brissybee

After many years in Australia my accent mostly blends, but I still have distinctively English moments... always picked up by other expats.

Have any be's ever totally lost their British accent? Do you think you will?

DeadVim

I don't think I will, there will always be a bit of psuedo-cockney in me.

I don't mind that, I was actually complemented on my 'exotic' accent the other day

Sherlock Holmes

It never gets mentioned to me. Apparantly I sound like I come from Adelaide. As the Adeladians sound like poms I guess it's no real surprise! (I live 70 klms from the SA border.)

Tr1boy

I'd been in Sydney about 19yrs when an English colleague said 'you sound these guys', then she emailed all the team because they didn't know what she was on about.

She's dead now

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IcJkH-6RkNo

brissybee

You can't kid a kidder.

Turban Explorer

If anyone accused me of sounding like an Aussie they'd be dead too.

DeadVim

Don't get it, sorry, please explain

Cheetah7

My Dad said my accent had changed and my friends in the UK say it has, some of the Aussies have said 'You have obviously lived here a while' and others say I have a strong English accent.

Others including my husband say I still have a bit of Westcountry accent. Basically a mish mash and I dont think I will ever lose my accent.

soapy©

most people think i was born here

rasen78

I read your posts in broad Glasgae accent

ROMFT's aunt and uncle have lived in Aus since the early 60's, and I was surprised at how Irish they still sound.

I, unfortunately, have a habit of mimicking those I speak to, without realising it, so I speak in a multitude of tongues

LINZI

I doubt it very much i have strong northern accent and i don't ever want to lose it!

carolinephillips

At work I am forced to say YO-gurt, as all the kiddies either correct me or don't understand what I'm on about, similarly I've had to learn that sweets are lollies, lollies are paddlepops, pants are trousers, wellies are gumboots etc.....

I have noticed DD using uptalk, ( but that was happening in the UK thanks to the American influence,) and very occasionally I say "no" with an extra few vowels in it. I remain essentially "very posh" English.

itigo

I have only been here about 3 years and have adjusted my language in so far as I use the Aussie words for most things and say 'haych' for 'h' (I'm a teacher and they don't understand me if I say 'aitch'). I do shudder on that one. I also draw the line with yOghurt and pARsta, much to my daughter's disgust.

As for the accent, still as southern England as ever. My daughter was 4 when she came and still sounds more English than Australian and she's been in school for 2 years. Quite surprised at that one but I guess she hears us at home. I thought the husband might slip back into it as he learned to speak in Australia, but nope, he sounds very English too!

itigo

We sound very similar Caroline!!

DadAgain

I dont do 'Yo! ghurt'... and also dont do 'parh-sta'.

But - I do work with 'row-ters' and 'dah-tabases'.

So - I guess I blend. But fundamentaly I am English and will always sound English. I may have a slight Australian 'twang' that gets noticed when I go home, but I sound more English to the Australians than I do Australian to teh English if you know what I mean.

Accents do change though - and I noticed when in the UK my accent definately settled back.

I remember growing up seeing the same transition in my dad who seemlessly and subconsciously morphed from 'home-counties English' to 'West-Cumbrian English' in the space of a few seconds whenever he talked to his parents on the phone!