Poles - don't fall into the French/Spanish trap re pronunciation/accent!

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Edited by: Teffle Oct 30, 10, 22:38 #1

It's something that really bugs me - I speak reasonable French & Spanish BUT they are so unreasonable when it comes to pronunciation - especially the French.

I'm not accusing Poles of anything (yet) as my Polish is far too basic to elicit anything other than encouragement etc - which I get - but please, have patience and don't end up like our other western European neighbours!

I have absolutely nothing against the French or Spanish by the way - one of my best friends is Spanish - but this definitely is a phenomenon in my experience.

E.g. when practicing French with a native speaker, time and time again I hear "Yes, not bad, your French is quite good - but you need to practice your accent"

Except (descending into cliché for a moment) what he actually says is:

"Yeuus, note bad, your Fronch eez quat good - bat yo need to prokteese your aksont"

And imagine the same in Spanish.

I'm sure I don't need to explain the irony : )

Poles, don't do it - please!

TorqThreads: 65 Posts: 4,024 Joined: Apr 10, 09 MEMBER ♂	Oct 30, 10, 22:53 #2
Vell, mheybee he vas rite? Mheybee zer ys somesing vrong with your aksont?" jest vondering

PolsonThreads: 15 Posts: 2,812 Joined: May 9, 07 ♂	Oct 30, 10, 23:00 #3
At least we try to learn foreign languages, unlike some of you English people who think you don't need to ;) But i see what you're talking about. I'm always insulting the French TV sport commentators for the lack of effort ;)

SzwedwPolsceThreads: 13 Posts: 1,915 Joined: Feb 21, 09 ♂	Edited by: SzwedwPolsce Oct 30, 10, 23:02 #4
Most British and German people have quite funny accents when speaking foreign languages. Obviously it doesn't matter which foreign language they speak. But it's good that you are trying more and more, it will be better in the future.

TeffleThreads: 28 Posts: 2,105 Joined: Aug 26, 10 ♂	Oct 30, 10, 23:04 #5
SzwedwPolsce: Most British and German people have quite funny accents when speaking foreign languages. Er, and most "foreign" people have funny accents when speaking English - this is my point!

PolsonThreads: 15 Posts: 2,812 Joined: May 9, 07 ♂	Oct 30, 10, 23:10 #6
Teffle: Er, and most "foreign" people have funny accents when speaking English - this is my point! Hmm. Just tell me how many different English accents exist throughout the world... Which is one is 'correct'? ;)

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Oct 30, 10, 23:15 #7

Teffle:

"Yeuus, note bad, your Fronch eez quat good - bat yo need to prokteese your aksont"

I hear ya. That's one reason I never got further in French. As a child we had French speaking neighbors (at least the parents were). I learned a few words to impress them and instead of encouragement got a 15 minute lecture on how bad my pronunciation was (in very heavily French accented English).

Some years later I had a similar experience after reciting some song lyrics I'd learned (again from a Quebecois who saw nothing wrong with her very heavy accent in English). Another French speaker (Belgian) tried to encourage me and criticised the critic's French, mais le damage, shee was done.

I've never gotten anything but encouragement from Spanish speakers who, if anything, overdid the praise.

I've also mostly gotten encouragement from Germans (counterproductive my accent is good enough that they go ahead and use dialect with me that I have no hope of understanding).

With Polish it's a mixed bag. Mostly encouragement though again I remember visiting a friend's family and the father was initially impressed but less so when he realized I didn't understand esoteric literary references or plays on words.....

