Cringe when English speakers adopt accent

[doadeer]

Watching the Chef's Brigade with the chef Jason Atherton and everytime he speaks to someone Spanish / Italian etc he speaks as if he has an Italian accent and in broken English. Like "mama you liiike?!"

It's making me cringe.

Aibu to be embarrassed for him? Why do people do this 😳

Apparently in some cultures it's a sign of respect to speak in broken English to enhance understanding of Johnny Foreigner.

I personally think that's bollocks but that's what I'm told my older relatives who have lived in other cultures.

I personally think that's bollocks and that they were seen as that insensitive, stuck up white family.

Then don't for god's sake Google "Steve McLaren Dutch accent".

My friend does this. It's really embarrassing. But I don't think he knows he does it.

Not quite the same, but I have a very different accent to my husband and his family, we currently live in 'my' part of thd uk. We have his very lovley family over just now that are encouraging their 6 year old to imitate the local accent, so, my accent and think it's hilarious. I don't have the heart to tell them how annoying it is, but it really winds me up!

I do this all the time maybe not to the extent described in your post but I mimic accents and I absolutely do not mean to. I was working for an Irish client last year and I came out with 'I'll get it sorted in no time, it'll be grand' in my finest Irish accent. I was mortified.
Bizarrely I'm rubbish at accents off the cuff. I'm Welsh but from the East and I can't 'do' a Welsh accent. However, in conversation it flows beautifully and have been asked by people what part of their region am I from..

You mean like when all Americans think the British speak like the queen? That’s even more cringe.

I had a boyfriend (native UK) who did this with other people's regional accents.
I thought it was going to get him clobbered one day.
So cringeworthy.

I do this, if I didn't I'd never be able to get to the right place in taxis, find what I need in the supermarket or generally get through life! I live in quite a unusual country and you've got to don an accent in order to be understood.

BUT I obviously wouldn't do this in Spain or America or anywhere like that! 😂

Then don't for god's sake Google "Steve McLaren Dutch accent".

Gah! I'm chewing my fist just thinking about Shteve. Biggest cringe ever.

Yes it's bullshit. They should just learn the language. It's really not that hard.

Could be worse.
He could talk loudly and slowly in English to foreign people.

I speak a couple of foreign languages and save my "comedy" forin' for talking to my cat.

Ilistned to a bloke on T.V the other day, i really struggled with his heavy caribbean accent, he was born and bred in Coventry !

I hate it when people say single words in an accent. Like a northern chef who will says thoritho in the middle of a sentence, rather than chorizo

It's subconscious, at least it is with a lot of people.

When I was taught foreign languages at school though we were encouraged to use the correct accent? 🤔 some words absolutely need the correct accent otherwise you run the risk of not being understood.
Am
I getting the wrong end of the stick here?

I teach English to non native speakers and tbh you have to speak in broken English to an extent. Just things like not using articles or always using the present simple. If you have low level students, you have not a hope of being understood if you don't simplify your language.

If they're high level, no need to do so of course but I find myself picking up my husband's non native speaking habits (not conjugating verbs correctly or saying stuff like "is good?" instead of "is it good?"

I'm not trying to do it, I just do. By the same token, I apparently talk like a man in his language cos I learn most of my vocab from him.

It's insulting. The biggest compliment you can give to anyone trying to speak your language is to respond a naturally as you can at the level you think they will understand.

happy and what if they don't understand? Plenty of people speak a little English but not enough to understand full sentences with all the weird intonation and linking of English.

It’s a genuine phenomenon called ‘social echolalia’. I sometimes do it. I don’t even realise I am doing it so I can’t help it. Some people might put it on but a lot of people don’t even realise they do it.

YouTube Joey Barton french accent. Hilarious.

I do this, I'm a total mimic. I absorb whatever accent I'm surrounded by and my speech changes. It's very subconscious and I don't realise I'm doing it.

My mum is very disconcerted that I've managed to come home with definite Essex and Polish twangs before now!

It's called echolalia. It's a human reaction to wanting to fit in.

Embarassing as fuck though.

I am French and I'd be really offended if anyone dared speaking to me like that. Patronising AF.