Any expats here been able to fully get rid of their accent?

[Pensador]

I fool some of them some of the time. Had two today had no idea found out I was a Yankee and went into shock about it. Depends on how much English I speak for say like a week. I speak a lot of English my tongue will drop that happens it is obvious. Most think I am from Brazil when they catch on.

 

[steveinbsas]

My first thought when I saw the title to this thread was, "Why, if it meant talking like a porteño, would I want to do that?

Just as I have too much respect for the English language to write without capitalization or correct punctuation, I have too much respect for the Spanish language to want talk like a porteño.

I learned to speak some basic Spanish listening to cassette tapes when I was living in Chicago in the late 1990's. Although I lived in Mexico for five years before moving to Argentina in 2006, most of my friends in Mexico were Gringos, so I didn't speak much Spanish while I was living there.

What is important to me now is being understood and I've discovered that clear pronunciation with the accent on the appropriate syllable make all the difference. As many others have pointed out during the past twelve years, Argentina is not the "ideal" place in Latin America to learn Spanish

Most of the people where I now live don't sound at all like porteños and the Argentine womanwith whom I've been spending a little time has a very beautiful (and soft) voice. I love it when she says a few words in English. Her accent is intoxicating. She's the only incentive I have to improve my Spanish, but losing my accent is not something I think about.

She recently told me she wanted to learn more English.

My reply was, "Me encantaría ser tu profesor de inglés."

She beamed with delight.

Then she said, "La vida es bella."

And I replied. Yes, "Life is beautiful, y cada día que te veo es un hermoso día."

The bottom line (literally): A little Spanish goes a long way, regardless of the accent.

 

[garryl]

One's native language influences a second language. I've been here 20 years, and people still ask where I'm from.

That's OK

 

[ben]

I by no means sound like a local, but most people do not readily identify me by my accent.
I’ve turned it into something of a game.
- “De donde sos?”
- “Y, fijate si me ubicás por el acento.”
- “Qué sé yo, de Brasil?”
-

 

[nikad]

I speak English since I was 5, I am now in my mid 40s. When I travel to the US some people can tell that I have a slight accent but are unable to tell where it comes from. Not all of them can tell I am a foreigner. I know that for some reason there are days of heavier accent if such thing exists. I have no idea why it happens though

 

[Rich One]

My first thought when I saw the title to this thread was, "Why, if it meant talking like a porteño, would I want to do that?

Just as I have too much respect for the English language to write without capitalization or correct punctuation, I have too much respect for the Spanish language to want talk like a porteño.

I learned to speak some basic Spanish listening to cassette tapes when I was living in Chicago in the late 1990's. Although I lived in Mexico for five years before moving to Argentina in 2006, most of my friends in Mexico were Gringos, so I didn't speak much Spanish while I was living there.

What is important to me now is being understood and I've discovered that clear pronunciation with the accent on the appropriate syllable make all the difference. As many others have pointed out during the past twelve years, Argentina is not the "ideal" place in Latin America to learn Spanish

Most of the people where I now live don't sound at all like porteños and the Argentine womanwith whom I've been spending a little time has a very beautiful (and soft) voice. I love it when she says a few words in English. Her accent is intoxicating. She's the only incentive I have to improve my Spanish, but losing my accent is not something I think about.

She recently told me she wanted to learn more English.

My reply was, "Me encantaría ser tu profesor de inglés."

She beamed with delight.

Then she said, "La vida es bella."

And I replied. Yes, "Life is beautiful, y cada día que te veo es un hermoso día."

The bottom line (literally): A little Spanish goes a long way, regardless of the accent.

You got it straight... An old Spanish saying " El mejor lugar para aprender un idioma es en la cama"

 

[sts7049]

I love it when she says a few words in English. Her accent is intoxicating. .

está en el horno steve

 

[AFVA]

That American guy in those videos makes me cringe with secondhand embarrassment. He thinks he's being cool and original but as someone upthread mentioned, it's all slang and exaggerated and not really true to life. It's the equivalent of someone passing off Valley Girl American English as all Americans. He just comes off as such a try-hard and a show off. Just no.

I grew up fully bilingual so even though English is easier for me, castellano is my first language and I've retained the accent and inflections and I generally "pass". I think so anyway. I have lost some vocabulary and sometimes when someone speaks really fast I can't keep up but mostly I have been lucky to avoid a gringo accent.