deaf accent! - Page 4

deafdyke · 12-07-2011, 07:40 PM

Oh and I have a funny story. Back when Heather Whitestone became Miss AMerica, I went to school, and the next day everyone was all "Hey deafdyke....Miss America talks just like you do!"

Latascha · 12-08-2011, 05:10 AM

I don't get that from people. When I speak german I am never asked where I'm from. People from other areas tell me I speak bavarian. People around here tell me I speak proper german.
With english it is a bit different. I do have an american accent. Once in a while I get that it's a real heavy accent and sometimes I'm asked where I'm from.

Well, probably one of the reasons no one ever believes me when I say I'm deaf

DeafRaptor · 12-08-2011, 08:13 PM

Yes I agree that hearing people playing deaf characters have mocked the deaf in their portrayals and yes I agree that for movie productions and the like, one should try to get a deaf/hh actor to play the role (unless it is a story about a late-deafened, first showing them hearing then deaf, then that might be too tricky depending on what it calls for), but if it is only for a school project and the actor/student does it right, takes it seriously, gives the deaf respect through his portrayal, as a deaf person with a slight deaf accent (some hearing deny my accent, but then ask where I'm from and don't believe it is Michigan), then I wouldn't feel offended or see it as rude or anything. Just my two cents.

**deafskeptic** · 12-08-2011, 08:25 PM

I don't often get the deaf accent thing from the hearing though I know that I don't always quite sound like a hearing person when I stumble over a word I don't know how to pronounce.

When I went to NTID, people kept commenting that I sounded like i was from the South. I grew up in Virginia. When I worked at a grocery store, some lady in the flower dept thought that I was from Norway. When I was 12 the paper girl told me that I sounded deaf to her. I have not gotten this comment since I was 12 though. I did speak with a Maine accent because that's where my speech teacher was from when I was 6 or 7 years old.

Anij · 12-08-2011, 11:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by deafdyke

AND while there are some people who have absolutly no deaf accent, they are in the minority. The gross majority of dhh folks do have deaf accents.

I'm one of those few

You'd THINK that would make things "easier" and I'd be happy about that, right ? WRONG.

Here's the problem - I don't really have an "hoh/deaf Accent", except if I'm quite ill, have a migraine or am exhausted or very emotional (so my family/immediate friends hear it occasionally, but not really co-workers & the "general public").

I do however struggle to pronounce things correctly if they have certain letter/sound combinations. It took me 15years to be confident enough to say "regular" out loud (and at 34, I still have to concentrate saying it!).

I have so many people tell me that I "absolutely can not be Deaf, or even Hard of Hearing because I don't talk like a real deaf person" or "I'm pretending to be Hoh because it's cool" or something else along those stupid lines.

The reason I don't generally have a noticeable accent is a likely a combination of factors, the main one being that I was initially born SSD deaf on my right, with normal hearing on my left - until I was about 7, when my left side started "fluxing out" (fluctuating HL ranging from mild, to moderately severe). The other reason because I was forced to be oral only, until I was legally an adult. Starting from about 8years old (when my hearing was getting worse) I would beg to be taught ASL, to be allowed to use ASL & English in school and at home etc. When the answer was "no", I started privately studied/memorized every Sign book there was & watching ASL on TV...knowing that some day it WOULD be my choice to communicate in ASL and English!

Latascha · 12-09-2011, 12:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anij

I'm one of those few

You'd THINK that would make things "easier" and I'd be happy about that, right ? WRONG.

Here's the problem - I don't really have an "hoh/deaf Accent", except if I'm quite ill, have a migraine or am exhausted or very emotional (so my family/immediate friends hear it occasionally, but not really co-workers & the "general public").

I do however struggle to pronounce things correctly if they have certain letter/sound combinations. It took me 15years to be confident enough to say "regular" out loud (and at 34, I still have to concentrate saying it!).

I have so many people tell me that I "absolutely can not be Deaf, or even Hard of Hearing because I don't talk like a real deaf person" or "I'm pretending to be Hoh because it's cool" or something else along those stupid lines.

