bad accent

[Jay-X]

i live in a place far away from where i was born and had lived for years, so i have a really unusual accent. people here make fun of it a lot and i think that's the main thing that holds me back from being extremely popular (when i go to places where my accent is common, i'm always the leader and everyone looks up to me).

in fact, after i get somewhat close to someone, girl or guy, they start making fun of my accent and making me notice every pronounciation mistake i make.... what are good comebacks or good tactics to avoid these situations?

 

[Phoenix_of_the_ashes]

Hey man, Ive only been to Italy for a a little over a year and I wish I only had a dialect instead of an accent. Im still well like and can polarize a group.

Just dont worry about it, the problem is bigger in your head than it really is.

 

[Jay-X]

Originally posted by Phoenix_of_the_ashes
Hey man, Ive only been to Italy for a a little over a year and I wish I only had a dialect instead of an accent. Im still well like and can polarize a group.

Just dont worry about it, the problem is bigger in your head than it really is.

no man, it isn't... i'm really popular and i'm one of the most well-known guys in my school and probably the most known in my ex high school... but you can't be cool when you are never taken seriously because you say stuff in a strange and funny fashion... plus i'm the typical extrovert party guy and i tend to talk a lot and to lead conversations... usually it's cool, but sometimes someone will drop a comment about something i said in a strange fashion and everybody will laugh and start commenting...

or when i join a party and people start immediately to pretend to talk in my dialect

 

[Phoenix_of_the_ashes]

Originally posted by Jay-X
no man, it isn't... i'm really popular and i'm one of the most well-known guys in my school and probably the most known in my ex high school... but you can't be cool when you are never taken seriously because you say stuff in a strange and funny fashion... plus i'm the typical extrovert party guy and i tend to talk a lot and to lead conversations... usually it's cool, but sometimes someone will drop a comment about something i said in a strange fashion and everybody will laugh and start commenting...

or when i join a party and people start immediately to pretend to talk in my dialect

I have to say, well known and respected guys dont get ****ed with all the time.

 

[Jay-X]

Originally posted by Phoenix_of_the_ashes
I have to say, well known and respected guys dont get ****ed with all the time.

the fact is... how can you be respected when the first thing people notice when you open your mouth is the funny way you talk? what i'm asking is a way to avoid (or to reply to) people making fun of you for your accent

 

[Jay-X]

bump

 

[smoke city]

the fact is... how can you be respected when the first thing people notice when you open your mouth is the funny way you talk? what i'm asking is a way to avoid (or to reply to) people making fun of you for your accent

You're really young, and young kids make fun of each other for stupid things. this stuff will become less of an issue in the next couple of years. just ride it out.

i had trouble with stuff like this in high school b/c i was a bit shy and clueless about women and people made fun of it -- but in college (and ever since then) i was *extremely successful with women, and have always had lots of interesting friends.

 

[Jay-X]

Originally posted by smoke city
You're really young, and young kids make fun of each other for stupid things. this stuff will become less of an issue in the next couple of years. just ride it out.

i had trouble with stuff like this in high school b/c i was a bit shy and clueless about women and people made fun of it -- but in college (and ever since then) i was *extremely successful with women, and have always had lots of interesting friends.

luckily, women are not too much of a deal for me... i'm not casanova, but i can get them pretty easily. i'm also looked up to by several guys, but it's really annoying when someone who envies you tries to bring down your reputation by picking on your accent....

any ideas for good comebacks to them or how to react in general?

 

[Android]

Yeah, I was born and raised in Wisconsin of all places, and some girl asked me if I was from Boston because of my accent. As long as you're comfortable with it, though, it shouldn't be a problem. In fact, I think it could work out to your advantage. I'm just weird, but you're from a land far away. That's interesting.

If someone is putting you down about it, just tell them where you're from and forget about it. Do you think there's anything wrong with having an accent? I don't think there's anything wrong with having an accent. The guy putting you down is probably jealous and has nothing else to poke fun at than that one strange, peculiar trait.

In the end, he will look like a loser. And you, like you admit, can get women pretty easily. Seeing you walk out with a hot woman would be like a punch to the gut for a guy like that.

