Guyanese Online

This entry appeared in Guyanese Online on August  06, 2015 . It has four videos.

Where Are You From? I hear an accent! –  By Lear Matthews

The question, “where are you from? You have an accent” is one that is quite familiar to immigrants.  The stimulus for such a query is usually based on one’s speech pattern, accent or other linguistic attributes that appear to be different or “foreign.”  A good friend told me that his initial inclination is to respond by saying “Earth! Where are you from?” when asked this question.  But he quickly declared that because he was raised to be polite, he exercises self restraint, empathy and diplomacy.

He further stated that his response may be followed by pointing out to the questioner that she/he too has an “accent”.     

Everyone inherently has an accent peculiar to his or her indigenous socialization, unless (a) there is a deliberate attempt to alter or otherwise disguise it, which some immigrants may do to “fit in” or (b) social or environment influences naturally affect one’s speech pattern over time.  READ MORE

https://guyaneseonline.net/2015/08/06/where-are-you-from-i-hear-an-accent-by-lear-matthews-4-videos/