For example, in the United States, when native French speakers speak English, it sounds very suave. When Russians speak English, they tend to sound serious and maybe a little menacing. Also, British and Australian accents sound very nice to American ears.
So I wondered what, if any, accents might sound pleasing to
Japanese ears. Or what the perception tends to be in general for any foreigner speaking Japanese.
Thanks!
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I’m curious too. I lived in Japan for 2 years and have returned for work and personal reasons over 30 times since, speaking Japanese at an intermediate level. My guess would be Spanish and Italian speakers given the heavy use of vowels in those languages, similar to Japanese. What do native Japanese speakers say?
Japanese is not globally widespread like English or Spanish so there is not much in terms of established foreign accents. I’d say the only two typical kinds are the Western-accented Japanese and the Asian-accented Japanese, and both are just considered traits of non-native learners of the language rather than a proper accent exhibited by a native speaker (like an Indian person speaking English natively with an Indian accent).
Are there certain traits associated with foreign accents like in English? Not really. There might be some occupational stereotypes but that’s about it
In my experience working with Japanese people (and my husband is Japanese), they don’t want an accent on the Japanese at all. They prefer what’s spoken at a “native-like” level so it’s easier to understand.
Some accented japanese (different than dialects) are easier to grasp (Spanish is easier to filter through than an American accent, IF there is an accent). I don’t think they prefer an accent rather, they prefer the lack of one.
>in the United States, when native French speakers speak English, it sounds very suave.
As a Canadian, it gets *much less* suave when it’s Quebecois french.
I suspect that European Spanish has a prestige accent. I’ve seen many fictional characters sprinkle Spanish into Japanese dialogue with pizazz, so I’m betting there’s a connection, and others have said as much.
Domestically, Tokyo accent is prestige and Osaka accent is devalued in many places.
I someone who isnt Japanese and doesn’t speak it completely fluently, Norwegian accented Japanese always tickles me (Yabatan)
Depends on mood as well as zone. Its pleasing for natives for being themselves. Now keeping an accent out of nowhere would annoy few, include me. not only japanese most of devangiri or non english language, adding tone or stress when pronuctioning the meaning changes…
either way it depends.
Japanese people like Spanish and Portugese. The languages have mostly the same sounds. Any language that has “th” or “sh” is a problem. Generally dipthongs throw them a bit. I am not Japanese but have studied it intensely and lived in Japan off and on for over 30 years.
I have wondered if the Japanese’s beliefs about various foreign language accents override what they actually hear. I have witnessed this both with accents and as well as foreigners who spoke perfectly clear Japanese but the Western face somehow got in the way …