To ask if you change accents when pronouncing a foreign word?

[AnaViaSalamanca]

So it goes like this: say you are speaking English, but you have to say a place or a food's name in French. Do you change your accent to say it with a French accent? Or keep to English? For example Jardin du Luxembourg, do you say it with a french accent, or jaaaardeeen du Luxembourg or simply Luxembourg gardens?

I feel it;s very pretentious to change accents to be honest, but can't bear to pronounce things wrong so usually translate if I can, but it does get very tedious...

Is there a proper way of doing this?

I'm bilingual so changing accents to say the word just comes naturally.

I'd use a mix of French and English pronunciation. As in, I would not say Jar din but zhardan (hope that makes sense) with my own accent.

I think I say it on a French accent mostly but I loved in France for 2 years so I pronounce it how I would if I was saying it in a French conversation iyswim??

But then I would say Paris how the English say it and not Paree how the French say it but would say it that way if I was in France so now I don’t know what I do!!!

As I live in Florida, most of the words that I use that are not English are Spanish, and yes I pronounce them according to Spanish pronunciation rules. For the most part, I do the same thing with French words.

I think its dead pretentious to change accents so i never do. I've actually asked alot of people who have different mother tongues and most agree its dead pretentious in their mother tongues/countries too.

As I live in Florida, most of the words that I use that are not English are Spanish, and yes I pronounce them according to Spanish pronunciation rules.

Same. Except I'm in Ohio.

For most words I'll try to go with the proper pronunciation without doing an over the top fake accent or anything.

My father pronounces the word 'restaurant' with a French accent when otherwise talking English, because the word is of French origin. I think this is silly and pretentious. Even if we took it from the French it is just like any other English word now and doesn't need a special accent.

I do think it also depends on what the foreign word is. I'll generally pronounce Volkswagen with a soft 'f' at the start rather than a hard 'v' because that's the way the Germans prnounce it, but I wouldn't dream of adopting a faux Japanese accent when saying the word 'karaoke'.

Really? So if someone says they love my perfume and ask what it is I have to translate the name from Lancome La Vie est Belle to Life is Beautiful so I don't sound pretentious? Ridiculous

I’m bilingual and I change my accent - I don’t see why I should badly pronounce a word just because I’m not speaking in that language

I think there’s a happy medium - pronounce the word correctly, but not in an exaggerated accent.

I am torn on words like “paella” - pronouncing it correctly does sound a bit wanky in English. But “pie-Ella” is definitely wrong... I go for the English pronunciation in England, and the right pronunciation everywhere else.

Seneca, I’ve been caught out by that in the US! The local pronunciation is often wildly different to the original pronunciation - see the Kentucky city of Versailles, pronounced “VER-sales”.

I speak a second language and use it daily in small - medium doses, so yes I switch my accent.

I think it is a matter of confidence, and how familiar you are with what you are saying. Despite having been to Paris many times, it's still the Eiffel tower to me, instead of 'La Tour Eiffel'. Some family members are native French speakers and have ribbed my French attempts mercilessly so I now don't bother.

My children speak 3 languages though, and switch accents effortlessly.

I do this. I am aware I probably come across as a twat.

Surely it depends on whom you are talking to?

Of course, otherwise you're pronouncing the word incorrectly. There was a very similar thread to this a while ago about pronouncing foreign names.
For example, I have an uncle called Vincent and a friend called Vincent, but I pronounce their names in a completely different way; because one is English and one is French.

Do does this, even with words that are commonly used in day to day English.

For example, take risotto. It's a word that is commonly used by English speakers and spoken without an accent but if DP uses it he goes full-on Gino d' fucking Acampo

I find it quite tricky to use a foreign pronounciation in the middle of an english sentence. But I think it depends a lot on what you are saying- it is wanky to say la tour Eiffel. But a word or phrase that doesn't exist in English, I think I would attempt the authentic pronounciation if I knew it.

It's a word that is commonly used by English speakers and spoken without an accent but if DP uses it he goes full-on Gino d' fucking Acampo

I'm convinced Gino really comes from somewhere like Beswick and just puts that accent on 'for-a de lie-deeeeez'.

I do but I'm fluent in the other languages. I absolutely hate "chor-it-zo". It's bloody chor-eetho". But then I'd say Pie-ella in England so maybe I'm a hypocrite? If the word has an English equivalent I use that. I really can't bring myself to say some words wrong! I spend my days at work correcting wrong pronunciation (my job, not being a twat) so I should really model it all myself.

I was brought up speaking Spanish and English so it's natural for me to change accent. Also do the names thing, as with Isadora, my aunts are Julia and Celia, but not as you would say them and to pronounce them so would be rude; they are Hulia and Sellia.

You need to water down the foreign accent otherwise people don't understand. I am not a native English speaker though.

No! If the person is from that country and they're saying it correctly then fine, otherwise you just sound like a complete and utter knob!

So those saying you don’t change your accent, would you pronounce minestrone as it looks or mini with an eee on the end?!
I think there’s a spectrum of words that people usually do pronounce in the way they’re pronounced in that country, going all the way to poncetastic.
Like most people would sound stupid if they said Pa-reee for Paris.

If you know how a word should be pronounced properly it's a weird kind of inverted snobbery to pronounce it incorrectly. I'd feel like a tit if i said "jar-din" to rhyme with "tin". I can't roll my Rs though, so there's a limit to how poncey and authentically foreign I can sound, no matter how hard I try.

I'm billingual so I'm not self conscious about changing my accent but also comfortable with not doing so as well.

English words like facebook, YouTube etc are pronounced differently where I live, if I say them correctly many people wouldn't understand, so I have to change the way I say them.

Same goes for foreign words in English. So it depends who I'm speaking to. I go with the pronounciation that they are most likely to understand without uncomfortable "what did you just say?" looks from the person I'm speaking to.

I do if the words are Spanish or French, both of which I also speak.