arab youth and the american accent

[newscaster]

Why are so many taking on this accent even though they my have not even visited the country ever, some are actually picking it up from just watching TV and movies, including exclamations and facial expressions, is this some trend?

[jackx123]

are they flight crew??? if so what's the issue

[Mr Good Cat]

The same reason that most of the the Dutch sound American when they speak in English... they grew up watching popular exported American TV shows subtitled in their own language... so they naturally pick it up.

Probably the same reason British chav kids use phrases such as "is you dissin my homie nigga?" when they actually grew up in a nice 4-bed semi in Surbiton where '8-mile' is not an infamous Detroit street, but is actually a local fun-run that Daddy took part in with his civil servant colleagues.

[NG_Kaptain]

Guess it's a cultural thing with a lot of the media being US oriented. Was going to comment on my accent but then people might know who I am.

[naughty but nice]

South African:bored:??

[CadetPilot]

@ newcaster

I don't see what the problem is.
I'm an "arab youth" and growing up in the ME and having been in a private school most our teachers were American, almost every movie or tv show we watched was American.
Is it not natural that's the accent we pick up?
Don't understand why you're hating.

CP

[newscaster]

I have grown up in an English speaking household, literally brought up on american culture and TV/movies, yet my English is totally neutral in accent.

We have an american school in Pakistan too, I have yet to meet people who speak american accent english after studying there since childhood under US teachers influence, they my say erb instead of herb but thats it.

Yes those who do speak in UK/US style are born or raised there, but no 18 yearold going for studies abroad will come back with an accent, or start speaking it by watching TV/movies, extremely rare are some older people who will speak with a faux accent made up by themselves from British English, how you people do it is interesting, and its not like your ancestors spoke american accented english en masse, it was more mediterranen style.

[Schibulsky]

It sounds cool and might come handy once you end up in Gitmo...:E

[pool]

I don't see what the problem is.
I'm an "arab youth" and growing up in the ME and having been in a private school most our teachers were American, almost every movie or tv show we watched was American.
Is it not natural that's the accent we pick up?
Don't understand why you're hating.


It's just that every now and then, when the yanks overdid it again, we see "arab youth", arriving in Chargers and Hummers, wearing 49ers caps on top of dish-dashs, running around eager tv cameras, yelling things in american accent like "f^*k america" and similar picked up drivel, that some doubts about their values and judgement arise.

[CadetPilot]

@ Pool


I understand that some of them, maybe quiet a lot, mostly in the UAE are like that.
Don't mistake a bunch of uneducated rich arab youth with the knowledgeable ones.

[Fat Clemenza]

this is the most useless discussion I have ever seen on the :ugh:prune. who gives a crap about their accent, as long as you can communicate with them?

[Wannabe Flyer]

@newscaster: Would love to hear what a neutral accent sounds like. IMHO it is only neutral to those around you that speak in the same accent. Therefore for someone brought up in the USof A the accent they speak in is neutral and you speak accented English.

Agree total useless discussion, however considering you are in Pakistan I would agree with you that speaking American accented English over there is not really the most popular thing at the moment! Trust many of the fake accents will drop it in the coming weeks when they get singled out as American's (wannabes or actual)!! :E

PS: What is Mediterranean style English?

[Tony Mabelis]

ER.....ER...ER...........

[DoubtingThomas]

I can tell you what a neutral accent is... I'm a midwestern American, born and raised. I recently was in Dubai and had the pleasure of meeting some of our pilot colleagues from all over the world.

In fact, out of the 14 of us, at least 12 spoke impeccable English to the point that, sight unseen, they may as well have grown up in the U.S.A. My favorite guy, that I spent all day with, was from the Sultanate of Brunei (sp?) and his English was so great we talked all day.

Outside of a few idioms, he had it all. We even had a good old fashioned, all-American fist-bump at the end. :D

[Avi8tor87]

Looks like you got a lot of spare time :D

at least its good they speak your language but you cant speak theirs :E

Media mate

[Swansafa]

its good they speak your language but you cant speak theirs

They learn English because they need to. We learn no other languages because we do not need to and we have no need to learn the local language because everyone here speaks ours.

Please don't trot out this tedious, repetitive and narrow-minded line about some sot of superiority because they've taken the time to learn English. Only the silly and shallow-minded buy into that one.

If they'd learnt a second language as adults, that'd be something worthy of a nod of respect. Learning a second language as a child is no big deal. People do it all over the world - where there's a need for it.

[newscaster]

I have seen lots of knowledgeable, intellectual discerning types studying in university also speak american style, so its not limited to spoilt rich brats.

US schools can be found in subcontinent countries including Pakistan, yet no one pops out of there speaking like a yank, so that excuse is not valid.

No one is Pak speaks in american English, or any native English speaking country accent forunately, unless born or raised in that country, those that havent and do so are ridiculed as phonies.

Neutral accent means you speak impeccable english but without an accent from a native English speaking country, mainly UK, US, Aus.

Mediterranean accent is the type of English spoken in that region, without perfection in pronunciation.

BTW american english is also popular with East asian youth, I dont think it reflects well on them either, aping any English accent when you can speak fluent English without it being specifically identifiable to native English speaking country is stupid.

@pool

So ironic and where did arab pride go? is it irrelevant in this case.

[jimmyjetdriver]

You know, back in the day, New Yorkers wanted to speak English like the queen, so they began pronouncing words in a British manner. What we got now is that obnoxious Brooklyn accent. No big deal, just the flow of words from culture to culture. The American culture caters (possibly by necessity) to the lowest common denominator- action movies, pop culture, etc. Every society relates to it, I sure I will see guys walking around in Dubai with their jeans falling off. It is the world that we live in.

