Liberal Scott

I was posting in the Aussie forum a few days ago to see what people thought. Very few people thought it would make a difference, although some thought it might make a difference in areas where there were very few Brits.

What do people think in NZ? Are most of the major cities (Christchurch, Wellington, Auckland) interested in any variations of the British accent? Or are there too many Brits in all these cities for people to care?

PS: hoping to travel to NZ when in Australia at the end of this year.

PennyA

I've heard that many years ago a British accent could get you out of a fair bit of trouble. Seems the be the other way round in recent years..

Persephone

Never had a problem with my accent. I don't think people care that much really - it seems irrelevant to most people. I'm working and contributing to NZ, it's not a big deal.

You get the odd bit of banter at work but that's expected and it is good natured-no different than I as a North Easterner got when working 'down South'

barnsleymat

I don't think a British accent exists.

I have a very broad Barnsley accent and the locals seem to love it, they can't understand me half of the time and rarely do they realise where the accent is from but they do find it fascinating. Sometimes a little too fascinating. A new girl started at work recently and she's still repeating everything I say in her version of a northern accent.

When one of my family comes into work and we talk 'normal' they just stand around us puzzled trying to figure out what we're saying.

People will just want to talk to you to hear your accent, especially on a night out.

Tom1983

Oh they sure do

They like Brummie accents!!!

Mark Smith

Our receptionists do this to me as well. I find it quite amusing where patients assume I'm from. I've had Wales, Ireland, Scotland, Manchester and even London???

BEVS

I think they can find our regional accents hard. Even more puzzled when one swings from one regional accent to another.

In any case, once they hear your accent they will immediately peg you as being more than used to eternal non-stop rain & everlasting grey gloom.

TommyLuck

I don't think it's a benefit nor is it a problem if you've got a South Eastern 'BBC' accent, I.e no discernible accent.

There seem to be so many POMS out here I've already got bored of the 'where are you from/how long have you been here' conversation.

I suppose it may come down to whether the person you are speaking to has preconceptions, good or bad about us POMS.

British regional accents seem to get attention in most English speaking countries.

carpman

Well, our littl'un is popular with the girls in his class...they all tell me his accent is cute!

kodachrome

And how do they "hear" Irish accents then?

PS: What is a "British" accent, surely the answer varies wildly depending on which of your disparate regional accents are at play? As an outsider I would put forth some (in-country) accents are very easy to listen to and others are not (no matter the country).
"British" in this sense sounds like an Americanism.

Liberal Scott

There is, of course, no British accent. I just wanted to get responses from all of those living in the UK.

Liberal Scott

Well the results are highly divisive. However, if many people think it will be a large bonus, and are speaking from experience, then perhaps it depends on where you are in New Zealand. About 4-5% of the NZ population is British, any idea if they congregate in a particular city/cities?

Persephone

Maybe it depends on the accent rather than where you are in NZ?

I'm puzzled as no one has yet said how their accent is a bonus, what gains they've made from speaking that way - apart from attracting the girls!

I'm not sure I agree with the claim that the results are highly divisive. To me, no bonus and a definite bonus both imply either the accent has helped significantly or that it has been neutral ie no effect. There was no option of 'My accent has held me back or caused problems'.

Personally I said 'No bonus' as I don't feel it has been a bonus but neither do I feel it has held me back in any way. I moved over, went to work and everyone just accepted the funny way I speak

barnsleymat

The Costa Del North Shore in Auckland, they have there own British pubs, British shops and British sports teams. Just like when Brits move to Spain and end up living on the Costas.

northeastlad

Firstly: technically, it's dialects we're talking here. The difference primarily lies in whether you are a native speaker, in which case you speak with a dialect, not an accent. I speak Spanish with a British accent (or Scottish one apparently) but I speak English with a North East dialect. Likewise, all native English speakers, from Kiwis to Canadians and Americans to Saffas speak English with a dialect, not an accent!

However, that said, I have a North East dialect (not a Geordie dialect mind, there's big differences between dialects in the North East) and I found it was a huge bonus. Most people thought I was actually Scottish or Irish so it created a talking point with people. I think it made me stand out a bit too. I have to agree with the poll in respect of the "standard British" dialect (especially Estuary English) not doing much for you. Kiwis certainly expected me to sound that way when I said, "No, I'm English!" But the tone, twang and slang I used was certainly a bonus. As I was told later, it swung an interview in my favour (customer facing). My Dunedin landlord was baffled when I said, "A'd hoy it awer the fence."

Oh and, as someone mentioned earlier, I too have had people replicating my accent. Especially the word, "Aye!" which they ended up saying in unison with me... Nobody could quite get, "Haddaway an shite man!"

EDIT: Spelling corrections.