. if ah man from haiti come here he have to speak so they could understand also, same shyt to me. trini accent doh pay fuh meh bills so i could pick it up and drop it same way and me doh business, who vex lorse.

when i was home hungry i couldnt take meh trini accent to royal bank so f it.

when i talking to ah trini i would talk to him fuh him to understand and when i'm in mexico i would move to suit, also when i'm in france and italy

when in rome..........................

[Rastaman]

I have lived on NY for 3 yrs and now in England for about the same time...You know what my problems is..they still can't understand me. But guess what??? They love my accent. From the time people hear it they know where I am from.

It have 3 kinds of people

1 Those who are strong enough to stick to their standards(accent) no matter what. Win lose or draw. Some will succed, and have successful careas because they are so strong willed. Some will not be able to get good jobs because they not willing to conform, and some will just get by.

2 Those who will change or adapt to suit the situation on the outside and stick to their standards underneith. Most of these people are successfull in life.

3 Those who have no standards and will follow what ever trend is passing.

[#8]

cowman they making sense i notice it too

and men have to notice iz another language we does speake

i am a professional and i does have to talk to planes in the air, air traffic control, ships, etc... so i does talk in their language so they could understand. if ah man from haiti come here he have to speak so they could understand also, same shyt to me. trini accent doh pay fuh meh bills so i could pick it up and drop it same way and me doh business, who vex lorse.

when i was home hungry i couldnt take meh trini accent to royal bank so f it.

when i talking to ah trini i would talk to him fuh him to understand and when i'm in mexico i would move to suit, also when i'm in france and italy

when in rome..........................

i could relate to what yuh say dey fadder ...TOTALLY...when we talk to certain people (foreigners) sometimes communication can be very frustrating due to de fact that we speak how we do (slang,and quickly)...so sometimes people have to ask you to repeat what you said over and over or slow down cause you're speaking to fast for them.

in response to de thread some people just pick it up due to circumstances....some just feel like is a style and it cool and some does use it to get attention or outta trouble...example: I in trinidad last year driving on de bus route(no bus route pass ) transit police pull me square..Officer:good day sir can i see yuh bus route permit...canadian accent in dey muddas ass..#8:bus route pass?? i wasn't aware that i needed a pass to drive in Trinidad..all i have is my license <#8 takes out canadian drivers license and other canadian documents and hands them to officer>Officer:Oh okay boss,well yuh really not supposed to be driving on this route without a special permit but seeing yuh not from here i won't write you up,when yuh reach de next setta traffic lights go right until yuh hit de main road and take it to yuh destination,have a good day and enjoy yuh vacation.#8:

[truetrini]

for d trinis who livin abroad an everybody in general. why it is when a trini go away for two hours, when dey come back , dey american an english accent thick,thick like if dey born dey. if dey stand up in front of dey fridge to long dey ketch a accent. steups.take yorke for example.

for d trinis who livin abroad, allyuh realise if allyuh accents change?
why does this happen?.

and dont say is because since everyone around u talkin a certain way , u happen to adopt it.

if something in yuh , it in yuh!

jamaicans live abroad for years an they still have dey original accent.

i doh know bout allyuh, but i real love my accent and if im to go away, dis accent never leavin me.


bless!!

it eh have nobody like jakans fuh picking up accents.

dey does revert quick but most times dem have tuh say dat dey from yard

[palos]

Well most times now when I lissen to anybody under 25 home...and ah talkin in trini eh....I doh recognise no trini accent....is pure

Faddah dis
Bless dat
oonu de oddah
and boodclat sumting

Some a dem does even drop de H and add one before a vowel like 'am hand hegg

Is a real hybrid stylins dat goin on in trini self.  So as far as I concern....is only a matter of time before dis trini accent ting become extinct anyway.  We so want to be like others...in a next decade or so we go be tellin people we national language is jamaican patois.

[pecan]

When I speak with canadians, my accent is toned down .. so dey can understand me.  When i home with my family i revert to a modified accent .. I in Canada since I was 13.  Is ah human characteristic to adpat to de environment.  Not only Trinis lose their accent, it occurs in just about anyplace. 

