Why do Nigerians use fake accent? How to catch them
The speak-a-foreign-accent fever has gripped many Nigerians as it is not uncommon to hear many locals speaking or faking, in most cases, the British or American accent. Yes, you’re right, fake accent!
Radio hosts, television presenters, masters of ceremonies, and even the announcer at our local airports have caught the fever as well. Rumour has it that speaking a foreign accent may be one of the criteria for landing big gigs in radio and television houses nowadays.
Call it funny, but some Nigerians, despite only visiting foreign countries for as little as two weeks, return with a foreign accent. Even those who have visited non-English speaking areas return with American or British accents. Worse still, the United Arab Emirates returnees also speak American or British accents. Funny, isn’t it?
Table of Content hide 1What is a fake accent? 2Why Nigerians fake accents 3How to spot a fake accentWhat is a fake accent?
A fake accent can be defined as speaking with an accent completely different from their native one. For example, a Nigerian speaking like a British might be a case of faking an accent. But we can not be too sure because the person might have grown up in Britain.
Why Nigerians fake accents
Accents have progressively crept into the speech of many Nigerians as a result of a subconscious struggle to demonstrate one’s social position, intelligence, and in some cases, a desire to just fit in.
Everyone, including celebrities, powerful people, and the common Nigerian, now has accents as a result of this new trend of enhancing one’s spoken English with accents.
Speaking with the typical Nigerian accent is actually regarded by some as “local/bush” and an indication of low social position. Many Nigerians can attest to stereotypes being applied to them because they sound like they haven’t just gotten off a plane.
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Every day, one may hear these accents, whether they are American, British, or Amerigbo (a fusion of American and Nigerian), on radios, TVs, and even when simply walking down the street. You’ll note that the majority of radio and television presenters have accents because they are thought to be an indication of intelligence and expertise. In conclusion, social standing—not accent—is what matters most.
Many people experience an identity crisis as a result of this desire to be perceived as superior because they sound alien. It’s gotten so bad that many Nigerian parents now spend millions sending their kids to schools that follow American or British curricula so they can also pick up the “foneh” that foreigners are known for speaking.
Stories about parents forbidding their children from learning their native tongue out of concern that it could “spoil” their English ring true.
It wouldn’t be false, though, to acknowledge that accent privilege exists in this region of the world and that, occasionally, you have to fake it until you make it.
A greater exchange of cultures and knowledge of Nigerians has been made possible by the country’s rising international immigration; we now adopt everything, including their language. Therefore, in order to be taken seriously and perceived as better, you “need” to talk better, even if your accent alternates between American and British or is completely unknown.
In addition, many individuals take offense at hearing these accents and immediately advise the speaker to stop acting or “stop creating,” just as some people tend to treat others better because they sound different.
People’s tendency to copy the person who is speaking to them is another intriguing aspect of the accent age. It goes without saying that if you ask a question in an American or British accent, you will almost certainly receive a response in that accent or, occasionally, the blatantly forced Foneh ones.
How to spot a fake accent
There are several reasons why someone could alter their accent. Accents are used by actors to convincingly pass for someone from another location. Politicians alter their accents to appeal to different demographics. Everyone modifies their accent to some extent based on the person they are speaking with (a phenomenon called code-switching). When someone succeeds, there typically aren’t any issues. However, individuals can become agitated when they see phony accents.
It’s not always simple to spot accent impersonation. We want to believe that our speech patterns are set in stone, but they evolve over the course of a lifetime.
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One major way to spot a fake accent from a real one is that a real accent comes naturally while a fake accent does not. It is always forced. Since the person forms the accent most of the time, it will not flow as naturally as it is supposed to.
Another way to spot a fake accent is that the person will always mistakenly pronounce some words in their original accent without even noticing it. I remember a video that went viral on social media about a Nigerian student who was faking a British and American accent. It was so obvious that in the middle of the discussion she was having, she forgot herself and switched from British English to American to pidgin and then to her native language, all in one discussion.
The video got people really talking. While some condemned it, others praised her for being versatile. In addition, another way to spot a fake accent is that the person tends to speak with the fake accent only when around certain people they might want to impress. When they are around people, they are more comfortable speaking normally without an accent. An example is when someone is speaking with an American accent because they are around Americans and want to impress them.
A person who speaks with a fake accent is easy to spot because, most times, they are doing it to fit in with the crowd. They believe that if they speak with an accent, they will get more friends, business deals, etc.
