Spain Seven - Text
- I’m 28, female, White, doctoral student.
- Born in Barcelona, raised in Barcelona until age 23 (German School in Spain, age 3-18). From then onwards, lived in Brussels (1 year), Boston (1 year), Oxford (3 years). Three native languages – Catalan, Spanish, German.
- I started learning English at the German school at age 10. Taught by German natives (in Spain).
- I’ve made the recording today, 7 November 2006.
- In the unscripted part of the recording I explain where I was raised, the languages spoken in my family and at school, the countries I have studied in since I was 23, and what places of the world people have thought I came from judging by my accent when speaking English. I currently study and work in Oxford, England.
SUBMITTED BY THE SUBJECT HERSELF
Running time: 04:56
TRANSCRIPTION OF UNSCRIPTED SPEECH
So, my accent is supposed to be funny as a result of being both Spanish and German. (Um) I was born in Spain as a matter of fact I was born in Catalonia, which is a different region from Spain. We like to think it’s a different country sometimes. (Um) my father is German and my mother is Catalan. I went to a German school until I was eighteen, to a German school in Spain, so that means I would receive education in almost every subject in German, except for Spanish literature of course. There I started my English classes at the age of ten, of course the translations would always be German so that explains largely my German accent when I speak English. (Um) at home we speak all three languages, meaning Catalan, Spanish, and German. Ever since I left university (um) which was when I was about twenty-three, I studied in English-speaking countries. So, I spent a year in the United States, more completely near Boston and (um) thereupon I moved to England where I’m now in Oxford, (um) and this is my fourth year here. It’s funny that (um) all the international people that I’ve met so far, very, very few of them have been able to place me, as either Spanish or German. They most frequent thing I’ve heard about my accent is that it sounds like an Eastern European (um) person who is trying to speak English. Of course (um), some people would deny that (um) and (um) two or three people have placed me rather in the United States, as in, she has a United States accent rather than a British accent, which I wouldn’t mind because I don’t really like the British accent. Oh well, so I guess (um) so much for myself and (um) the funny sounding of my accent. I apologize that I don’t have English as a second language it’s actually my fourth language, but nevertheless, it would be great if you could make some use of this recording, if not, well it’s very easy to hit the delete button. Ok, bye.
Recorded by Micha Espinosa, 2005. Subject is a male for Murcia, Spain. Also lived in England. He is a teacher and enjoys traveling in the USA. No lio-rounding on /w/. Dentalizes /th/; Changes short /i/ to 'ee'; has difficult with nurse words.
Edited by Paul Meier 06.04.05. Running time 00:04:02.
TRANSCRIPTION
(Um) We are on (um) trip to California (um) the flight was from Chicago to (um) Las Vegas (um) we stayed there for a couple of days and (um) then we went to the Grand Canyon. (Um) It was a very quick trip because we had no time and we (um) we didn’t want to spend the night in the Grand Canyon, so we returned to Las Vegas and we spent there the last night. (Um) It was pretty amazing, Las Vegas, wow, big experience thus far in Las Vegas, I thought it was all just casinos, (um) and we rent the car, we rented a car and we went from Las Vegas to Los Angeles. To Mojave Desert’s highway, it was pretty nice too. What else? Once in Las Vegas we met (um) friend there, we staying in his place, and just for a couple of nights because there were not many things to see in Los Angeles. Yes, Sunset Boulevard Beverly Hills, you can’t see anything just trees because (um) the houses of the celebrities is, they are like, you cannot see them, they are surrounded by trees and by bushes.
UNSCRIPTED SPEECH TRANSCRIBED BY KARINA LEMMER, ASSOCIATE EDITOR FOR SOUTH AFRICA, April 8, 2008