Learning English from a Northerner! 12.07.2013 by Sarah Casey

So my project is in Aththudawa setting up English classes for children in the village because currently the pre-school is not being used for any community activities. Teaching English has certainly made me very aware of my strong Northern accent which causes great hilarity for the villagers. For example I said I was going to get the bus with the ā€˜uā€™ sound being very low which baffled them they did not understand what I was saying. I had to do an action for bus which they laughed at and said ohhh you mean bus. I am learning from them about how to make my pronunciation a lot clearer for them and to speak slowly! On Saturday for the first English lesson Poppy came with me to help out. Poppy has a Southern accent so together we were a funny mix me teaching in a Northern accent and Poppy in a Southern accent which many would say is the correct way to speak. At the end of the lesson three of the adults who were helping out stayed behind and we had biscuits and bananas together and chatted. They were keen to practice the pronunciation of words which turned into a comedy sketch with them saying a word and myself repeating it, which they laughed at because our pronunciation is very different. So not only are the children and adults learning English I am learning from them about the importance of pronunciation so I am now very aware of my strong accent and maybe by the end I will end up sounding like a Southerner.