I’ll be writing a random collection of posts sharing experiences and lessons learned on business.

First up is a short topic on the harsh realities of  ”The Wilderness”, as someone once so aptly put it.

On your journey to becoming successful in business you will come across many obstacles and setbacks. Quite a number of them will make you feel (more…)

I’m not an English native. Neither are most people who find themselves communicating in English just to participate in the world economy. So why don’t I speak English like a “darkie”?

Well, back in high-school  my English teacher always insisted that we speak, read, and write English as if it was our mother tongue. This was met with resistance by some of my classmates and the protests flew hard and fast:

Well be abandoning our culture!

It’s unnatural!

I’m wont speak in a fake accent!

Nēvah!!!

A Good Reason

To me, her instructions made a lot of sense. Everything, EVERYTHING around us requires a fair knowledge of English: TV sitcoms, music, movies, even a bar of chocolate! You need to be know clear about what’s in front of you and what’s entering your ears.

That covers the reading and understanding part, but what about the speaking and writing part?

What’s wrong with speaking English with an African accent?

Nothing, really. Except that I personally found it hard to differentiate meaning when uttering certain words in an African accent, so I chose to follow my English teacher’s advice.

No Misunderstandings

When I say “Durban Beach”, I want it to be clearly understood that I’m referring to a piece of land that meets the ocean, not a female dog from Durban. Depending on the circumstances, someone could get deeply offended. I like my face the way it is, thank you very much, and I don’t want something as silly as mispronunciation to invite a cause to have it re-arranged.

So there you have it. I always make an effort to differentiate meaning in the way that I speak. The way I speak english is purely because I want to communicate clearly in the language. It’s important to my work and to business (and for staying in one piece).

I Dig My History

It has nothing to do with me trying to be something that I’m not, or trying to appear holier than thou to my African peers. That might be the sole purpose of some who speak that way, but I’m unashamedly proud of my origins.

I speak African languages I know in their natural accent. (Sesotho and isiZulu have very different accents). English is a different language. Speak it so that it can be clearly understood. This will cause less confusion for you about the spelling when you need to write it.

If you are one of those people who have a problem with non-african-accent-african-english-speakers, you’ve just found a different angle to factor into your annoyance equation.

It may not be a fake accent and some of us are not posers ;P

I could say “Beach” or “Sheep” without considering its intended meaning, but I carefully choose not to.