Asians making fun of Americans: Language

[dcrawford]

NOTE: I am NOT talking racism here at all...I'm simply talking about how different an Asian language sounds to me/our American ears...I/we have absolutely NOTHING against Asian culture in any way shape or form. In fact, I find it very impressive!

Having said that...I know some people (including myself) that occasionally like to switch to one of the Asian channels and watch the news. Partly to see what in the world is going on in the rest of the world...partly to hear those rather amazing sounding languages.

Having only studied English and Spanish...hearing Japanese or Chinese spoken pretty much blows my mind. It is just so radically different, so...unreal. It is very impressive.

And of course...being a typical American...we occasionally make fun of the way it sounds (see note...this all in fun!). Anyway I'm sure a lot of you know what I am talking about.

I was thinking back to a South Park episode when they went to China to play Dodgeball...and the Chinese announcers were making fun of the American language.

I've heard my friends make fun of Chinese or Japanese by making gibberish sort of sounds that sound (to us at least) kind of like what the real language sounds like...

My question is...the heart of this post...after all that explaining...

I'd LOVE to hear a native Chinese or Japanese speaker...that doesn't speak English...making fun of American style English. Do they do the same sort of thing? Make gibberish sort of sounds that to them sound kind of like American English? Do they toss in real words? Do they make fun of the way we sound?

Does anyone know?

Crawford

[Drift Monkey]

I think it is mostly American people that make fun of other people's languages.

[Sloth]

"Hotdogs, Baseball! Hotdogs, Baseball!"

Tucker Max

[dcrawford]

Originally posted by Drift Monkey
I think it is mostly American people that make fun of other people's languages.

Mostly...perhaps. But not completely.

Like when I get instructions on how to install a Cusco part...sometimes the translation into English is horrible, even comical. There has to be instances of that the other way around.

Other cultures have to be making fun of us...no way is it 100% an American thing.

Crawford

[Drift Monkey]

Of course there is...but I can't recall in any way how I make fun of the English language. I'll tell you if i figure it out.

Bad translation is just that. It's not trying to be satirical.

[dcrawford]

I had a friend of mine who is Chinese...first generation born in America and his parents had very heavy accents.

He had a bit of an accent, but it was very minor...and he spoke fluent Chinese (I forget which dialect specifically).

He used to poke fun at English...saying how "flat" it sounds...how monotone...how boring.

Crawford

[phantom]

Originally posted by Drift Monkey
Of course there is...but I can't recall in any way how I make fun of the English language. I'll tell you if i figure it out.

How about....
"Fo shizzle my nizzle"

I would make fun of that..

[-=C=-]

Jackie Chan during the credits of Rush Hour:

Chris Tucker: jackie, do that again.

Jackie (making fun of Tucker) : haouw haouw haowww

[dcrawford]

Originally posted by phantom



How about....
"Fo shizzle my nizzle"

I would make fun of that..

But that is less English and more Verbal Diarrhea (cha cha cha!)...but should be made fun of under most circumstances.

Crawford

[dcrawford]

Originally posted by -=C=-
Jackie Chan during the credits of Rush Hour:

Chris Tucker: jackie, do that again.

Jackie (making fun of Tucker) : haouw haouw haowww

BINGO! That's exactly what I'm talking about. I remember that bit now! I'm gonna have to see that movie again.

Crawford

[Stroke]

[Japanese guy making fun of American's]I'll poot eet onn my creditt carrd! Ahahahaha[/Japanese guy]

[sorbee711]

Freshman year my roommate was from Morocco and it was fun to listen to them speak. Its basically arabic and french mixed. I could pick up some of what they were talking about when I heard french, but arabic is a really weird language. Its almost like a less defined structure in terms of it seems like you don't have "words" so much as sounds. Its hard to explain but even in french or spanish or japanese there seem to be words, but in arabic its all run together like. I dunno how to explain it.

[dcrawford]

Originally posted by sorbee711
Freshman year my roommate was from Morocco and it was fun to listen to them speak. Its basically arabic and french mixed. I could pick up some of what they were talking about when I heard french, but arabic is a really weird language. Its almost like a less defined structure in terms of it seems like you don't have "words" so much as sounds. Its hard to explain but even in french or spanish or japanese there seem to be words, but in arabic its all run together like. I dunno how to explain it.