VincentThreads: 15 Posts: 1,706 Joined: Sep 9, 07 ♂ [Moderator]	Oct 30, 10, 23:15 #8
Teffle: Er, and most "foreign" people have funny accents when speaking English - this is my point! Can't really see what your problem is, everyone is going to have a funny accent when not speaking their native language. Teffle: Poles, don't do it - please! Poles are no different, just listen to one asking "does the sheets need changing? or are you going to the beach today? ;)

BarneyThreads: 16 Posts: 1,630 Joined: May 26, 08 ♂	Oct 30, 10, 23:16 #9
Teffle: "Yeuus, note bad, your Fronch eez quat good - bat yo need to prokteese your aksont" But you could understand him, perhaps he was saying that no one will understand you if you speak French with that accent.

mafketisThreads: 17 Posts: 1,880 Joined: Mar 31, 08 ♂	Oct 30, 10, 23:16 #10
Polson: Just tell me how many different English accents exist throughout the world... Which is one is 'correct'? ;) American. You're welcome.

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Edited by: Teffle Oct 30, 10, 23:16 #11

Polson:

Hmm. Just tell me how many different English accents exist throughout the world...
Which is one is 'correct'? ;)

Yeah OK : )

But certainly not the version spoken by the majority of French/Spanish/German/Italian/Polish - whoever.

Unless they want to officially add new dialects to the language or something ; )

Can't really see what your problem is, everyone is going to have a funny accent when not speaking their native language

But this is precisely my point - maybe I'm not explaining it properly.

The French guy in the example was oblivious to the accent that he had - but yet thought I should work on mine!

Barney:

But you could understand him, perhaps he was saying that no one will understand you if you speak French with that accent.

Again, no - he understood me perfectly. As I did him, I should add.

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Oct 30, 10, 23:34 #12

Polson:

Which is one is 'correct'? ;)

I guess that depends on where you live.

Teffle:

Poles, don't do it - please!

You should rather asked us to do it.You have to pronounce like natives otherwise you won't be understood.At least learn spelling in case they do "huh?".I used to ask people to correct me and now even though I still sound "Russian" to Americans they seem to understand very well.

Teffle:

E.g. when practicing French with a native speaker, time and time again I hear "Yes, not bad, your French is quite good - but you need to practice your accent"

Haha French.I used to work for a French company in Poland (I don't speak any French) and at the orientation one of them was speaking English and at first I was thinking "wow ,he is speaking French and I can understand someting."

TeffleThreads: 28 Posts: 2,105 Joined: Aug 26, 10 ♂	Oct 31, 10, 00:06 #13
grubas: You have to pronounce like natives otherwise you won't be understood. Yes, pronounce, say all the letters as they should be said - as long as I'm understood, fine. I'll always be a foreigner speaking Polish - and obviously so. Only Mafketis understands my plight... : )

jablkoThreads: - Posts: 156 Joined: Jul 13, 10 ♂	Oct 31, 10, 02:51 #14
I actually enjoy foreigners speaking (or trying to speak) polish but with their own accent. I think its cute haha

grubasThreads: 20 Posts: 1,452 Joined: Feb 1, 10 ♂	Edited by: grubas Oct 31, 10, 02:51 #15
Foraigners are funny when they speak Polish.

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Edited by: Moderator Oct 31, 10, 03:52 #16

All you need is a severe headache. ;)

Severe migraine gives English woman French accent

RAPHAEL G. SATTER
The Associated Press
A woman from a village in southwestern England says that a severe migraine attack left her speaking with what sounds like a French accent — a striking example of a rare syndrome that neuroscientists say can leave lifelong locals sounding like they come from thousands of miles away.

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Nov 5, 10, 02:10 #17

skysoulmate:

A woman from a village in southwestern England says that a severe migraine attack left her speaking with what sounds like a French accent — a striking example of a rare syndrome that neuroscientists say can leave lifelong locals sounding like they come from thousands of miles away.

I'm sure she will be an object of desire for locals. It seems like men from all countries are into French accent or French women. I can't explain it. I'm not a man.

I personally think French accent sounds cute in a women, but when it comes to men I can't help it, but makes me wonder if the guy is homo.

And answering the original post, I think Polish people are usually so happy that anyone learns their forgotten language that they don't notice the problems with accent or mistakes.

