Code Switching
“What Is Code-Switching?
Studies beginning in the early 20th century looked at code-switching as a linguistic practice by minority ethnic groups. The term has come to signify switching not only language, but accent, affect, dress and other forms of social presentation when in different communities. The child of immigrant parents might speak one language at home and another at work, or they might speak the same language and modify their accent, depending on the listener. ”
“You don’t sound like you’re from Singapore! Your English is so good!” This is sometimes preceded (or followed) by “Is Singapore part of China?”
I often wonder what it would have been like if I didn’t naturally switch accents or how I spoke and just kept going with my “real” accent which is one of a Singaporean. Would it have made assimilating to life in America easier or harder? Would people have felt more or less comfortable getting to know me?
Was it all in my head?
Also if you didn’t know where Singapore is on the map or in the world, what am I supposed to “sound like?”
I still remember the first time I decided to let loose and go full Singaporean when talking on the phone to my mom (this usually happens when the conversation gets a little heated) and my (now) husband giggled, “haha you sound fuuuunny” from across the room. He’s used to it now and doesn’t bat an eye and I like to think that was his way of helping me feel comfortable because he knew I was taking a real leap in our relationship to let him hear me switch.
Growing up my friends would make fun of relatives or other friends who had gone to school abroad only to come back sounding “funny” because they couldn’t quite master the accent of whatever country they lived in but chose to keep speaking that way. Kind of like how people here like to make fun of Madonna for sounding semi British now that she’s lived in England. Do I think she sounds odd? Sure. But who am I to judge? That’s totally a pot/kettle situation so I actually empathize with her more than I would mock.
Why I decided to just adopt an American accent I truly can’t say because I just… did it. It’s a weird survival skill but unintentionally switching accents was something I did even before I moved to the States so when I started college it felt easier, it felt natural and it sure as hell didn’t come as a surprise to anyone who knew me well. Funnily enough, when I first moved to Nashville anytime I talked to someone with a thick southern accent I’d catch myself sounding southern too and I had to practice stopping myself. Nothing against Southern drawls I just don’t want one.
Anyway it seemed like a good idea at the time and in hindsight it probably wouldn’t have mattered. And the older I get and the more i reckon with how long I’ve lived away from home, I can’t help but wonder how things would have been like if I just sounded like me; would I have seemed more interesting if I’d just not hidden behind an accent to make others feel safe or to fit in? What if I had gone the other way and really played up the British inflection from which the Singaporean accent gleans? To me that’s far worse, not to mention my Brit accent is plain awful so I would have just Amanda Buffamonteezi-ed (IYKYK) it; it’s best for everyone that I did what I did.
