How long before you lose your accent?
 

Kids obviously develop a local accent quickly, just wondered how long it takes for adults to gain an Australian accent.

Cheers,
Cooler

Re: How long before you lose your accent?
 

I met a Scot who's been here 30 years and sounds like she moved yesterday.

Re: How long before you lose your accent?
 

I was on Skype yesterday to OH uncle and he moved from NI 30 years ago and it's just the same with him.

Thanks,
Cooler

Re: How long before you lose your accent?
 

In my experience you don't lose your accent altogether. Also the further North in the U.K the stronger the accent making losing it even harder.
You do tend to pick up phrases quite quickly, I found that working on a building site I learned most of the slang terms for stuff pretty quick, otherwise I'd have had no idea what most were talking about.
I resisted from abbreviating words for ages, things like servo ambo's, smoko, arvo etc. used to really irritate me, plus with my Lincolnshire twang I always thought I sounded like a twat trying to fit in & speak the lingo.
Now after six years I speak the same as everyone else around these parts, just with a big hint of a Pommie accent.;)

Re: How long before you lose your accent?
 

I resisted from abbreviating words for ages, things like servo ambo's, smoko, arvo etc. used to really irritate me,





I agree there is nothing worse than someone who has just landed calling things like ambo, servo, smoko etc bloody etc, it makes them sound like a right prat:frown:.

I work in the motor trade and obviously you tend to use trade slang, but I try to rest it in social life.

The football team I play have a $1.00 fine for anybody using an Australian slang word whilst playing or have a beer afterwards:)

John

Re: How long before you lose your accent?
 

Never.....with any luck

Re: How long before you lose your accent?
 

With a very slight East Anglian I lost it within a very short time - however it soon comes back when I go home.

Re: How long before you lose your accent?
 

Having had a lot of Aussie mates before we moved here, I've been "rocking up" and so on for years, so I'm afraid I'll just have to sound like a right prat. :lol:

Re: How long before you lose your accent?
 

Hadnt been here for long before our daughter started pronouncing water in an Australian accent... People say that I am picking up the accent too.. probably.. its only when I lose my temper does the Essex accent come flying back out! haha!

Being from the south, our village's twang was to abbrievate everything.. I used to think it was laziness and not being bothered to say the whole word.. I always used Brekkie (as in breakfast) and "Darl" instead of darling.. so I fit in pretty well.. tho I am conscious of it here.. makes me sound like i am trying too hard.. (which isnt true.. tho I am a bit trying.. just ask the OH! haha)... Names were all elongated.. Neil was Neilly.. David (my OH) was Davey-boy.. perhaps I was in-training for Oz all along?

Em x

Re: How long before you lose your accent?
 

My husband has not lost his accent at all after over thirty years here. My accent is a mixture of East Anglian, Yarpie, NZ and Aus but most would not notice unless they know me.

My sister in law who lives in NZ has a geordie accent with Kiwi bits and she would be so upset if we told her but she has lived there since early twenties.

My children speak Aus.

My mum speaks with a Lincolnshire accent.

Re: How long before you lose your accent?
 

I left Manchester in 1963, but people still ask me when I left Manchester, assuming it was recent.
My daughter (12, but 10 yrs in OZ) has never been there, but some people recognise her faint Manchester accent !!!!

Re: How long before you lose your accent?
 

Got a friend in Tassie who left Manchester in 1959, only been back once (briefly).......same as you, he sounds like he still lives there.

Re: How long before you lose your accent?
 

I agree.

hmmm...some lend themselves easily after any amount of time here, ambos, and servo are easiest off the top of the head.

I haven't caught myself saying Garbos or arvo much.

Surely in your case, luck has nothing to do with it. (!) Do you have a public school accent or were you able to lose it and go back to Northern lingo?

I've been accused of having a public school accent at times (it was always a bit of a mix between where I had formative experiences, London and the SE, South African (I used to get asked this a lot when I was younger!), and Australia has knocked it rough on the corners - can't complain!

A lot of Brits I meet sound more like it than they like to admit, or realise.

I find occasionally thinking I have heard a London accent when it has been an Australian after all, and vice versa..

Re: How long before you lose your accent?
 

Its all about Phonetics really.

Some accents are much easily absorbed into others, Welsh for example with its liting accents is quite easily absorbed into other accents it is why we are known as the chameleons of the world. Obviously this is not the case with everyone and cannot be generalised but its a rough idea.

Re: How long before you lose your accent?
 

Obviously no Aussies on the team then :rofl: