Northern British Accents
The story
Right, so I'm from Northern England, and in the area where I'm from we drop our t's. A lot. And we all have quite broad accents.
I've always loved my accent, and thought it was a fun accent.
Now, my dad is from a city a bit away where they do have a Northern accent, but they dont drop their t's, he also went to speech therapy as a kid and because of this speaks a but more poshly than your average Northerner.
He always teases me about how I say 'letter' or 'butter' and all that, and I didn't mind. I just thought his jokes were funny.
But recently, he's started to become annoyed at my accent. It's not gotten worse or anything, it's the same as usual.
We had a minor argument where he said my accent made him sad and annoyed.
I thought he was joking, but he wasn't.
He started going on to me about how he wished I 'spoke properly' and that it'll be harder in life if I keep my accent. At how he wished I spoke like him, and how sad my accent made him.
But I can't bloody change my accent, in my opinion, it's part of my identity, its part of me. It felt like he was asking me to change my eye colour, change my body type.
I told him that I couldn't really change it, and he told me I should try.
And now, I just feel ashamed. I feel guilty for having my accent, and for the first time, I dont love my voice anymore.
I hate my accent now, and I can't even change it.
Really I just want to know if my dad is in the right here. Do I really need to change my accent, is it not acceptable?
Stories in the same category
Points of view
That's not great to suddenly change like that :( but... have you thought about it from his perspective? 🤔 Maybe he genuinely believes that having a 'proper' accent could open more doors for you, even though it sounds kinda old-fashioned, you know? It's like he wants you to have this competitive edge or something, especially if he went through that whole speech therapy thing himself. But hey, accents are all about cultural identity and personal expression too, and it sucks if you feel ashamed about it now. It's a balancing act, right? Maybe just try having an open convo with him, see where he's coming from without feeling like you gotta change who you are. 😕
yo, honestly, gotta say, your dad’s being kinda over the top here. 🤨 like, telling you to change your accent is like asking someone to change their laugh or something. accents are part of who we are, right? but also, maybe he's just looking out for you in his own weird way, thinking it's gonna somehow help? still, doesn’t mean he should make you feel bad about it though. 🤷♂️ just be yourself, mate. it’s not like you’re speaking in tongues or something, it's just an accent! but maybe try talking to him about why it bugs him so much. could clear the air a bit. 🙄
frankly, I find this whole situation a bit exaggerated. your accent is a fundamental aspect of your cultural identity, and altering it just to appease someone else's preferences seems unnecessary; it's like trying to change your vernacular just for social integration. when I was growing up, everyone told me to tone down my accent to fit in better, but I realized later that authenticity holds more value. your father's concern might come from a place of love or societal prejudice, but it doesn't justify making you feel inadequate. communication is key here — have a candid discussion with him to understand his motivations. remember, your voice is your own, and no one should dictate how you use it.