But did he make fun of the way you sounded?

Yesterday on NPR the had this segment where a guy went around asking people from different countries what sound animals made. In America we say a ducks goes "quack quack" but in other countries they say it makes a very different sound. Same thing with the American "OW!" when you hurt yourself.

At one point the people he was interviewing asked the American what sound a pig makes...and he said "oink oink". The people totally busted out laughing..."Oink oink! What the hell is that?"...or words to that effect.

So that sorta got me started on this.

I find I think of really strange things to think about. I should think less.

Crawford

[e_a_olson]

Originally posted by Drift Monkey
I think it is mostly American people that make fun of other people's languages.

You need to watch more Monty Python. Silly Knnnnnnnighit.

[Drift Monkey]

I guess it because I grew up in America that I don't find it too wierd. Although it is very flat compared to my native language.

The animal noises thing is pretty funny. "Meow" is actually pretty close to the actual word for cat in my language.

[peepshow]

Vietnamese is tough, too. The inflection of how you say a word in Vietnamese can make it mean something else entirely. I dated a Vietnamese girl for a while, they made fun of the way I talked.

So, as payback, I always made her re-enact the hooker in the "What can I get for $10?" scene from Full Metal Jacket.

She was always a good sport about it.

- Trent

[Drift Monkey]

Vietnamese is actually tougher than the aforementioned because it is very tonal. I would know.

[WRX11]

Originally posted by dcrawford
He used to poke fun at English...saying how "flat" it sounds...how monotone...how boring.
Crawford [/b]

He or she probably means that English is not that strict compared to the asian languages, also European languages, where feminine and masculine makes a differences. Not to mentioned the pitch of the word being said could make it totally odd, or out of place, in certain circumstances. Where as in English, the words can be say any which way and it'll still be the same meaning.

[dcrawford]

Yeah...the whole pitch of a word part is so very...foriegn.

In English if I change the pitch when I speak it generally is to convey greater emotion...but doesn't really change the actual meaning of the word.

Say I'm nailing some boards together and drop the hammer on the ground. I may say "damn". But if after I picked it up and accidentally hammered my finger I might sceam "DAMN!". Same word, same meaning...greater emotion.

But that isn't so much pitch as it is just volume. I guess it would be more like telling a kid "no" vs telling a dog "no". With a kid...you can say it simply....no (as long as the kid is smart and get's it). With a dog I may say "no" with a deeper voice, a little more urgency, a little sharper (but not nec. louder). But again the meaning hasn't changed.

Crawford

[hatake]

I think people CAN make fun of other languages when they don't know, or can't comprehend any part of the language. When non-English speaker gets a little bit of training in how to speak English, then they will "try" harder to make sense of the language being spoken. When someone isn't willing to learn, then it's all gubuligak - and stay as gubuligak. Admit it, typical Americans and British don't "have to" learn other languages since most folks on the planet will try to speak English. So, Americans and British folks "proportionally" tries less harder to learn other languages. I think that's the reason why Americans and British make fun of other languages more often than others. This is just my opinion as a foreigner. But I think Sourth Park and Beeves & Butthead (or were they?) making fun of other culture is pretty funny.

[firedog25]

Dude, you want to see something funny?

Watch the spanish channels sometime, almost everyone gets Galavision, it's the biggest channel in the world... They play Chinese kung fu flicks... in Spanish. Talk about BAD dubbing.

[monkeyfritters]

It's not Chinese or Japanese, but my German relatives say English sounds like...

Blah, blah, blah, blah... and that we talk really fast.

[Subaruski]

When i was in Germany i had a few of my friends imitate what english sounds like to them.
It had a lot of oys and vowl sounds

[Subies]

I think it's always the country making fun of other people trying to speak their language. For example, I'm Taiwanese, and white people (not to be racist, but it's mainly white people) make fun of me. But if you were to flip the situation, such as you (american or other contry) were to visit Taiwan and try to speak Chinese, then definitely people will make fun of you. It just depends on what territory your on.

[firedog25]

And how about the middle-eastern languages, it sounds like a bunch of spitting and throat clearing.