Why do I have a weird accent when speaking english?

[Yaraye]

I grew up in Minneapolis. Despite being born in America, and never been anywhere else (only going to ummrah once), I did develop a weird accent in my english. My english doesn't sound like my fellow somalis americans that were born/ raised here with me, and doesn't sound like fob english either. I do have an accent cuz during my entire middle/ high school years, all my somali friends who were raised in Minneapolis their whole lives ( just like me) would tell me that I don't sound the same as them. If my friends and I were both raised the same environment, how did i develop a weird accent while they sound totally midwestern american?

I'm not insecure of my accent, I personally think that It makes me interesting. Other people also always found it interesting cuz they don't know what the hell it is, neither do I

I'm just curious/ fascinated as to how people who grew up the same way, same place, in the same environments, basically have similar lives end up having different accents when speaking english?

 

[Backardee123]

Did you grow up reading books? watching movies and tv? where all your friends somali and you spoke somali with your siblings as well?

These are things that support the developement of your mother tongue but make you bad in the second language. When you aren't listening to media or interacting with foreigners you dont train your ear that little extra bit it takes to perfect tone and pronounciation lol

I am from Norway and its quite obvious when someone is an immigrant that was isolated and not well read in their childhood because they speak a multicultural slang dialect thing that has bad grammar and sounds off with foreign words

 

[Yaraye]

Did you grow up reading books? watching movies and tv? where all your friends somali and you spoke somali with your siblings as well?

These are things that support the developement of your mother tongue but make you bad in the second language. When you aren't listening to media or interacting with foreigners you dont train your ear that little extra bit it takes to perfect tone and pronounciation lol

I am from Norway and its quite obvious when someone is an immigrant that was isolated and not well read in their childhood because they speak a multicultural slang dialect thing that has bad grammar and sounds off with foreign words

I grew up reading books, and watching movies/tv. Majority about 95% of my friends were somali. I spoke a mixture/ gibberish of english and somali at home.

The weirdest shit I realized is that because I grew up a lot reading books, I knew a lot of difficult/ advance words and how to use them in sentences properly. And since you read with your eyes and not your voice, I never knew how to properly pronounce all these words. I could write an advanced well-written paper, but reading that paper out loud would be quite the challenge

 

[A Mean Guy]

@Yaraye which one are you here?

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[Khaem]

I grew up reading books, and watching movies/tv. Majority about 95% of my friends were somali. I spoke a mixture/ gibberish of english and somali at home.

The weirdest shit I realized is that because I grew up a lot reading books, I knew a lot of difficult/ advance words and how to use them in sentences properly. And since you read with your eyes and not your voice, I never knew how to properly pronounce all these words. I could write an advanced well-written paper, but reading that paper out loud would be quite the challenge

I mean I remember growing up I spoke queens English so people at school used to call me posh.
Anyways I grew up and now I don't really speak that way much unless I talk to older people or in a professional setting cause it gives me extra points.
I also read alot and have a large vocabulary and I have no problem writing with it but my pronunciation of some of them sounds like I just swam here from Libya cause I end up breaking up the words in a slow pronunciation until someone corrects me and then I know.

 

[Dualke]

Exact opposite for me. Every Somali told me I have the voice of an cadaan person

 

[DubatDiaries]

You’ll sound most like your siblings - from what I noticed around me.
I don’t sound like the average “Somali Canadian” but when my sisters speak you’ll notice we have similar accents and intonation.

 

[Backardee123]

You’ll sound most like your siblings - from what I noticed around me.
I don’t sound like the average “Somali Canadian” but when my sisters speak you’ll notice we have similar accents and intonation.

Facts

@Yaraye Can't explain the logic behind this but our family is the primary socialising agent and we copy those around us. Since our parents speak somali we are mostly corrected by siblings, we would tease each other if someone sounded fobish haha

Also talkative siblings become better in native and foreign languages by pure repetition + You said that you mostly read and kept it internal.

Tbh sounding Cadaan is very good for your professional success so start taping yourself or something

 

[Yaraye]

@Yaraye which one are you here?

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neither. my accent ain't even fob accent

 

[Yaraye]

I mean I remember growing up I spoke queens English so people at school used to call me posh.
Anyways I grew up and now I don't really speak that way much unless I talk to older people or in a professional setting cause it gives me extra points.
I also read alot and have a large vocabulary and I have no problem writing with it but my pronunciation of some of them sounds like I just swam here from Libya cause I end up breaking up the words in a slow pronunciation until someone corrects me and then I know.

Same, my vocab bank is large and extensive. However my pronunciation..... I accidentally read prosecutor as prostitue once while I was reading out loud in class

 

[Yaraye]

You’ll sound most like your siblings - from what I noticed around me.
I don’t sound like the average “Somali Canadian” but when my sisters speak you’ll notice we have similar accents and intonation.

my sisters and I sound alike

 

[Yaraye]

Facts

@Yaraye Can't explain the logic behind this but our family is the primary socialising agent and we copy those around us. Since our parents speak somali we are mostly corrected by siblings, we would tease each other if someone sounded fobish haha

Also talkative siblings become better in native and foreign languages by pure repetition + You said that you mostly read and kept it internal.

Tbh sounding Cadaan is very good for your professional success so start taping yourself or something

I read and talk a lot but I talk in a gibberish of mix somali/ english so maybe that's why i'm not improving If I focus on my talk and watch myself, I can sound similar to cadaan. It just doesn't come naturally