It is all about Linguistics and sometimes, it takes a cunning linguist to understand the theory.

[Organic]

When I speak with canadians, my accent is toned down .. so dey can understand me.  When i home with my family i revert to a modified accent .. I in Canada since I was 13.  Is ah human characteristic to adpat to de environment.  Not only Trinis lose their accent, it occurs in just about anyplace. 

It is all about Linguistics and sometimes, it takes a cunning linguist to understand the theory.

nuff said.

[Dutty]

warrior queen, I think Yorke accent is primarily for media....its simply to communicate effectively

Beleive it or not, what may sound crystal clear to you and I, a foreigner would need sub-titles...especially foreigners who never travel no where

When yorke eatin soup by miss jean,,ah sure he sound like signal hill yorke

Like other posters say you have to 'tone down' and slow down or adapt to your environment,,especially in a business setting

However, I agree with you...once you go BACK to trini and talking to people who know what you really supposed to sound like, is time to relax and cut out dat accent chupidness

[Touches]

Alyuh jest jokey....

When in Rome do as the Romans...BULLSHIT!

Alyuh must just learn to speak properly and slowly and den the whiteys go understand yuh.

If dey still cyar understand...Spell the word for them...W_A_T_E_R a classic example or just use yuh imagination and say Dasani or something like that.

I have lived in England and the US and I talk the same way.

From the man on the street to the big exec I deal with I talking same way.

Besides why throw away the "pips" yuh come with. They does like we because we different.

[pecan]

Alyuh jest jokey....

When in Rome do as the Romans...BULLSHIT!

Alyuh must just learn to speak properly and slowly and den the whiteys go understand yuh.

If dey still cyar understand...Spell the word for them...W_A_T_E_R a classic example or just use yuh imagination and say Dasani or something like that.

I have lived in England and the US and I talk the same way.

From the man on the street to the big exec I deal with I talking same way.

Besides why throw away the "pips" yuh come with. They does like we because we different.

Touches ..

Yuh telliing me dat wen yuh talking the big US or Uk exec, yuh does use phrases like "alyuh jest jokey"?

Or do you retain the accent but lose the vernacular?

[Touches]

No I retain accent.... but lose vernacular.

If you have ever met me in person you would realise I do speak differently from some of the posters on this board.

Come now, slang is only used amongst Trinis or those who have been indoctrinated...Code nah!

[Dutty]

No I retain accent.... but lose vernacular.

If you have ever met me in person you would realise I do speak differently from some of the posters on this board.

Come now, slang is only used amongst Trinis or those who have been indoctrinated...Code nah!

eh?? how dat does work?....you does pronounce it "cheeken rowti" and "doobulls" or wha?

[morvant]

i doh think men does understand

in certain professions yuh dont have a choice like mines

ah plane comming in and you have to tell him which runway to touchdown on

YUH HAVE TO LOOSE YUH ACCENT

no matter where men from they does tell yuh that, louisianna, new york, boston, trini,  it doh matter

yuh have to speak de qween language

[palos]

i doh think men does understand

in certain professions yuh dont have a choice like mines

ah plane comming in and you have to tell him which runway to touchdown on

YUH HAVE TO LOOSE YUH ACCENT

no matter where men from they does tell yuh that, louisianna, new york, boston, trini,  it doh matter

yuh have to speak de qween language

Dah one yuh talkin bout dey iz more like George language dan de queen

[Sands]

cowman they making sense i notice it too

and men have to notice iz another language we does speake

i am a professional and i does have to talk to planes in the air, air traffic control, ships, etc... so i does talk in their language so they could understand. if ah man from haiti come here he have to speak so they could understand also, same shyt to me. trini accent doh pay fuh meh bills so i could pick it up and drop it same way and me doh business, who vex lorse.

when i was home hungry i couldnt take meh trini accent to royal bank so f it.

when i talking to ah trini i would talk to him fuh him to understand and when i'm in mexico i would move to suit, also when i'm in france and italy

when in rome..........................

