Would you label someone as "stupid" because they have an accent?

[mony34]

Evening all,

I live in UK (I'm not British) and have been over here for 20 years.
Lately I've been feeling soooo low after coming across people who the second they hear I have an accent start treating me as if I'm extremely stupid and as if I am an illegal immigrant.

As I've mentioned.. have been over here for 20 years, I have an extremely good job( so I certainly don't consider myself stupid) and yes my English is not 100% perfect but I would say it's pretty good.

Most people are lovely but every day or week there's certain people that make me feel like I don't belong here.

For example, Today I was at my GP surgery waiting in line. The receptionist was so kind to everyone in line explaining there would be a delay in seeing the gp today and asking them politely to take a seat and have some water etc.
my turn came .. she greeted me nicely then she heard my accent ... I was given an assertive tone asking if I qualify for NHS treatment? I've been registered with this gp surgery for over 10 years. Then she sent me to my seat like I was some sort of an animal ... then the next persons turn.. receptionist was back to being lovely again.

My question is. Do you judge people by their accents? Do you Consider them to be bellow you? If so why?

I would love to understand the thinking behind this.
Tia x

Sounds like she's a big standard racist.

I don't think I judge people by accents. I know people who have overwritten their accent who judge people with their old accent. Ex northerners who are superior because they left the ex mining town for a southern village/city.

Plenty of people do judge people for the way they talk unfortunately. I’ve certainly experienced it because I have a northern accent and people with plummy accents judge it as thick, but I’m not.

I can quite imagine it happens a lot to people with foreign sounding accents. Just ignore them, they’re ignorant and stupid themselves!

That receptionist needs training! I would speak to the Practice Manager. It’s not you that’s the stupid one.

Thank you.

It's really hard to ignore those people sometimes. After today I sat on the chair like an idiot with tears in my eyes waiting to be seen by the gp.

I've looked into taking classes to change my accent but I don't think I'll ever be able to get rid of it 😂

My mother has been in this country for over 50 years and her accent is still as strong as the day she arrived!

YANBU it's awful the way some people treat others for their differences, whatever those differences may be. I do agree that as soon as some people hear an accent, their attitude totally changes and i think it's wrong. I think this has been encouraged by Brexit and the general attitude of the Torys towards people who are either born elsewhere or have a foreign lineage.

I wouldn't label anyone as stupid.

I do make judgements about everything about people though - as we all do - by everything about a person that we observe. Outside of MN, a 'judgement' isn't a bad thing, it is what you assess from what you observe or know about a person.

My judgement of someone who doesn't have English as a first language and yet is communicating in English would be that they are a damn sight cleverer than I am, as I can only speak one language - English plus a smattering of school girl French. I am in awe of so many people I come across every week who can just switch between languages without blinking an eye.

I too have an accent and am here close to 20 years. EE accent.

Fuck me.😂 The "Hoooow caaaan I heeeelp youuuuuu" when they first hear my accent is now just funny to me. It's not judgment on me, it's showing themselves as stupid.
They become sheepish quite quickly when they realise I am fluent...
What I fond more frustrating is the general lack of basic geography knowledge🙄

My Dads accent was really hard for anyone to understand so I have seen people struggle with him. Of course an accent does not denote intelligence.

I will say the current immigrant crisis will fuel racism. So the likes of you and me may see hostility rise unfortunately but it could have a direct impact.

If anything I would imagine that someone who speaks English as a second language is very clever because they speak a second language.

To be honest @mony34, you really don't exoect people to come up and admit the judgment, do you 😁
No one really will.

I always think people who behave like that are jealous because you obviously speak more than 1 language and are therefore intelligent 😂

Hmm yes I think as some of you have said, It's gotten worse since Brexit, as I've noticed it a lot more in the recent years.

It's quite sad as my DH is British & our DC speak English, but I never speak to them in my native language & I am almost scared of them wanting to learn it one day.
I'm scared they'll catch "the accent" and have to potentially deal with the same behaviour from people as I do and I wouldn't want that for them.

