This post is especially useful for men who've hit a plateau. Putting on an accent is a great way to climb the SMV ladder.

CHOOSE WISELY

Choose your accent wisely. English, Scottish, Irish, Australian and to a lesser extent, French, Russian and German are recommended. DO NOT try Asian/Indian/African (unless its the white South African, even then). Do not mimic an accent if real speakers of it are nearby. They can and will smell a rat and may expose you.

PRACTICE

There are many resources you can use to practice your accents. Watch movies, stand-up comedians, interviews and repeat their lines, as they say it. Record yourself with a microphone (preferred) or a phone and compare yourself to the source. Familiarize yourself with the patterns peculiar to certain accents. One example is the glottal stop, common to many British accents. Brits (a few, not all) skip the T in the middle so they pronounce glottal as glo' 'al. Dialect and vernacular are also important. If you're putting a British accent on, use words and phrases like "mate" and "taking the piss".

When you're fluent in your accent, you'll be able to switch to and out of it at will. Test it out on the field when you're confident you can hold it in conversation. If you're with a wingman, clue him in. There are many ways he can help, either by introducing you as his foreign friend or by putting on the same act and pretending to be backpackers or whatever. Appearing to be in a group will lend you credibility.

AVOID

  1. Giving her your real name. For many reasons. Trust me.

  2. Letting her take pictures of you.

  3. Appearing too familiar with the local culture. Remember, you're a foreigner on a temporary visit.

  4. Letting your natural accent slip through. If you want to play with fire, you can pretend to mimic an American accent and use your natural voice; its safer to put on a ridiculously exaggerated stereotype (the southern redneck comes to mind) though.