Yuh damn right. I do the same thing

[Tallman]

Touches hit de nail on de head. Ah tink men getting tie up between accent and talking properly (standard English). If an American living in Trini donkey years he doh lose he accent, when ah Brit, Irish etc. living outside dey country, dey doh lose dey accent. Of course ah generalising because yuh could always find an exception. But de fact is, as ah Trini, yuh doh have tuh pronounce ah "T" as ah "D" like "pardee". Even in de States yuh have all kinda accents, New England, New York, New Jersey, Southern, Californian etc., yet still people understand one another. I is ah fella who deal wit all kinda people at all levels and it never affect how I talk (in terms of accent). When yuh in T&T and yuh giving ah lecture or yuh in some kinda formal setting yuh does talk proper English, but wit de same Trini accent, ent? 

[Crissy D]

i could relate to what yuh say dey fadder ...TOTALLY...when we talk to certain people (foreigners) sometimes communication can be very frustrating due to de fact that we speak how we do (slang,and quickly)...so sometimes people have to ask you to repeat what you said over and over or slow down cause you're speaking to fast for them.

in response to de thread some people just pick it up due to circumstances....some just feel like is a style and it cool and some does use it to get attention or outta trouble...example: I in trinidad last year driving on de bus route(no bus route pass ) transit police pull me square..Officer:good day sir can i see yuh bus route permit...canadian accent in dey muddas ass..#8:bus route pass?? i wasn't aware that i needed a pass to drive in Trinidad..all i have is my license <#8 takes out canadian drivers license and other canadian documents and hands them to officer>Officer:Oh okay boss,well yuh really not supposed to be driving on this route without a special permit but seeing yuh not from here i won't write you up,when yuh reach de next setta traffic lights go right until yuh hit de main road and take it to yuh destination,have a good day and enjoy yuh vacation.#8:

#8 ah like how yuh handle dah seen yuhis ah lil fox......... Now I am ah very image concious female and I take pride in everything I do, thus speaking proper english is an important part of my image, and like some Trinis really can't tell the difference between proper english and a fresh water yankee? I'm always gettin the " So why you does talk so? yuh from america o wah? what is that about? If you are a true Trini and yuh does talk yuh talk no seen in dat, but ah clever Trini knows how to speak proper at any given moment or as in #8 case, to save yuh ass!

[pecan]

another comment about accents
Many US call centres have set up shop in Canada to handle cusotmer service/tech support etc.  The reason for this is that generally speaking, Canadian accents are neutral and understandable.  So when anybody from the US call in, they will be able to understand what the support person is saying.

The  moral of the story ... speak so that your audience will understand you (as many have already stated) .. that means use whatever accent will work best in a given situation.

[palos]

another comment about accents
Many US call centres have set up shop in Canada to handle cusotmer service/tech support etc.  The reason for this is that generally speaking, Canadian accents are neutral and understandable.  So when anybody from the US call in, they will be able to understand what the support person is saying.

The  moral of the story ... speak so that your audience will understand you (as many have already stated) .. that means use whatever accent will work best in a given situation.

Yuh make a good point dey pecan.

But

Most a dem call centres located in India dese days.  Dem accent neutral?

No necessarily....but it understandable enough.  Bottom line....de wages cheaper......cheaper cost of doin buisiness so it directly affectin dey bottom line.  India and other "literate" countries increasingly gettin dem kinda wuk.  Less union yuh have to deal wit too.

T&T ghave dey own call centre call Direct One down Chag.  Same principles.  Cheaper cost of doin business.

[pecan]

another comment about accents
Many US call centres have set up shop in Canada to handle cusotmer service/tech support etc.  The reason for this is that generally speaking, Canadian accents are neutral and understandable.  So when anybody from the US call in, they will be able to understand what the support person is saying.

The  moral of the story ... speak so that your audience will understand you (as many have already stated) .. that means use whatever accent will work best in a given situation.

Yuh make a good point dey pecan.

But

Most a dem call centres located in India dese days.  Dem accent neutral?

No necessarily....but it understandable enough.  Bottom line....de wages cheaper......cheaper cost of doin buisiness so it directly affectin dey bottom line.  India and other "literate" countries increasingly gettin dem kinda wuk.  Less union yuh have to deal wit too.

T&T ghave dey own call centre call Direct One down Chag.  Same principles.  Cheaper cost of doin business.

