I have a serious problem!
Ok, not serious serious, but it is a problem... kinda!
Whenever I am spoken to in any Arabic accent other than the Egyptian accent, I get that very VERY stupid blank look on my face, like I was disconnected or something!!
I've had it in my previous job where I had lots of Palestinian and Jordanian colleagues, who usually ended up communicating with me in English to make sure I fully understood them.
English accents, I actually understand most of them, or at least I make that effort!
Even French, I listen well, and get the meaning when I fail to understand each word.
I guess my Arabic skills need to be worked on. Actually I knew that, I just did not expect to get that blank when a guy asks me in his own accent "How do you do? I hope you like it here."... I don't even remember how he said it! as in the Arabic/Khaleeji words for it!!
This does not sound right because I have lived in Egypt all my life! I have been to a school where people spoke nothing but Arabic outside the class, that whenever I spoke English outside the classroom (sometimes even inside it), I was ridiculed!!! Which makes me wonder how I got here?!!!
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3 comments:
u see, i totally understood u... but it was written, so i don't think i get extra points :) i guess i am better in written communication that way!!
and lebanese accent, specifically shami accent, seems to be the easiest!! perhaps because i am into fayrouz, so i am more familiar with it... i'm not sure!!! yet in my previous job, just to avoid confusion, we used english :))) some words just didn't get through!!
definitely easier than khaliji...
and don't get me started on the Algerian accent, i LOVE it, but it takes me ages to understand my son's teacher!!!!! hehe
oooh oh and i forgot to tell u..
feel free to help me practice and let me know if u need work on the egyptian accent
Though I think my English is really good. Sometimes I go through that. If someone's English is strongly accented I freeze and panic for a few seconds, uh-um.. a couple of times before I manage to say soemthing that makes sense!
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