Is my Scottish accent really the problem – or is it just your English ears? | Catriona Stewart

Football manager Gary Caldwell thinks he sounds too ‘aggressive’. But as a fellow Scot, I know the answer isn’t to ‘Englify’ ourselvesThe worst job I had was in a bank in Sydney, dealing with a life insurance policy called Lite Life Direct. It was tedious, repetitive and oddly stressful, and involved a lot of time on the phone. What made the situation particularly frustrating was that almost no one could understand my Scottish accent.“Lite Life Direct,” I would say, three, sometimes four times down the line to no avail. Then I would cave: “Loight Loif Direct.” With my faux-Australian pronunciation, suddenly me and the caller would be simpatico.Catriona Stewart is a Glasgow-based journalist and broadcaster specialising in politics and home affairs Continue reading...

Apr 1, 2025 - 10:55

Is my Scottish accent really the problem – or is it just your English ears? | Catriona Stewart

Football manager Gary Caldwell thinks he sounds too ‘aggressive’. But as a fellow Scot, I know the answer isn’t to ‘Englify’ ourselves

The worst job I had was in a bank in Sydney, dealing with a life insurance policy called Lite Life Direct. It was tedious, repetitive and oddly stressful, and involved a lot of time on the phone. What made the situation particularly frustrating was that almost no one could understand my Scottish accent.

“Lite Life Direct,” I would say, three, sometimes four times down the line to no avail. Then I would cave: “Loight Loif Direct.” With my faux-Australian pronunciation, suddenly me and the caller would be simpatico.

Catriona Stewart is a Glasgow-based journalist and broadcaster specialising in politics and home affairs Continue reading...