Actually, ah tink Dell pulling some of its call centres (sales support) out of India because of dey accent.  But keeping the more highly slkilled technical workers who have a better command of the language.  The last tow times I phone for technical support, I spoke to some people with 'refined accents.

But yuh right, at the end of the day, cheap labour will rule (as long as the quality is OK).

[Dutty]

another comment about accents
Many US call centres have set up shop in Canada to handle cusotmer service/tech support etc.  The reason for this is that generally speaking, Canadian accents are neutral and understandable.  So when anybody from the US call in, they will be able to understand what the support person is saying.

The  moral of the story ... speak so that your audience will understand you (as many have already stated) .. that means use whatever accent will work best in a given situation.

Yuh make a good point dey pecan.

But

Most a dem call centres located in India dese days.  Dem accent neutral?

No necessarily....but it understandable enough.  Bottom line....de wages cheaper......cheaper cost of doin buisiness so it directly affectin dey bottom line.  India and other "literate" countries increasingly gettin dem kinda wuk.  Less union yuh have to deal wit too.

T&T ghave dey own call centre call Direct One down Chag.  Same principles.  Cheaper cost of doin business.

dem does go trainin to amercanize dey accent before dey get dem kinda wukk....de trainin schools is even bigger business dan de call centres cause it does make de people feel like dey go get ah big wukk in ah microsoft call centre

reallity however is ah lot ah dem folks who does live outside de big indian cities cyah sound neutral no matter how hard dey try

Is de equivalent of ah child from deep in Tabaquite trying to win the debate contest at Oxford

[Marcos]

I had to slow it down when I first came up tio the US and started my job, and I admit, I did pick up a small accent
However as I have been in the job a while I gradualkly returned to my normal voice and I speak rank Trini up in here now.
No more "parrrrk" and "wadurrr"
is "pa-hk" and "wart-ah"

[fishs]

I was actually told that people like to invite me to meetings because of my accent.
But really when you are speaking to a grouping that is multinational you will have to speak slower and more clearly than we normally do. Also think before you speak so that the green verbs, words we use for different meanings and slangs are not used. You can do this and still retain your trini accent.
In fact to do anything else sounds foolish.

[Girl Warrior]

I was actually told that people like to invite me to meetings because of my accent.
But really when you are speaking to a grouping that is multinational you will have to speak slower and more clearly than we normally do. Also think before you speak so that the green verbs, words we use for different meanings and slangs are not used. You can do this and still retain your trini accent.
In fact to do anything else sounds foolish.

Very well "said" 

[grskywalker]

It is very hard for me not to talk Trini, sometimes the "daiz" and "is so" does come out, with these Yankees you have to slow down for them to understand. I have worked with so many of these Americans it is not funny and in every office I am somewhat of a novelty, due to their collective ignorance of Trinidad and Tobago, so I get the 20 questions.

Interestingly though becuase of my accent and cool approach, I have gotten many clients and so if it not broke why fix it, I love my Trininess, it is the one thing that has helped me to survive and deal with the stresses out here. I have been asked the opposite question when I visit home, Walks how come you ain't talking Yankee? I watch them and laugh! When Americans approach me and say you have an accent, I say, SO DO YOU!

[cocoapanyol]

for d trinis who livin abroad an everybody in general. why it is when a trini go away for two hours, when dey come back , dey american an english accent thick,thick like if dey born dey. if dey stand up in front of dey fridge to long dey ketch a accent. steups.take yorke for example.

for d trinis who livin abroad, allyuh realise if allyuh accents change?
why does this happen?.

and dont say is because since everyone around u talkin a certain way , u happen to adopt it.

if something in yuh , it in yuh!


Dat have ah lot duh do wid where yuh work, who yuh work wid, how long yuh here.  How old yuh come.  Is not jus ah straight ting.  It also depend on where yuh live.  Some people doh mix wid plenty trini and so it would be easier tuh loose it.  but if yuh come up as a big man or woman, it shouldn't disappear completely.

jamaicans live abroad for years an they still have dey original accent.

i doh know bout allyuh, but i real love my accent and if im to go away, dis accent never leavin me.


bless!!