2 ms·

A person who is not used to a strong accent finds it difficult to understand similar to how a person not used to a dialect can find it difficult to understand t

A person who is not used to a strong accent finds it difficult to understand similar to how a person not used to a dialect can find it difficult to understand the local speech. I don't think it should be considered insulting in the same way you may expect a translator.

dgellow 6y ago
You can use subtitles, or you do what every foreigner has to do: you adapt and learn to deal with different accents. I would personally find it really insulting to have someone translating my English because of my pace or my swiss-french accent.
- jhanschoo 6y ago
  > You can use subtitles, or you do what every foreigner has to do: you adapt and learn to deal with different accents. I realize that my position is extreme against current practice, but I do think that it's logical for some content. It's possible that automatic accent standardization is more feasible for computers than automatic transcription of accented speech. In that case, the former might be a cheaper substitute for people who cannot understand your accent. As for why you would want to cater to people who cannot understand your accent, perhaps weak ESL speakers with little exposure and little opportunity for exposure are part of the audience of your content. As for another reason for changing accents that I did not previously supply: some people may have accents that place them, but want that privacy maintained in the recording.
  - dgellow 6y ago
    I think I get your point, and to be honest reading the thread again now I cannot say exactly why I felt so strong about it, but that was my reaction at the moment. It feels patronizing and wrong to assume that en_US language and accent (or en_GB, or whatever) should be assumed to be _the actual standard_, and something too foreign should be adapted without the involvement of the actual speaker.

2 ms·

A person who is not used to a strong accent finds it difficult to understand similar to how a person not used to a dialect can find it difficult to understand t

by jhanschoo 6y ago

dgellow 6y ago
You can use subtitles, or you do what every foreigner has to do: you adapt and learn to deal with different accents. I would personally find it really insulting to have someone translating my English because of my pace or my swiss-french accent.
- jhanschoo 6y ago
  > You can use subtitles, or you do what every foreigner has to do: you adapt and learn to deal with different accents. I realize that my position is extreme against current practice, but I do think that it's logical for some content. It's possible that automatic accent standardization is more feasible for computers than automatic transcription of accented speech. In that case, the former might be a cheaper substitute for people who cannot understand your accent. As for why you would want to cater to people who cannot understand your accent, perhaps weak ESL speakers with little exposure and little opportunity for exposure are part of the audience of your content. As for another reason for changing accents that I did not previously supply: some people may have accents that place them, but want that privacy maintained in the recording.
  - dgellow 6y ago
    I think I get your point, and to be honest reading the thread again now I cannot say exactly why I felt so strong about it, but that was my reaction at the moment. It feels patronizing and wrong to assume that en_US language and accent (or en_GB, or whatever) should be assumed to be _the actual standard_, and something too foreign should be adapted without the involvement of the actual speaker.