Foreign Accent Syndrome

[Unknown_Genius]

True i know a couple of lads(white) who try talk patois(jamaican) so cringeworthy.

There was a white Guy at my last work who had grown up in Jamaica and spoke with a Jamaican accent. He then moved here and had a couple of problems either with people being unable to take him seriously or black Guys kicking off with him because they thought he was taking the piss.

I've met a white guy with a strong West Indian accent - pretty sure he was from Barbados. It is a little weird to say the least. I think it's because the vast majority of white people who live over there are ex-pats who tend to almost exclusively use received pronunciation.

I think it will be weird to hear a black guy talk with an Irish accent, I don't mean mixed race, but a "proper" black guy.

 

[peoffrey]

There was a white Guy at my last work who had grown up in Jamaica and spoke with a Jamaican accent. He then moved here and had a couple of problems either with people being unable to take him seriously or black Guys kicking off with him because they thought he was taking the piss.

I've met a white guy with a strong West Indian accent - pretty sure he was from Barbados. It is a little weird to say the least. I think it's because the vast majority of white people who live over there are ex-pats who tend to almost exclusively use received pronunciation.

He wasn't an ex-pat. He was born there to white English parents and grew up around Jamaicans. It's no different to a black British guy speaking with a distinct London or Manchester accent but certainly less rare.<br /><br />-- Sun Oct 09, 2011 1:11 pm --<br /><br />

Plenty of white Jamaicans in, er, Jamaica.

I'm sure there, er, are but, er, I've only ever, er, met one. Er.

And I've never been to Jamaica.

 

[stonerblue]

There was a white Guy at my last work who had grown up in Jamaica and spoke with a Jamaican accent. He then moved here and had a couple of problems either with people being unable to take him seriously or black Guys kicking off with him because they thought he was taking the piss.

I've met a white guy with a strong West Indian accent - pretty sure he was from Barbados. It is a little weird to say the least. I think it's because the vast majority of white people who live over there are ex-pats who tend to almost exclusively use received pronunciation.

He wasn't an ex-pat. He was born there to white English parents and grew up around Jamaicans. It's no different to a black British guy speaking with a distinct London or Manchester accent but certainly less rare.

-- Sun Oct 09, 2011 1:11 pm --

Plenty of white Jamaicans in, er, Jamaica.

I'm sure there, er, are but, er, I've only ever, er, met one. Er.

And I've never been to Jamaica.

i was referring to mr moustaches post

 

[sincity]

I'd love to know the reason behind this. Presumably she has heard the chinese accent in her lifetime so was able to impersonate this (not saying she doesn't have a condition). If she had never heard chinese though I can only presume a chinese accent would never had developed so presumably she'd have developed another accent. If we think back to the early years of humans where nobody strayed outside their community I wonder what this condition would have brought them to speak, if they haven't heard any other accent I don't think they can speak with another accent. I haven't seen the video but I presume thw woman had a stroke, would it be that the stroke has left her sounding like this, not taking on an accent but unable to pronounce words properly which has left her sounding chinese. Food for thought anyway.

Well, in the olden times, speaking in a foreign language out of the blue would have made you either a saint or burnt alive as a witch, depending on where you lived.... I have a feeling that developing a accent suddenly from nowhere would have similar repercussions....

 

[gordondaviesmoustache]

I've met a white guy with a strong West Indian accent - pretty sure he was from Barbados. It is a little weird to say the least. I think it's because the vast majority of white people who live over there are ex-pats who tend to almost exclusively use received pronunciation.

He wasn't an ex-pat. He was born there to white English parents and grew up around Jamaicans. It's no different to a black British guy speaking with a distinct London or Manchester accent but certainly less rare.

-- Sun Oct 09, 2011 1:11 pm --

Plenty of white Jamaicans in, er, Jamaica.

I'm sure there, er, are but, er, I've only ever, er, met one. Er.

And I've never been to Jamaica.

i was referring to mr moustaches post

Is that the post that makes, er, absolutely no reference whatsoever to Jamaica or Jamaicans?

 

[stonerblue]

He wasn't an ex-pat. He was born there to white English parents and grew up around Jamaicans. It's no different to a black British guy speaking with a distinct London or Manchester accent but certainly less rare.

-- Sun Oct 09, 2011 1:11 pm --



I'm sure there, er, are but, er, I've only ever, er, met one. Er.

And I've never been to Jamaica.

i was referring to mr moustaches post

Is that the post that makes, er, absolutely no reference whatsoever to Jamaica or Jamaicans?

That's the one. I must've had a dodgy weetabix this morning.
Anyroad, plenty of white Bajans in Barbados.

 

[gordondaviesmoustache]

i was referring to mr moustaches post

Is that the post that makes, er, absolutely no reference whatsoever to Jamaica or Jamaicans?

Chicken rice and peas .. there we go back on track

I'm a big fan of Jamaican food although my wife cannot stand it for some unknown reason - which limits how often I can eat it, obviously.

I especially like the fish dishes - ackee and saltfish is a particular favourite - and '"dumplins", too.

I also like to visit authentic Jamaican takeaways as blending in with the Yardies makes me feel all streetwise and ghetto.

-- Sun Oct 09, 2011 2:32 pm --

That's the one. I must've had a dodgy weetabix this morning.
Anyroad, plenty of white Bajans in Barbados.

Haha! Try Oatabix mate, much more reliable!

In all fairness to your post I imagine there's a much lower proportion of
bourgeois RP speaking whites in Jamaica than the rest of the English speaking West Indies.

I've been to other places in the West Indies - Antigua, Dominican Republic but not Jamaica. I'd love to go. I imagine it's a little more gritty and has a bit more personality than some of the more touristy destinations in that part of the world.

 

[buzzer1]

I wonder if she can speak Chinese?

 

[robsta]

What programme was this on ITV please? I want to watch it on player when I get home from work later

It was on This Morning on Friday just gone (6th). The video that was posted on this thread was from a while back. I hadn't have heard of it before but saw this on Friday. That one should still be on iPlayer.