was greeted by an American using my dialect with perfect local accent...
By Cutie18f
@Cutie18f (9551)
Philippines
February 5, 2013 8:59am CST
I was shocked
to be greeted by an American in my dialect with perfect local accent. I was heading to this office when, from a distance, I saw an American guy walking towards my direction. Since I do not know him, I just walked without expecting to be greeted by this American guy using my dialect with perfect local diction. I was shocked! I mean, to hear an American speak my dialect like he were born here really surprised me. Everything happened so quickly. I did not know that he would greet me, so I wasn't able to give my response because he too was walking fast.
He said, "Maayong buntag, ma'am" which means "good morning ma'am" in English. I was like, what? What was that?
Was his mother perhaps a Filipina who taught him how to speak the dialect? Or did he just learn to say that greeting? If he did, I should hear his own accent, but no, he said it without any trace of his own original accent.
to be greeted by an American in my dialect with perfect local accent. I was heading to this office when, from a distance, I saw an American guy walking towards my direction. Since I do not know him, I just walked without expecting to be greeted by this American guy using my dialect with perfect local diction. I was shocked! I mean, to hear an American speak my dialect like he were born here really surprised me. Everything happened so quickly. I did not know that he would greet me, so I wasn't able to give my response because he too was walking fast.
He said, "Maayong buntag, ma'am" which means "good morning ma'am" in English. I was like, what? What was that?
Was his mother perhaps a Filipina who taught him how to speak the dialect? Or did he just learn to say that greeting? If he did, I should hear his own accent, but no, he said it without any trace of his own original accent.1 person likes this
6 responses
@o0jopak0o (6394)
• Philippines
6 Feb 13
Well I am not really surprised about that as I have had conversations with foreigners who speak perfect tagalog. I guess tagalog is easier to learn as it has its roots in Spanish which most of the world knows how to speak. But as far as your local dialect, maybe he have lived in your area for years.
@cupkitties (7421)
• United States
6 Feb 13
Tagalog words definitely are very easy to pronounce I'm not fluent in it, but it wouldn't take me long to become that way just because of how simple it is. Good thing I still remember some things from Spanish class too. I did notice they have similar words.
@cupkitties (7421)
• United States
5 Feb 13
He had a ton of practice or had someone from your country to teach him. I think makes things easier to be taught by a native speaker.
It also helps a lot when the teacher will demonstrate how words and letters are pronounced. Some think its enough to just say the word and have everyone repeat it , but its not. He's lucky.
@callarse1 (4783)
• United States
21 Sep 15
That's nice to know that when we learn a language we don't have an accent.
@jenny1015 (13366)
• Philippines
6 Feb 13
Maybe he had been in your province for quite sometime. So he was able to adapt the dialect without the American accent.
@hereandthere (45651)
• Philippines
6 Feb 13
some of us don't want foreigners to have a hard time and we'd rather adjust to them, straining our ears, racking our brains, twisting our tongues, doing all kinds of sign language to understand and be understood.
so i would highly appreciate someone like that who adjusts to the majority. it is advantageous after all because you understand what's happening around you. it's the same way when we are elsewhere, within or outside the country. when we try to speak the local language, people really appreciate it. in fact, it's a common advice to learn even just hello and thank you.
but then we have to remember also that language facility is also a skill. some can pick up a dialect or language very easily, regardless of race. some can understand, but can't pronounce correctly. like i know someone who worked abroad and can speak the language there, but the natives/locals tell her to speak in english instead because they can't understand her accent. i guess it sounds like a foreign language to them when she speaks it! 
then in other places english is spoken also, but the natives/locals pronounce it differently, so it might take time for our ears to adjust to because the english we're used to isn't like that.
then in other places english is spoken also, but the natives/locals pronounce it differently, so it might take time for our ears to adjust to because the english we're used to isn't like that.