I know exactly how you feel! Once but only once I got totally pissed at someone who wouldn't believe I was deaf and said soe not so nice things. Of course I felt bad after that

I noticed it helps if I swith to sign language. Yesterday on may way home I met some friends of mine and we were standing in the middle of a totally crowded train. I had my daughter on my back in a wrap and a woman who noticed that tipped my on the shoulder and asked, speaking really slow, if I want to sit down with the baby. My mistake, I answered her with more then just a head shake and a "no" or something. Because after I said "No, thank you. It's all right." she started to tell me some story or something, I have no clue. One of my friends signed to her: "She can't hear you, she is deaf.", turned me around and we got back to our conversation.

**TWA** · 12-09-2011, 12:25 AM

Totally bad form to fake a deaf voice. I would reject your film on principle.

Steel X · 12-09-2011, 02:31 AM

One person thought I am Australian cause she knows a friend who is from Australia who speaks exactly the way I speak and I said no...? I was born and raised in North Carolina so I just speak that way lol.

dogmom · 12-09-2011, 07:30 AM

my husband is also one of those few as Anij and DD mentioned.
I'm the one with an accent, or notice-able <to most> speech "difference"

Amy Pond · 12-11-2011, 12:34 AM

My favorite is when I first met my friend Sarah Jane Smit (AD name) and she didn't care about my "deaf accent" because she said everyone she met sounded strange (she's British) apparently a deaf accent was no weirder to her British ears then an american accent!

RachelRene · 12-11-2011, 12:24 PM

I was born and raised in Montana, and I was often told by my classmates and friends that I had an accent... I couldn't figure it out, but continued to get that after moving to Idaho for college. I figured it was a "hick accent" because of being raised on a ranch--thought it was a matter of word choice.

It wasn't until I got to college and my hearing dropped that I learned I had been hoh all my life.... and it still took an audi to connect the "accent" with my hearing loss.

I have been told that the way I say certain words is cute, or different, and I'm often asked where I'm from... but at the same time, it's not quite the deaf accent--people don't know that I'm deaf, and often don't believe me when I tell them.

I had a client spend 20 minutes telling me she didn't believe I was using Clear Captions because she had a deaf friend in college and he had a deaf accent and I didn't... She kept saying, "there's no way you're deaf. Oh well, then there's no way you had any hearing loss growing up." Like I'm making it up. She kept asking me "Isn't it annoying to use the relay service for your phone messages? Isn't it weird having this third person involved?" Um, much less annoying than not having a clue what the message left on my phone is.

My boss told me last week, "I think your disability is your speaking skills." He's right... people expect me to be able to hear because I speak fine, with some of my words a little bit different. (And I can no longer tell what my volume is, so I tend to either be way too loud or way too quiet, because I'm self conscious and can't adjust accordingly for background noise.)

I tend to use my voice with my son, but I've started trying to go voice off when we go out and about--it is much easier for me that way... not because of my deaf accent, but because of my lack of one.

Damned if you do and damned if you don't, eh?

Lily7 · 12-11-2011, 01:49 PM

I often got asked if I was German or Swedish because of my "accent", blonde hair and fair skin. Plus even before I got fat I was still tall and didn't have delicate bones, lol.

I haven't gotten asked that in a long while, though. I don't know if this is because my speech has gotten better or because I just don't get out as much as I used to.

whatdidyousay! · 12-11-2011, 08:16 PM

I was asked this a few day ago , a guy asked where I was from. He was surprised when I told him it was from a small town in Massachusetts . I wish I could think of crazy story to tell people.

deafdyke · 12-11-2011, 08:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by whatdidyousay!

I was asked this a few day ago , a guy asked where I was from. He was surprised when I told him it was from a small town in Massachusetts . I wish I could think of crazy story to tell people.

What small town are you from? MA native here! (when driving on the interstate, I can go " oh my friend is from this town, or that town or whatever)

Hannah louise · 12-13-2011, 05:39 PM

I'm hoh and mummy says I talk way too fast, sometimes too low(I say SOMETIMES- most of the time my parents are giving out to me cause I'm too bloody loud!) but most of all that I don't open my mouth so that my words don't come out clearly, but that's it I think!

**Cheetah** · 12-15-2011, 10:17 AM

I'm amazed at how sensative hearing people are. I love it when people talk loud with me, makes it easier for me to hear everything they are saying... but some hearing people say that being loud hurts their ears. Maybe they should wear ear plugs?