I still have hope 😂
I'd love to know why... as I don't have the courage to ask people in person such as the receptionist today.

I think I'd love to ask them what do they think they've achieved by being awful to me and ruining my mood..

If you feel up to it complain to the practice manager about the employees racism.

In terms of judging accents, with regional ones this can be a thing. I've totally seen people assume Liverpudlians or people from the Black Country are stupid based on their accent.

But any accent which doesn't sound sufficiently 'British' can absolutely bring out the bigots.

Personally I struggle to communicate in my second language so I am always amazed by people who speak English as a second language and cope living in am English speaking country

It’s the receptionist that I would judge as stupid, not you. Silly narrow minded woman. It isn’t the same thing but I have been underestimated because of my Northern accent by some people.

They won't catch the accent but people in your native country might be taking bit of a piss because of the different accent.

I now have it on both sides 😂 my family takes quite some pleasure laughing at my pronounciation like p in paper in my native language for example.

I hear you OP, I'm on the same boat. Regarding your children, if they're learning both languages from a young age they will have your accents (might pick up local English accent rather than their Father's?) in each of the languages, I certainly wouldn't worry about that. The problem will most likely be they won't ever get to speak your language at a fluent level if it's only you speaking to them, unless you invest in some serious immersion through the years (summer camps and other extended periods back in your country, socialising with native speakers, lessons... )

Don’t let her/others like her ruin your mood, if you possibly can. Take back your power: you don’t need anyone’s approval but your own.

It feels like an assault, doesn’t it, a shocking slap - I am northern living in the south and I’m white so I appreciate i have it extremely easy compared to others, but I’ve been close to tears before, too. It doesn’t happen very often, but I’ve started to challenge it when I meet it, even if that’s just gently saying that there are schools in the North, you know. And universities and the like. That receptionist is racist scum and if you’ve the energy to speak to the practice manager you’ll do your community a favour, because she’ll hopefully be more circumspect in future.

Your kids won’t catch your accent - mine haven’t caught mine, maybe the odd word, and my husband and I share an accent. Our children sound the same peculiar transatlantic sarf London as their friends with southern parents. You speak to them how you want to. With your language, be that English (which is yours now) or whatever came first.

Just ask them how many languages they speak and watch them recoil. Having an accent is a sign of having learnt another language and that in itself proves you’re far from stupid. I love accents. I’m not British either but as I‘ve been studying English since I was a child, I haven’t got a “foreign”
accent but people can’t place me. I’m quick to point out I’m not British, even after
more than 20 years here. Those who look down on you are simply ignorant. Make sure you complain politely so they understand it’s not ok.

OP why on earth aren't you teaching your children your language.

Can you try and be more assertive around this type of awful people.
If I'd been there I'd have definitely pulled her up on that behaviour.
Be proud you speak 2 languages.

What a shame they are missing out on being able to speak your first language. What an opportunity they are missing.

I think that's racism rather than judging the accent. Are you East European or Albanian or Afghani? I think you should go and complain.

I find British people do also judge regional accents and assume people with an accent from Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester will be stupid. They then also assume a public school accent makes you clever.

When I was a child BBC presenters mostly had a clipped accent, and only as the years have gone on have they used presenters with regional accents.

That receptionist was an asshole. An accent definitely does not = stupid, unfortunately there are some narrow minded, prejudiced people out there. I have a strong regional accent and have been judged for it, people have been surprised by my level of education, which I can only assume they think doesn’t “match” how I speak. There is still a lot of snobbery and sadly racism in this country and that’s where these attitudes are coming from. It’s sad.

Yes it is a massive shame I've avoided teaching or speaking to them in my native language. My DH has aways encouraged me to teach them as it's quite a popular language to speak and it might help them in later life. I guess it's never too late. I'd just hate for them to ever be treated the way I have and feel like they don't belong here 😫