[Avi8tor87]

well,,if you have knowledge and education,,there is no harm to try to achieve perfection,,thats something good

[Wannabe Flyer]

Would this be a neutral accent?

YouTube - English Accents (Indian) (http://youtu.be/eWVIObGHxzs)

In my opinion every language has it's own accent based on where it is spoken and there is no neutral accent. There are many former colonial countries that still have people who speak impeccable English, but still there is a trace of their native language or style in their accent. I have seen expats living in these countries for 10 years starting to speak with the same accent and use localized words in English. I think Singapore is one of the best examples of good English with a local flavor.

As far as Arab pride, best of my Knowledge English is the second language and not necessarily mandatory. Therefore it is only normal for them to pick up the accent that they are most exposed to.

Best said by a previous poster, if you understand them and can communicate where is the issue???

[newscaster]

But arabs have always spoken english with their own accent, this american thing is maybe 20 years old at the most, are you telling me everything in arab countries is now in american english or they dont have brains to discern they needent speak in that manner?

Their parents and grandparents are not speaking american, at home they speak in arabic unlike those in subcontinent who actually communicate in english even at home in many cases despite english not being their mother atongue.

So few hours of school and TV/movies are going to dictate terms to them now? I bet not all teachers there are american, didnt happen in many other parts of the world, check out the last sentence in Pool's post, says it all.

You can even speak French minus the exaggerted native accent, despite learning it in institutes run by native French teachers.

No the youtube one is not neutral, never heard polished south asians speak english?

[Efe Cem Elci]

We have an american school in Pakistan too, I have yet to meet people who speak american accent english after studying there since childhood under US teachers influence, they my say erb instead of herb but thats it.

Actually there are quite a few. International School of Islamabad, Karachi American School, Lahore American School, Murree Christian School. I actually went to ISOI for four years after four years in the International School of Beijing (yet another American school), and knew many people who spoke American English (as do I) just because they had been studying there for many years. When the majority of the students are either American or have grown up in international schools, and most teachers are American, it tends to influence the students as well. Believe it or not!

No one is Pak speaks in american English, or any native English speaking country accent forunately, unless born or raised in that country, those that havent and do so are ridiculed as phonies.

No one?? Where do you come up with this stuff? I've met many Pakistanis who speak with an American accent because they've been studying at an American school or with an English accent because they go to a British school or have been taught British English.

[Wannabe Flyer]

@newscaster

YouTube - ‪karan thapar vs ram jethmalani‬‏ (http://youtu.be/3Os-yqbitHk)

YouTube - ‪Benazir Bhutto‬‏ (http://youtu.be/Uz5w8hmBIYQ)


Is in my opinion 3 polished south Asian people speaking and yet in you have a native (queens English) person listen he will say it has an accent.

I sense the dislike for American English (not the queens) stems from the current situation in the your present location. Would recommend that you dig below the surface of a persons accent and respect that more than

Till then enjoy this to lighten up the mood

YouTube - ‪Russel Peters On Pakistanis (Accent changes and how they got seperated from India)‬‏ (http://youtu.be/XfcZxygstjc)

[Laker]

what in the world does this have to do with aviation?

[Avi8tor87]

exactly,,and the mod allowed it to be posted here,,and deleted my post long ago regarding qatar airways :yuk:

thats why i said seem he got lots spare time :D

pinpoint Laker...n tell you what..wait a few more posts and you will see racism starting to show up here :=

[newscaster]

I sense the dislike for American English (not the queens) stems from the current situation in the your present location. Would recommend that you dig below the surface of a persons accent and respect that more than

Till then enjoy this to lighten up the mood

No, I just find it stupid that they are doing so considering they are the ones who are not liked by US.

No one?? Where do you come up with this stuff? I've met many Pakistanis who speak with an American accent because they've been studying at an American school or with an English accent because they go to a British school or have been taught British English.

Maybe in the small pocket of Pakistani society you come from.

[Wannabe Flyer]

@newscaster

Considering it is an aviation forum, trust most people here will think nothing of it if the ATC chap comes on with a British, Aussie, South Asian, American accent as long as they get their communication correct.

Don't judge a book by it's cover and be comfortable with the accent you have.

Personally I don't think anyone has a personal vendetta with fake accented people 9000 miles away unless the said people are spewing venom against them. I think on the contrary if a person is aping / copying an accent merely due to an overflight of a Blackhawk above his house there are chances he is less of a threat to the US :cool:, than one who is preaching hate in his local language.

[WhatsaLizad?]

Wouldn't surprise me that some may act like something seen from USA television. The world has my personal USA apologies for dealing with the clueless garbage transmitted from our clueless left coast.

Had an "incident" a few years ago in the Caribbean. A "local" 20 something "youth" got belligerent with my Captain nearby. He thought it was 1 v 1 and a 50 lb advantage. He was quite surprised at the "sudden" appearance of the FO, which recalculated the equation as 2 v 1, and a 200 lbs disadvantage, not including the soon the be broken bottle of Carib in the FO's hands. :E (the "speed" advantage was also cut by the soft beach sand)

The USA MTV influence then appeared. The "local" started a 'gangsta' style act of lifting up his gangsta pants at each leg, along with his gangsta t-shirt. he seemed to forget that the act when done in Compton or Watts in LA generally results in showing a hidden weapon as a sign of force. At our Caribbean locale, it showed perfectly that he was unarmed and just a jabbering unarmed fool. Eventually he figured the odds out and left the scene, jabbering threats and insults of course ;)

As an American, I won't aplogize for much, but will bow for forgiveness to the world for TV, Hollywood and McDonalds :E

[Wannabe Flyer]

@WhatsaLizad?

Please add "The Donald" to that list.

And Hey McDonald's is comfort food in a strange land!