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Nigerians and their “Foreign Accent Syndrome”
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Words cannot describe how ashamed I was when she opened her mouth, the accent that proceeded there from was nothing to write home about. This was a Nigerian lady who had only been in the U.S. for 3months!! Do we really know what it sounds like when someone with a THICK Nigerian accent (be it Igbo, Yoruba or Hausa), tries to form American accent? That’s recipe for disaster.
Ok. Let me press pause right there. This article is not about Nigerians that grew up or were born in the U.S. and neither is it about ALL Nigerians that live in the U.S. (I say U.S. a lot because that’s where I’m most familiar.)
This article is about Nigerians with a thick Nigerian accent who feel the need to impress by attempting to switch their Nigerian accent for an American (or British or Whatever) accent. Listen, it just does not work!!! It does not sound good and you end up making a fool of yourself. Either back in Nigeria, or here in the States (or Wherever).
I have to admit that when I initially got into the U.S (as a grown up), I thought it was required of me to speak with an American accent. Well, guess what? They could not understand a freaking word I said!!!! I had to repeat myself over and over and over. You can imagine how tiring that would be. But each time I spoke like myself, natural and all, I was comfortable, at ease and the conversations flowed a lot better than when I tried too hard.
Ok. Pause again. It is only natural, that when you are in the mist of Americans all the time, you’ll pick up some words here and there. You will even sound different sometimes. But it’s not like your entire vocabulary will turn upside down!!
Furthermore, some Nigerian artistes are guilty of this offense. I mean, is it me or are there some certain artistes that just feel the need to “hype” up their persona and English when granting interviews within and most especially outside Nigeria? That’s simply infuriating to watch. It stresses me out and it just does not feel right.
If you are able to pick up the foreign accent and speak it well, then good for you. But if not, it does not make you any less American (or foreign) than you already are.
I remember when I was in Nigeria some months back. The first few days were filled with me sounding American-ish. But 2 weeks into my trip, I was sounding as Nigerian as ever, and proudly so. That I’ve been in America for so long does not mean I must have an accent. And trust me, Nigerians know when you are faking it. They can tell.
In 2011, Nigerian accent was ranked as the 5th Sexiest in the WORLD!!! Think I’m lying?
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Did u spot our Genny Nnaji at the London Olympics?
Watching Serena Williams beat Maria Sharapova(Russia)for GOLD?
NBC(TV) Cameras zoomed in on Genny a couple times!!
Our Genny STAR was spotted in the HUGE Crowd wowwww!!
Yeahhhhhhhhhhhhhh Bbyyyyyyyy!!
Over size nose Yul edochie
Bleached Ton-dont-give-a-fhuck-to
Skeletor genefhuckingve
Albino yam legs monalisa
Ugly oge k-legged-okoye
Chika-k-legged-fatbumpy nose ike
Red puffy FAT swollen mike ezernouye
Dirty looking chaka
All the marketeers that manage get small part
Rotten teeth old mama uche fat jumbo
Retired old looking bimbo akintola
Relic joke silva
Jim Robin Hood Iyke
Fhuckthalon chidi chikere
Nse GAPPY DRAGON TEETH Ikem or whatever the name be sef....
Many more to come....
Stephanie O attempted the Ameri-British accent but failed miserably now she has resorted to well spoken Nigerian English which is 100% better she is almost par with Genevieve. Im surprised that Emeka Ike has been in the game this long and still kills us with his Ameri-british mispronounced accent . Sometimes I wish the directors will stop being stingy and retake some scenes .
Van Vicker (yes i know he's Ghanian)Jim Iyke, Mona Lisa, Stephanie etc have weird accents which spoils their acting.
Many don't even know American accents range by region within the USA. I cannot stop laughing. I watch NTA all the time and I know few presenters that do this. Very funny!
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***and i'm being lenient***
I think Olu and Joke Jacobs, Pete Edochie,Bimbo, Lanre Balogun, Bob Manuel and a few others are quite sound. Mercy Johnson diction is good as well Reply this thread
some of those presenters have never even step out of Naija o! Reply this thread
Gbemi and Freeze are my best radio presenters,
Its annoying cos sometimes i have to turn off my radio whenever I hear some of these fake ppl talking on my radio
As some posts above said , some of them have not even been to Murtala Muhammed Airport or any international airport much less been out of Nigeria. And even if they have been out of Nigeria, they may have only visited Cameroon or Ghana. Reply this thread
“Are you hearing me?”
“What is it by your time?”
“Can you hear that smell?”
“I've returned it back”
“Reverse back”
“Please help me to shift”
“It's a serious something”
“She gave birth to a male son” ----- A MALE SON?
“Keep space for me”
“Raise up your hand”
“Give me small more”
“Come and start going”
“Let's be going first”
“I will soon slap you now”
“They've taken light”
“I came to your office and met your absence”
“Just face your front”
“Go and buy me cold minerals”
“Yesterday night”
“She and her mother don't resemble”
“Off your phone”
“I'm finding my pen”
“Come and be going”
“Why are you siding her?”
but he seems to speak that way all the time, does that mean its real? duno.
I hear he spent time or grew up in the U.S. That guy's accent is just a big ball of confusion. It's Ajegunle meets Ghetto-American, meets Igbo meets----. I don't understand the dude sha.
Reply this thread
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