It’s no hidden secret that the melodic ring of a foreign accent is a sure way to grab someone’s attention. I have witnessed, on more than one occasion, some regular-Joe don a fake accent to tickle the earlobes of an unsuspecting female. And if they’re convincing enough, it usually works.

Though such trickery warrants an eye roll, it simply is the truth: There’s a certain charm in hearing someone speak your language in a unique way.

Even hearing the unusual and various different phrases, inflections and intonations of English-speaking nationalities are enough to make you melt. Sometimes, embarrassingly enough, you become so wrapped up in their way of speaking that you find yourself starting to make astute criticisms in a slightly British tone, ordering your drink in a thick Irish brogue and complaining about the service in a proper Scottish tone. Then your order of shrimp on the barbie arrives and you mellow out in a perfect Australian accent.

Then there are those accents that really catch your attention because you don’t necessarily hear them every day. The perfect blend of French and Haiti’s native Creole accents is irresistibly relaxing. The elongated but flat sounding vowels and harsh consonants of South African accents are fascinating. And the precise pronunciation of every syllable in a Slovenian accent makes you reconsider what syllables you should emphasize.

And don’t even get me started on the dreamy languages: Parlez-vous français? If only. Parlate italiano? No, but please continue. Habla español? Marry me. Compared to the blunt, choppy pronunciation of English, it’s clear why these languages that seamlessly flow off the tongue are dubbed ‘romantic.’

But it would be silly for you to look past what’s in your own backyard. Sure, it’s nice to experience the thousands of different languages spoken around the world, but have you ever heard a Southern drawl? What about a Midwestern twang? And you can spend a whole day just sorting through the different slang terms and phrases from each coast.

Our world is getting smaller and smaller every day, and with that our exposure to different types of people, cultures and, more importantly, different accents has become much easier to come by. So go out of your way to listen to people with accents. Chances are they not only speak in a way that intrigues you, but they can also provide perspective and insights that are unique from your own. Either way, they’ll be interesting to talk to.

—Compiled by Danielle Odiamar, asst. feature editor, dmodiama@syr.edu

Published on September 25, 2011 at 12:00 pm