I was at a business dinner with a Turkish professor today when he asked why I change my accent when I talk to him. I was a bit astonished at first but then I thought why not. I have heard a lot of Turks complaining about the Turkish Cypriot accent. I had heard them say that they have difficulty understanding their own language when a Turkish Cypriot speaks it. Yet I had never heard them encourage us to speak with our own local accent. Why not? Does the Irish try to change his accent when he speaks English? Does the Austrian try to change his accent when he speaks German? Does the Walloon try to change his accent when he speaks French? So why should I?... From now on, I will not mind speaking with my Cypriot accent even for official purposes. Seeing that the Greek Cypriot state tv channel PIK is getting ready to air a new programme called 'Kypriaka' to sustain their own local dialect, I believe I will be doing the right thing.
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Friday, November 25, 2011
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