In the last 48 hours, I have had four people tell me my accent is sexy. S-e-x-y. All of them used that very same adjective.
Everytime I respond in the same way: I blush, look down, and then say, "I don't see why. I'm ashamed of my accent, and very self-concious about it."
They usually do what they're supposed to do: exclaim that I'm crazy, tell me why they think why my accent is h-o-t, and then assure me that it's light enough so as not to be atrocious, but present enough to tint my words with that special anglo charm.
It's funny: I love accents in other people. Especially light accents - the kind that don't interfere with comprehension but that do bring a different tone or color to someone's words. I wonder why I can't comprehend how someone could find that same thing agreable in my English-tainted French.
And we all have our favorite accents. A lot of people love the French accent, although I'll be honest and say that after listening to it several hours a day, every day, it's starting to wear on me. They regularly forget H's and end up saying things like, "I ate George Bush." But then they add H's in the funniest of places. And that, my friend, rhymes.
I know Americans (and maybe other anglophones?) who consider the French accent sexy, but I just find silly now. It's charming, in it's own way, I just spend so much time correcting it that I have a hard time resisting the behavior when engaged in a conversation with a Frenchie who actually knows how to speak the language.
Instead, I'm very partial to a Scottish accent, myself. Or Jamaican. Although those are arguably different types of accents: they're speaking their own language and it's just me who perceives their prononciation as different. As far as people speaking English whereas their native tongue is something else, I suppose I don't really have a favorite. Do you?
At some point in the day, the English teachers and I began talking about the rhythm of the English language. It's something that native speakers aren't necessarily aware of, but I've studied it a bit and think it's the coolest part about our language. Tonic accents in English are so important (the difference between, say INvalid and inVALid, for example), and they make sentences rise and fall in ways that phrases don't in the Romantic languages. That's why some people say that be-bop can only really be done in English, because it just doesn't work in other languages. The English teachers agreed, and even extended it to almost all music forms, saying that the rhythm of English resonates with the rhythm of music whereas French or German or Portugese fall short.
A few of my students have recently stared in awe as I spoke in English. One girl breathed to her neighbor "It's such a beautiful language..." as if I were producing some sort of skilled art form before her. And sure, when MLK gave his famous speech, it was a skilled art form, but I assure you, I was probably just asking some student what kind of music he likes, or how many brothers and sisters he has. I was surprised: just as I think my accent massacres what is an extremely beautiful language when spoken properly, I sort of feel that English is just a mish-mosh language that - while possibly being considered fun or flexible or laid-back - could never really be called beautiful. Even more surprising, the other students agreed with her comment, and then told me that they think American English is far more appealing than British English. This blew me away, considering how much us Americans fawn over those Brits. I guess I just never considered my own language as being something to admire for its phonetics. I like the words, but not the sounds.
Still. I'm developing a deeper appreciation for my native tongue - and even how it has consequently permanently mutated my actual tongue. I'm getting over my constant self-conciousness concerning my accent and learning to embrace it. Maybe, even, see it as an asset.
Hell, if four people find it sexy, that's a-ok by me.
Candice once told me that the veneration of the American accent was a leftover of World War II--the American GIs in French countryside romancing the women left a fairly permanent mark of a sexy American accent. That could be total urban legend, but it actually quite makes sense to me.
And actually, you could consider Scottish accents as the same "category" as French ones--because originally, the Scots spoke, well, Scots (Scottish Gaelic). I myself love me some Scottish accents. And Irish. And I love the wacky English accents, like the Manchester or Northern accents, all round and goofy.
Hey. This was really interesting to read, yo. *high five* Supposably certain American accents originate from the Oirish one, from all the immigrants.
Damn, english accents aren't cool anymore?
I have a friend who's dutch but speaks dutch and english as if they were both 1st languages, and she has a little bit of an accent in english which adds such a nice touch :)
In general, I have a bit of a soft spot for irish accents, but scottish and welsh too really. I guess I'm just too used to London English.
And not so much sexy, but you know what I love? When little kids speak some non-English language. Like little Frenchie kids speaking French. It's just so damn cute!!!