Most people I know that talk really really fast do so for a reason. mostly they don't want anyone to notice when they don't say a word right or may not know exactly what they are talking about. I tend to talk fast when I am nervous (especially if I'm talking to someone I really like).

deafdyke · 12-17-2011, 12:26 AM

I have been told that my voice is very easy to get used to....hahahhaha and not just by kids I grew up with.......too funny!!!

MyNameIsNO · 12-17-2011, 12:34 AM

i does have heavy deaf accents. but i not using voice much bec i uses ASL all time. my family never encourage me for getting speech therapy. but my hearing boyfriend did trying force me for speaking voicing. i say "NO you are lazy and need learn asl"

**Cheetah** · 12-18-2011, 11:11 AM

Some deaf have very cute accent. But perhaps I am biased for my gf?

**mbrek** · 12-18-2011, 12:16 PM

I actually like it, too!

Starfied · 12-18-2011, 05:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daredevel7

From a waitress:
"Oh honey. A tea with a little bit of lemon and honey will clear that up."
"Um... No no Im not sick. Im deaf"
"Hahahahaha!! Youre so funny!!!!"
"...........Im serious."
".............OH my god.. OH MY GOD.. IM.. IM SO SORRY!" *runs away*

That's horrible -.-

**KristinaB** · 12-18-2011, 06:56 PM

I was asked today how long I've been in the US. I said I was born here and never went out of the US. They claimed I sounded like I was from the Caribbean.

**mbrek** · 12-18-2011, 07:03 PM

^^^Cool!

Robohonch · 12-19-2011, 11:18 PM

Do you notice that there are days you struggle a bit to talk and say things? I believe this happens to hearing people.[/QUOTE]

Yes, it absolutely does happen...always at the most inappropriate times too!

DeafRaptor · 12-21-2011, 10:58 PM

What bothers me are the times that I struggle to speak and I end up pronouning things incorrectly (which I've noticed has been getting worse and worse) and I either get a correction as if I learned to speak improperly (brain-learning issue) versus struggling to hear myself to speak correctly (ear-hearing issue) or get a response that I am speaking normally and completely dismissing my concerns with speaking. I don't like speaking anymore for that reason as well as I am sensitive to my own voice, it hurts my ears, and I cannot tolerate listening to it for very long.

kristy2078 · 12-21-2011, 11:22 PM

I do have a deaf accent. I work at Walmart, so I am often speaking with people. From time to time, a customer will ask where I am from. I love to play along with this, like this:

customer: "Where are you from?"

me: "New Hampshire."

customer: "No, I mean where were you born?"

me: "New Hampshire."

customer: *confused* "What language did your parents speak?"

Then I have to fess up and tell them I speak this way because I am Deaf

A fellow coworker loved how I pronounced "en-cheel-a-da."

12-07-2011, 07:40 PM	#91 (permalink)
deafdyke Registered User Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Trebekistan Posts: 13,234	Oh and I have a funny story. Back when Heather Whitestone became Miss AMerica, I went to school, and the next day everyone was all "Hey deafdyke....Miss America talks just like you do!" deafskeptic and Cheetah like this.

12-08-2011, 08:25 PM	#94 (permalink)
deafskeptic Premium Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Posts: 14,518	I don't often get the deaf accent thing from the hearing though I know that I don't always quite sound like a hearing person when I stumble over a word I don't know how to pronounce. When I went to NTID, people kept commenting that I sounded like i was from the South. I grew up in Virginia. When I worked at a grocery store, some lady in the flower dept thought that I was from Norway. When I was 12 the paper girl told me that I sounded deaf to her. I have not gotten this comment since I was 12 though. I did speak with a Maine accent because that's where my speech teacher was from when I was 6 or 7 years old. __________________ Left ear implanted with Med-El on April 24 2007. Activated on May 9th. Upgraded to Opus 2 9/10/2010 Think Pink. FREE JILLIO!

12-11-2011, 12:34 AM	#100 (permalink)
Amy Pond Registered User Join Date: Oct 2011 Posts: 12	My favorite is when I first met my friend Sarah Jane Smit (AD name) and she didn't care about my "deaf accent" because she said everyone she met sounded strange (she's British) apparently a deaf accent was no weirder to her British ears then an american accent! __________________ Imagining the future is a kind of nostalgia.