I used to love to listen to my German "lektor" speaking Polish. She would talk like a robot and say things like "Studenci jadą w kafeterii", but I was so happy anyways that she learned my language.

strzygaThreads: 4 Posts: 986 Joined: Apr 30, 08 ♀	Nov 5, 10, 03:52 #18
Marynka11: "Studenci jadą w kafeterii" fantastic :D

fluteboyThreads: - Posts: 4 Joined: Nov 19, 10 ♂	Nov 19, 10, 20:10 #19
I have never had a problem with heavily accented English. To my ears it's like a form of music! :) Ever since watching those adverts for Heyah, I've been challenging Polish friends to say through correctly! Sru! ;)

SeanusThreads: 22 Posts: 30,158 Joined: Dec 25, 07 ♂	Nov 23, 10, 12:42 #20
Oh, the Poles have their commonly pronounced words too. Vowels tend to present a problem for many. Batman becomes Buttman, sth like a Swedish porno ;) ;) They hear U like A. DrAg dealer, for example ;) Let's not get started on sheep/ship and beach/bitch

TeffleThreads: 28 Posts: 2,105 Joined: Aug 26, 10 ♂	Nov 23, 10, 12:46 #21
Yep. It's my biggest problem when teaching. Note/not/nut etc. The short U sound, like "uh" doesn't seem to exist in Polish.

nikt	Nov 23, 10, 12:53 #22
Teffle: Note/not/nut nout / not / nat, no? fluteboy: say through correctly! Sru! ;) I don't have such problem. The only problem for me is with the word "the". Those I pronounce correctly though.

TeffleThreads: 28 Posts: 2,105 Joined: Aug 26, 10 ♂	Nov 23, 10, 13:44 #23
nikt: no? No : ) First one, as in NOte, second one is a very short "oh" and the third, the short "uh" sound, as mentioned previously. Gnat would be pronounced nat.

nikt	Nov 23, 10, 13:53 #24
Teffle: First one, as in NOte, second one is a very short "oh" and the third, the short "uh" sound, as mentioned previously. Gnat would be pronounced nat. So I do pronounce it in proper way! Hurray! :) Poles like write to "oh" sound as "ou" because we hear this long oooo as if it was ending with Ł :)

TeffleThreads: 28 Posts: 2,105 Joined: Aug 26, 10 ♂	Nov 23, 10, 13:59 #25
I'm not sure if we are on the same page here: the NO sound in the word NOTE should be pronounced the same as the word NO, but you may not pronounce NO properly :) It should be a very strong O not short like stop or plot or not But not OO either like pool or rude It should be as in Romeo

nikt

Nov 23, 10, 14:04 #26

Teffle:

I'm not sure if we are on the same page here: the NO sound in the word NOTE should be pronounced the same as the word NO, but you may not pronounce NO properly :)

It should be a very strong O not short like stop or plot or not

But not OO either like pool or rude

It should be as in Romeo

yeah i know it. I think the problem is you are:

Teffle:

using phonetics po angielsku and me po polsku

;)

nikt	Nov 23, 10, 14:06 #27
But you can tell me about misterious shwa sound which in every word sounds in different way (a, e, y or something between)

ZiemowitThreads: 10 Posts: 1,063 Joined: May 8, 09 ♂	Nov 23, 10, 14:10 #28
Vincent: Poles are no different, just listen to one asking "are you going to the beach today?" I'm curious what's wrong with this sentence?

TeffleThreads: 28 Posts: 2,105 Joined: Aug 26, 10 ♂	Edited by: Teffle Nov 23, 10, 14:18 #29
Poles often pronounce beach a bit like b1tch And sheet a bit like sh1t too : ) nikt: But you can tell me about misterious shwa sound which in every word sounds in different way (a, e, y or something between) Sorry, don't know what you mean - can you give examples?

nikt	Nov 23, 10, 14:27 #30
taken [teɪkən] I hear tejkEn (ɛ) emotion [ɪ'məʊʃən] I hear imouszYn (ɨ) or imouszOn (o)

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