Oh noes!

[lyore]

... I may have hit a slight snag in my speech-writing. It's all plotted, and I've written the first quarter or so (and when I say 'written' I mean 'wandered randomly round the apartment/stood in the bathroom and spouted lines until I like the sound of them'). I decided to take a break and watch something for a while, and that's when I discovered my problem.

I sound like one of the presenters on Top Gear*. I've always had a tendency to go slightly 'english' when I do public speaking, and speanding far to much time listening to three english guys do nothing but ramble has definitely made accentuated it.

Still, could be worse, right? English accents are... classy, or something, right? It's not like I'm sounding American

*With a little bit of John Critchon's Peacekeeper accent thrown in, for regional variation.

Comments

[akeyoftime.livejournal.com]

John's PK accent isn't so much regional variation as a terrible accent imitation!

I find we all shift a little when we do public speaking. If you go a little British, then go for it! :P

[laligin.livejournal.com]

*covers mouth to hide smile*

As long as you're intelligible, what does it matter?

And if you start sounding like one of those really awful faux-British accents that Americans (for example) think we lot actually sound like, I want to hear a recording of it. :P It always makes me giggle when I discover that the rest of the world thinks we're so very posh.

:)

[treenahasthaal.livejournal.com]

If you must go British try a Scottish Accent - it's supposed to be one of the most trusted accents and it has a nice lilt to it! : )

[lyore.livejournal.com]

I apparently have an odd accent at the best of times - I've variously told I sound English, American, Scottish, and South American... needless to say, I can't hear it :)

But I definitely get more formal for public speaking, and that often seems to translate into 'English' in a lot of people's minds (including my own, perhaps *g*)

[lyore.livejournal.com]

Don't worry, I wasn't that bad :) In fact, I think it was more a matter of intonation and phrasing than accent.

For some reason, it never really registered that you are British. Whereabouts, if you don't mind me asking?

[lyore.livejournal.com]

I love Scottish accents, but would never dare attempt one :) My project manager is Scottish, and listening to him speak definitely makes the meetings more enjoyable.

Random Scottish Accent Story: When I was in Scotland earlier this year, I went on a bus tour with a guide who had a very strong accent. He keep pointing out 'hill and coos' as we were driving along, and it took me ages to realise he was actually saying 'Highland Cows'. Everything made a lot more sense after that :)

[laligin.livejournal.com]

Carlisle at the moment (going to Liverpool in a little while for uni). And because most people have never even heard of Carlisle, let alone know where it is (and this goes for people in Britain, too, actually...) we're also known as The Great Border City, because we're about as close to the Scottish border as you can get while still being English. :)

Still, sounds fun. Hope it all goes alright. ^_^