12-11-2011, 12:24 PM	#101 (permalink)
RachelRene Registered User Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Ottawa, ON Posts: 118	I was born and raised in Montana, and I was often told by my classmates and friends that I had an accent... I couldn't figure it out, but continued to get that after moving to Idaho for college. I figured it was a "hick accent" because of being raised on a ranch--thought it was a matter of word choice. It wasn't until I got to college and my hearing dropped that I learned I had been hoh all my life.... and it still took an audi to connect the "accent" with my hearing loss. I have been told that the way I say certain words is cute, or different, and I'm often asked where I'm from... but at the same time, it's not quite the deaf accent--people don't know that I'm deaf, and often don't believe me when I tell them. I had a client spend 20 minutes telling me she didn't believe I was using Clear Captions because she had a deaf friend in college and he had a deaf accent and I didn't... She kept saying, "there's no way you're deaf. Oh well, then there's no way you had any hearing loss growing up." Like I'm making it up. She kept asking me "Isn't it annoying to use the relay service for your phone messages? Isn't it weird having this third person involved?" Um, much less annoying than not having a clue what the message left on my phone is. My boss told me last week, "I think your disability is your speaking skills." He's right... people expect me to be able to hear because I speak fine, with some of my words a little bit different. (And I can no longer tell what my volume is, so I tend to either be way too loud or way too quiet, because I'm self conscious and can't adjust accordingly for background noise.) I tend to use my voice with my son, but I've started trying to go voice off when we go out and about--it is much easier for me that way... not because of my deaf accent, but because of my lack of one. Damned if you do and damned if you don't, eh? ash345 and DeafRaptor like this.

12-11-2011, 01:49 PM	#102 (permalink)
Lily7 Registered User Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Norman, OK Posts: 326	I often got asked if I was German or Swedish because of my "accent", blonde hair and fair skin. Plus even before I got fat I was still tall and didn't have delicate bones, lol. I haven't gotten asked that in a long while, though. I don't know if this is because my speech has gotten better or because I just don't get out as much as I used to. __________________ Twitter Goodreads Facebook available - send PM

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12-08-2011, 05:10 AM	#92 (permalink)
Latascha Registered User Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Munich Posts: 133	I don't get that from people. When I speak german I am never asked where I'm from. People from other areas tell me I speak bavarian. People around here tell me I speak proper german. With english it is a bit different. I do have an american accent. Once in a while I get that it's a real heavy accent and sometimes I'm asked where I'm from. Well, probably one of the reasons no one ever believes me when I say I'm deaf

12-08-2011, 08:13 PM	#93 (permalink)
DeafRaptor Registered User Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Ashburn, VA Posts: 163	Yes I agree that hearing people playing deaf characters have mocked the deaf in their portrayals and yes I agree that for movie productions and the like, one should try to get a deaf/hh actor to play the role (unless it is a story about a late-deafened, first showing them hearing then deaf, then that might be too tricky depending on what it calls for), but if it is only for a school project and the actor/student does it right, takes it seriously, gives the deaf respect through his portrayal, as a deaf person with a slight deaf accent (some hearing deny my accent, but then ask where I'm from and don't believe it is Michigan), then I wouldn't feel offended or see it as rude or anything. Just my two cents.

12-09-2011, 12:25 AM	#97 (permalink)
TWA Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 5,374	Totally bad form to fake a deaf voice. I would reject your film on principle.

12-09-2011, 02:31 AM	#98 (permalink)
Steel X Registered User Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: The Carolinas/Rochester, NY. Posts: 13,837	One person thought I am Australian cause she knows a friend who is from Australia who speaks exactly the way I speak and I said no...? I was born and raised in North Carolina so I just speak that way lol.

12-09-2011, 07:30 AM	#99 (permalink)
dogmom Registered User Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 5,510	my husband is also one of those few as Anij and DD mentioned. I'm the one with an accent, or notice-able <to most> speech "difference"

12-11-2011, 08:16 PM	#103 (permalink)
whatdidyousay! Registered User Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 8,851	I was asked this a few day ago , a guy asked where I was from. He was surprised when I told him it was from a small town in Massachusetts . I wish I could think of crazy story to tell people.

