macadian

At your age its possible...but depends on whether you consiously want it to change. In my short experience here (I am 57 and have been here for just over a year) terminology has changed...e.g. eh, "I don't think so'...and 'hi ???...but accent has not to any considerable degree. Have consiously attempted to 'slow' down my diction, as I am told we Scot's talk 'real fast'. But other than that...no real change.


I say, maimtain your identity...but be 'Canadain'. Both are possible...in concert with one another.

Cowtown

I've heard of people laundering their background but perhaps thats going a bit far!

sysclp

One of my mother's friends came over from England to Alabama as a war bride back in the 1940's. If you listen to her now, you would never guess she was English although she doesn't quite sound southern either. After her husband died about 20 years ago, her sister came over to live with her. She has a very distinct accent which I would guess is the same her sister used to have before she moved to the US so long ago.

OzRob

From what I have seen and experienced in the past is that you will develop an accent to some degree. Canadians will only hear your native accent while your friends and relatives at home will hear your new accent. So it is likely that you will develop a mongrel accent..

Iginla

I just tell them I'm from Medicine Hat when they question the accent. 50% get it.

Good luck in your quest for a slow cooker (can't remember the name).

Regarding accent, just talk how you've always talked. If it changes, so be it.

cov-canuck

My parents, brothers and I emigrated from Canada to the UK in 1990. My parents were 40 and 45, my brothers were 11 and 8, and I was 10. After 12 years in the UK, we all still have strong Canadian accents. My younger brother's accent is the strongest, mine has softened and changed so much that people think that I'm either Irish or Australian (I think they just pick up on the fact that certain words sound different, as opposed to traits found in either accent, since Irish and Australian sound nothing alike).

I'm not sure how much age has to do with it, I think that it's more how much you have to adapt your speech to make yourself understood. My accent didn't change too much until I started working on phone support, then it changed and softened quite quickly. My husband's accent (he's British born and bred) changed when he started spending more time with me when we were dating, a lot of people thought that he was Australian on first meeting him. It will be interesting to hear what we sound like when we emigrate to Canada next year!

Grah

No, you have a strong established accent, if you grew up with EVERYONE speaking with the same accent, compared to some one who grew up in an area with no distinct accent. Strong - Weak.

Accents are based on the sounding of words as well as regional coloquialisms and the vocabulary used. So those in who grew up making the different sounds for the same words depending on their company, will probably start using the sounds from their new neighbourhood and change from how they speak now.


For instance my mother has lived in the south of England for over 50 years sounds English until she speaks to welsh people. Within hours she'll be sounding the same as them. When we have been on holiday it has taken several weeks to get back to normal. She was born in England moved to Dyfed in her youth and back to England in her 20s. Whereas Dad was born in Dyfed lived there all his life until his early 20's had trouble convincing people he was welsh until he spoke welsh. As his mum had a rooming house which had workers from England staying all his life.

Those would be described as weak accents, as they are unable to hold their own original local "sound" identity.

finallygotout

We have used that since getting here, and have got funny looks at places, needless to say we looked like we were speaking a different lingo Fag and Rubber will be out of the question as they can be misconscrued into other things.

Also I used the expression "do you fancy a drink"?, and got a weird look :scared: Do Canadians actually think we all sound the same? We get the are you from down under treatment all the time

flashman

You'll be OK as long as you don't like come on like Mrs Bucket/Bouquet.

Atlantic Xpat

There are times (even after a year) when I am talking to people here, well to be more precise, talking to women here and I realise that they are not listening to what I am saying but rather HOW I am saying it! Personally I think a British Accent is a plus point for me as a second career as a voiceover artiste is always and option. RP is a jolly good thing to have!

More seriously, I dont find my accent changing, but I do find that I use colloquialisms more and more. Newfoundland has accents and phrasing that are unique in Canada. So its important to know where's your at so you can comes where you're to. 'by!

You do have to watch some words though....apparently refering to the washroom as the 'toilet' is considered offensive. I also had a conversation with someone who works for me early on about buying tax free cigarettes for the crew on the boats we operate. She looked at me in horror when I talked about 'buying fags for the guys on the boats!'

Mr Lee

For some reason I tend to "strengthen" my accent when I'm in Canada. I've got a pretty average Stockport/Manchester accent which seems to get broader when I'm talking to Canadians.
They still seem to think I'm Australian though...

Another weird thing - my partner's Canadian but has lived in the UK for 13 years. Me and everybody else here immediately recognises that she has a Canadian accent (apart from the odd few who ill-advisedly ask if she's American!!) Everybody in Canada though thinks she's English because of her accent!!

One thing I've never had in Canada, but did get in the US was the "Gee, I just love your accent!"

Cdnshaz

Yes we do think you all sound the same until we learn the regional accents you have, but as you are in Canada fat chance of that happening. when I came to UK I didn't know one accent from another, I am getting better...and BRITS do sound Australian to North Americans.....you cannot tell the difference between Canada and US, how are we too know the difference between Brit and Aussie...I know a yank when I hear one as you know a Aussie, everyone knows their own accent....but many do sound the same to people unfamiliar with it....I spoke to a canadian woman this morning, she has been in UK for 50 yrs...not even a twang of british accent....nor has my canadian accent changed either....

zalaben

in my experience .... no . I have 2 friends ( sisters) who are canadian but raised in the UK . They returned back to canada in 2000 and speak as British as they come . Their parents having moved to the UK in the 60`s speak with a canadian accent even after having lived many yrs in the UK. . My brother has lived in london for the last 15 years and still speaks with a canadian accent but considers himself British.

so , i think you would keep your british accent . but nothing is written in stone ....

zalaben

ha! asking for a `rubber' takes on a whole other meaning here . talk about different meanings of words from across the pond.

Hudman

On a similar vein, somewhere in N.Oregan