Re: American accent
 

It very much changes from person to person. My wife (the USC) picks up accents incredibly quickly. We haven't been back to the UK together yet, but apparently at the end of a 2 week trip with High School her classmates were getting annoyed with her for speaking with an English accent. I can believe that too. When we went to Boston for 10 days she was starting to pick up the distinctive Boston twang by the time we came home. My friend's sister is similar, every time she goes away she comes back with the accent of the palce she went.

I'm not sure how I'll respond yet. I've been here 5 months and haven't really spoken to any Brits in that time. I don;t notice any differences but apparently you don't until you go home.

Re: American accent
 

Ive a middlesbro - north east accent and last time i visited the US I was asked if I came from the Ukraine!!!!! :huh::huh:
I also found that nobody seemed to be able to understand me!! Why not!! I speak the Queens English don't ya know!!!

Re: American accent
 

I dont think I have developed an American accent since living in the USA, but when I taught English in Korea, I did develop a slight American twang.

Words like 'bus' and 'bear' could only be understood by many of my students if I said 'bas' and bee-ear', I was told that I continued to speak like this for a while after leaving Korea.

Re: American accent
 

Agreed and without it my income would not be so lucrative

Re: American accent
 

That's were I come from...Hi. I find I have to repeat everything I say. Say it slower than I would and try to get rid of Geordie/Yorkshire inflections and not say words like "pet" and "nithering". Maybe that's why I sound a softer German and you sound Ukrainian:lol:

Re: American accent
 

I'm American so obviously I don't have an accent. ;)

Mark has lived here now for almost 8 years and his English accent has definitely softened over the years. I know it's cheesy, but I still have two messages he left on my answering machine from back in 2002 -- before we'd even met in person. Every once in a while I'll listen to them and realize just how much stronger his accent was back then.

That said, he definitely still sounds English. If you didn't have anything to compare it to, you wouldn't know otherwise.

~ Jenney

Re: American accent
 

I haven't picked up an American accent, though I have adopted some americanisms (zee, to-may-toe etc) when speaking to Americans. When I go in to read to my kids classes, I have to practice reading slowly, and always nominate a few 'speed monitors' whose sole putpose is to stick their hands up if I start reading too fast!

My wife is Taiwanese, but came here in her early teens, and has lived here since then (30+ odd years) apart from 8 years in Singapore and she speaks with an English accent! How does that work?

The thing that surprises me is that my 9/8/5 year olds haven't got American accents, despite the 2 youngest being born here!! Most of their foreign friends who've been here more than half a dogs watch have picked up the accent - my eldest was even getting some bullying over his accent around christmas time, which I found quite odd given how many different nationalities are represented at the school.

Re: American accent
 

22 years in the depths of Texas and I think I still sound the same, but it may be because we are both Brits;)

Re: American accent
 

I love how British people are asked if they are Australian, while I am constantly (almost every day) asked where in England I am from (Melbourne!).

I don't have an american accent, but I do definitely blunt my aussie accent, talk more slowly, and adopt local phrasing - otherwise noone can understand me.

Re: American accent
 

waddah...it's about my only concession, but I die a little bit inside every time I say it and want to punch myself in the face, but if I didn't, I'd be in a restaurant for days trying to get a glass of water.

Weirdly enough, I didn't ever have that problem when living up in Maine, but it's pretty bad down here in MA.

Oh and my daughter, born here, has a mixed accent, watches a lot of English tele though, but she had problems pronouncing her "T's" for a while and said Waddah as if from NJ. When the doctor asked if there was any concerns about her talking in the last check up, I mentioned that I was a bit worried that she was starting to sound as if she was from NJ.

Bit awkward as apparently our doctor was originally from NJ :lol: He took it well though :D

Re: American accent
 

I've been here in Chicago for 8 years and after hearing some weird Brummy/Chicago accent in my British supply shop, vowed to keep my English accent and never let it be sullied by the American twang. So imagine my horror when the first words out an old friends mouth were 'You sound so American!':ohmy:

Re: American accent
 

i pick up accents really quickly - BUT i'm living in ohio - which seems to be the blandest American accent ever - so i dont 'hear' it as an accent and thus have not assimilated it yet (like i did when i lived in Brum, Newcastle, cardiff etc lol). If i meet a southerner or texan or new yorker I can tell immediately - but here - it just seems to waft over my head.

Re: American accent
 

+1 to all of the above. I have gotten much better at recognising the 'I have no idea what you just said, but I'm going to keep listening attentively in the hopes I'll be able to do without' face. I have also trained some colleagues to point out the bafflingly not-American things I say. (Not that it will stop me! "Off with the fairies" was a good'un recently.)

I have been surprised that the accent doesn't seem to have caused any problems with my students. In fact, my favourite teaching evaluation ever said "Actually speaks very good English." :thumbsup:

I cannae do it :( I am reduced to waiting until someone else at the table orders water, then saying "me too." (The day I discovered that trick... oh, the relief!!)

Let's not ever talk about telephone voice prompt systems. Face. Punch. Anyone's.

Re: American accent
 

When my brother moved to the US I noticed his accent changed quite easily but then looking back he always spoke with that positive upbeat tone so it seemed natural that the 'twang' would join in.

I think some people are 'good' at mimicking tones especially actresses or singers, they know how to manipulate their voices to suit the occasions but a native can usually pick it out as there is just 'something different' !
I think its a bit naff personally, its like speak how you speak...why try to fit in with everyone all the time!

Re: American accent
 

I hate those things with a passion. They don't work right no matter which accent you speak. I usually just scream expletives at the machine until it gets confused and a live person in India picks up.