12-13-2011, 05:39 PM	#105 (permalink)
Hannah louise Registered User Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Down the road, there now.. Posts: 53	I'm hoh and mummy says I talk way too fast, sometimes too low(I say SOMETIMES- most of the time my parents are giving out to me cause I'm too bloody loud!) but most of all that I don't open my mouth so that my words don't come out clearly, but that's it I think!

12-15-2011, 10:17 AM	#106 (permalink)
Cheetah Cheetah Consulting-Closed Join Date: Jul 2011 Posts: 2,694	I'm amazed at how sensative hearing people are. I love it when people talk loud with me, makes it easier for me to hear everything they are saying... but some hearing people say that being loud hurts their ears. Maybe they should wear ear plugs? Most people I know that talk really really fast do so for a reason. mostly they don't want anyone to notice when they don't say a word right or may not know exactly what they are talking about. I tend to talk fast when I am nervous (especially if I'm talking to someone I really like).

12-17-2011, 12:26 AM	#107 (permalink)
deafdyke Registered User Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Trebekistan Posts: 13,234	I have been told that my voice is very easy to get used to....hahahhaha and not just by kids I grew up with.......too funny!!!

12-17-2011, 12:34 AM	#108 (permalink)
MyNameIsNO Banned Join Date: Dec 2011 Posts: 692	i does have heavy deaf accents. but i not using voice much bec i uses ASL all time. my family never encourage me for getting speech therapy. but my hearing boyfriend did trying force me for speaking voicing. i say "NO you are lazy and need learn asl"

12-18-2011, 11:11 AM	#109 (permalink)
Cheetah Cheetah Consulting-Closed Join Date: Jul 2011 Posts: 2,694	Some deaf have very cute accent. But perhaps I am biased for my gf? mbrek and Robohonch like this.

12-18-2011, 12:16 PM	#110 (permalink)
mbrek Premium Member Join Date: Aug 2011 Posts: 1,512 Blog Entries: 1	I actually like it, too! Cheetah likes this. __________________ Sarcasm - just another little service I offer.

12-18-2011, 06:56 PM	#112 (permalink)
KristinaB New SDIT Deacon Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Land of the backstroke Posts: 13,854	I was asked today how long I've been in the US. I said I was born here and never went out of the US. They claimed I sounded like I was from the Caribbean. __________________ Taking life one day at a time.

12-18-2011, 07:03 PM	#113 (permalink)
mbrek Premium Member Join Date: Aug 2011 Posts: 1,512 Blog Entries: 1	^^^Cool! __________________ Sarcasm - just another little service I offer.

12-19-2011, 11:18 PM	#114 (permalink)
Robohonch Registered User Join Date: Nov 2011 Posts: 30	Do you notice that there are days you struggle a bit to talk and say things? I believe this happens to hearing people.[/QUOTE] Yes, it absolutely does happen...always at the most inappropriate times too!

12-21-2011, 10:58 PM	#115 (permalink)
DeafRaptor Registered User Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Ashburn, VA Posts: 163	What bothers me are the times that I struggle to speak and I end up pronouning things incorrectly (which I've noticed has been getting worse and worse) and I either get a correction as if I learned to speak improperly (brain-learning issue) versus struggling to hear myself to speak correctly (ear-hearing issue) or get a response that I am speaking normally and completely dismissing my concerns with speaking. I don't like speaking anymore for that reason as well as I am sensitive to my own voice, it hurts my ears, and I cannot tolerate listening to it for very long.

12-21-2011, 11:22 PM	#116 (permalink)
kristy2078 Registered User Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: New Hampshire, USA Posts: 258	I do have a deaf accent. I work at Walmart, so I am often speaking with people. From time to time, a customer will ask where I am from. I love to play along with this, like this: customer: "Where are you from?" me: "New Hampshire." customer: "No, I mean where were you born?" me: "New Hampshire." customer: confused "What language did your parents speak?" Then I have to fess up and tell them I speak this way because I am Deaf A fellow coworker loved how I pronounced "en-cheel-a-da." deafdyke and Cheetah like this.

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