 

[Jay-X]

Originally posted by Android
Yeah, I was born and raised in Wisconsin of all places, and some girl asked me if I was from Boston because of my accent. As long as you're comfortable with it, though, it shouldn't be a problem. In fact, I think it could work out to your advantage. I'm just weird, but you're from a land far away. That's interesting.

If someone is putting you down about it, just tell them where you're from and forget about it. Do you think there's anything wrong with having an accent? I don't think there's anything wrong with having an accent. The guy putting you down is probably jealous and has nothing else to poke fun at than that one strange, peculiar trait.

In the end, he will look like a loser. And you, like you admit, can get women pretty easily. Seeing you walk out with a hot woman would be like a punch to the gut for a guy like that.

1. my accent is an ugly one and i know

2. the guys putting me down are SURELY jealous, but not of my accent, they're jealous because they see i'm more looked up to than them

3. i can get all the girls i want when there is no dumbass who makes fun of me. but what i'm asking for is a good way to reply to their insulting...

4. if i say "i'm from xxx", they'll answer "yes, that's why we're making fun of you"... in italy, northern people usually make fun of southern people (as in the states, but more heavily... there are political associations against southern people), and i live in the north... so what can i do?

 

[al77]

Originally posted by Jay-X
1. my accent is an ugly one and i know
4. if i say "i'm from xxx", they'll answer "yes, that's why we're making fun of you"... in italy, northern people usually make fun of southern people (as in the states, but more heavily... there are political associations against southern people), and i live in the north... so what can i do?

Why don't you try to accunet learn how to speak without accent?
That should not be a very big problem, since it is just an accent and at your age you can learn lots of things quite fast.
You watch TV where people I am sure speak perfect unaccented Italian. You talk to people in real life who speak decent Italian.
Why don't you try to imitate them on a regular basis?

 

[Julian]

jeez who gives a fvck. you seriously must have problems if you cant put these clowns who try to diss you in check.

Ask them why they're so concerned with your accent, if they have a problem with it ram your fist into their stomach.

 

[Jay-X]

bump

 

[Phoenix_of_the_ashes]

in italy, northern people usually make fun of southern people

LEGA NORD!!!!

 

[Jay-X]

Originally posted by al77
Why don't you try to accunet learn how to speak without accent?
That should not be a very big problem, since it is just an accent and at your age you can learn lots of things quite fast.
You watch TV where people I am sure speak perfect unaccented Italian. You talk to people in real life who speak decent Italian.
Why don't you try to imitate them on a regular basis?

italian is not as simple as english... it's very hard to lose your accent, since it's not just about using certain words, but also the tonality of your voice, the accented syllables, the prounciation of consonants, how much you open your mouth when pronouncing vowels, how close your upper and lower lip get when you pronounce consonants, etc...

 

[al77]

Originally posted by Jay-X
italian is not as simple as english... it's very hard to lose your accent, since it's not just about using certain words, but also the tonality of your voice, the accented syllables, the prounciation of consonants, how much you open your mouth when pronouncing vowels, how close your upper and lower lip get when you pronounce consonants, etc...

So you look for the easier solution than learning how to speak properly. I see.
I guess you laready know that there is no such solutin at all.
Either you just wait until you buddies grow up and quite teasing you (but inside they will still be kinda smileing anyway) or you start learning the normal way of pronouncing words. Italian is your native language, so you are able to do a lot of things with it.
You don't expect your muscles to grow in a one day, hell even one year. Have you been trying to reduce you accent for a year?
I guess it is worth trying especially when you are young. The older you are, the harder it is to learn accents and languages.

I don't know how avaiable health care in your country, but try to find a speech pathologist. Many high schools in US have them.

 

[splinterkb]

Most women I know think an accent is pretty hot... I wouldn't be complaining.. Just show up the punks that make fun of you by hooking up with hot ass chicks.

 

[doctoroxygen]

I have a similar situation in that I have a speech impediment. Note I said "situation", not "problem". What I usually do when people make fun of it is play it up really hard so I'M funny rather than the person who said stupid sh!t about it.

 

[aftershock]

Make fun of it yourself. They'll soon stop doing it.

 

[Julian]

Originally posted by doctoroxygen
I have a similar situation in that I have a speech impediment. Note I said "situation", not "problem". What I usually do when people make fun of it is play it up really hard so I'M funny rather than the person who said stupid sh!t about it.

what kinda of impediment?