accents

[smoo]

Just as a matter of interest, how obvious is a foreign accent to a native Finn, even if the speaker is fairly fluent and grammatically correct? Can you instantly tell that someone is foreign as soon as they open their mouth, and if so, can you always recognise distinct accents (e.g. british, U.S., chinese etc)?

I have a vested interest in the answer to this, as I thought I might take Hank's advice to someone else in another thread and practice reading the newspaper out loud to a fluent Finnish speaker and get them to give me advice on nuancies of pronounciation that still cause me difficulties. However, the particular Finnish friend I had in mind actually isn't Finnish, but rather someone from China who has been living here for 10-15 years and speaks very well.... will I end up with a chinese accent?

[Hank W.]

Sometimes yes. Sometimes no. Depends. You can come read to me on Wednesday and I can tell you if it is your rucky day.

Usually the first dead giveaway is that the foreigners speak too much, too fast and interrupt my silences.

Sometimes the 'home accent' bleeds through strong, some people get only caught with a shibboleth, some people just give out 'vibes' you can't catch them except rarely. Usually impeccably fluent UK-english speaking people speak a bit too much into their nose as the last "giveaway"

[smoo]

I have my Finnish class on Wednesday; maybe the teacher would give you a few euros to take the class for her that week?

[Hank W.]

No can do, but I am in Nut Hill every other day of the week almost. I just found my "ABC" book drafts. Need to complete it and get it printed

[enk]

Just as a matter of interest, how obvious is a foreign accent to a native Finn, even if the speaker is fairly fluent and grammatically correct? Can you instantly tell that someone is foreign as soon as they open their mouth, and if so, can you always recognise distinct accents (e.g. british, U.S., chinese etc)?

Yes, if you ask a Finn. But I'm pretty sure that that inkling they
have is oftentimes based on what the person looks like (which
is why people complained about Lola Odusoga speaking Finnish
like a foreigner when she was just from Turku!).

-enk

[smoo]

The problem I have is that I actually look rather Finnish, so no-one ever suspects in the slightest until I open my mouth (or just look blank when they speak to me)... Often their disappointment, surprise or mild frustration is tangible, as if foreigners should at least have the courtesy to look different!

Similarly, on at least two occasions when I have been back in the UK I have had exchanges like this with people I haven't seen for a while:

X: So where are you based now?

Me: I'm living in Finland.

X: Oh, OK. Actually, you're looking rather Finnish!

??????

Also, a Danish guy I knew in the UK told me I had a bit of a "Finnish look" before I came here. So I guess it can't just be something in the rye bread....

[Hank W.]

Must be your shuffly tracksuit and crazy stare

[Mark I.]

Just as a matter of interest, how obvious is a foreign accent to a native Finn, even if the speaker is fairly fluent and grammatically correct? Can you instantly tell that someone is foreign as soon as they open their mouth, and if so, can you always recognise distinct accents (e.g. british, U.S., chinese etc)?

I get very surpriced if I cannot tell from what village the person originates from.

[Hank W.]

You mean which village the idiot ran away from

But come on, you don't speak such a deep "lapHlandHer" yourself that you'd stick out as a "Rovaniemi trainbrought" - you have the correct "school Finnish" you could go speak on the radio. Slower paced than how we speak here, let alone in Turku, say. And with tho Northern melodic long vowels but nothing that would be as "definite village" say like with the bloke that we met last time over who was definitely from "the Savo"...

[Mark I.]

Yeah, Rovaniemi dialect never stuck to me very hard. Also my speaking varies depending with whom I'm talking with, for example with my very old friend from Rollo (who lives here also) I start speaking more like Rovaniemi dialect. On the other hand, I cannot speak so "deep" R dialect as Mr. Lordi (Putaansuu) does, but somehow Tanja Potiainen* speaks quite similarily as I do.

Sure, there are lots of people (myself included) that you cannot pinpoint where they come from. But it's fun to listen people and figure out their history on basis of they way they talk. I'm pretty good in that (hearing tiny nyances).

Yesterday some girl was talking loud to her cell on tram in Rovaniemi dialect, so before jumping out I walked to back of the tram to see if I know her. Well, looks like I'v been away from Rollo for a long time...

*Edit: Just happened to hear her speaking - I'll take it back, we don't speak the same way (you can hear her R accent...).

[Hank W.]

Just enough for the kindergarten kids to grow up to be university age

[Mark I.]

..will I end up with a chinese accent?

It depends...but it's possible. For example Keith (Keke) Armstrong has lived here for - what - some 20 years? He's fluent, but you can easlily hear he's a britt. What's remarkable about Keke's speech, that he's stuck with Kemi -dialect (as he learned Finnish in Kemi).

In Rovaniemi there's not very high opinion about Kemi dialect...

[Matula]

I have to admit, I thought I could easily spot all foreigners if they're speaking Finnish, but two Spanish guys at my class at AMK spoke perfect, accent-free Finnish. Sure they look foreign, but I thought they grew up in Finland since their Finnish was so good, but this was not the case.

[enk]

I know a lot of people from ROI and I would not place you as being
from there Mark. I'd say more like you're from Eira or Ullanlinna quite
frankly

Of course, most of the people I know from ROI talk like Putaansuu
(dahjege mii sámástit. ), so it's now wonder I wouldn't place
you as being from there.

-enk

[Suomlainen]

Lets see if I undrestanded the question correctly, but when looking the foreginers who I have met in finland or saw them in finnish tv speaking finnish, most of them are easily regoniced as foreginers.

to be honest I havent met/seen a single foreginer who speaks finnish like we do. Well one German guy was really good I MEAN REALLY GOOD. Took me sometime to notice that he was foreginer since he spoke finnish really well. But I noticed that he wanst from the way he talked, he talked quite much what I call "Finnish literature style" which differs quite much from what we talk, since it doesnt have these "extra words" in it.

But those who are afraid that they would have language problems when moving to finland or talking to finn, I think its not necesary to think about that. Most of us are more than Fine with english, and we speak it a heck of a lot better than Swedish for example (which is one language I am having hard to master)

To tell the truth all products outside of finland are usualy written with english language, for example Games, Videos/dvds (subbed mostly), electric devices(some have finnish manual)

hope my english is readable,