rosemc

My family is being located to SF from Bristol for DH's job. We have 3 DCs: 5, 9, and 14. Our 14 year old DD is quite upset about leaving her friends and teachers and life here in the UK (so am I, honestly). 9 year old is excited but I think that's just because he likes American telly.

Any advice on making the transition easier for them especially our eldest would be appreciated, and also how to ensure they are prepared to attend university in the UK (the 14 year old definitely wants to).

And will they all have American accents? I know it doesn't matter really but part of me would be quite sad if they forgot how to pronounce a "t" and call crisps chips.

JPROPS72

If you and your DD are unhappy about the move, then you might want to very seriously consider whether making it is right for you. It will be a VERY different way of life. The US and the UK may share a language (for the most part) but culturally they are a gulf apart.

For transition advice, you will need to integrate into US life and US culture. It will be very different and could be very difficult for your children especially those who are not keen in the first place. I would never suggest anyone who doesn't want to move to the US take that leap because it is a big shift for someone who is willing and wants it. If you do not, it can quickly become a decision you regret and resent.

Your children will develop the accent to varying degrees and depending on how long they are here. They will have to adapt their language and the younger the child the more they will lose their accent.

Noorah101

They won't adopt American accents on day 1. How long are you planning to stay in the USA?

Rene

rosemc

It is a 4 year post

Noorah101

I doubt they will sound too American after just 4 years.

Rene

MMcD

When and if 'huge' becomes 'yuuge' - that's when its time to worry

tom169

I guess a couple bad things about that is you'll be ripping the current 9 year old out of high school (i guess either freshman or sophomore) and the 14 year old will possibly be wanting to go to college/university - which you alluded to. I'm not sure how the UK residency requirements works to get the resident tuition rates.

kodokan

Assuming your 14 year old will do regular US high school, you'll need to make sure she follows an academic course that includes enough AP classes in the 'right' subjects for the UK universities that's she's considering. A straight US high school diploma isn't equivalent to A levels as it doesn't go as deep into the material (not because US education is worse, but because it's broad-based rather than specialist and includes all subjects until age 18).

Many UK unis ask applicants from the US for 3-4 AP exam passes in core academic subjects such as Maths, Physics, English Language, alongside a good GPA on the high school diploma. AP classes are year long courses with a national exam at the end; they're the closest thing the US has to a National Curriculum and national exams, which is why unis and colleges like them as it makes it a level playing field. (Whereas high school grades are entirely subjective, and one teacher could give an A grade to an essay that'd merely make a C elsewhere.)

APs are usually offered from 10th grade up; mostly in 11th and 12th grades though. So there's plenty of time to plan it in for the future. Just make sure whichever school you pick has a good offering in AP classes. Schools list them on their websites, usually along success rates at getting kids through the exams.

If she decides to go to US college after all, those APs will buy her some college credit, and allow her to skip a few classes once there, which will save time and money.

Worst case, she'll be able to go to a UK uni with a high school diploma alone, but not a very selective one, or she'll have to do a foundation year before starting her actual degree.

One other point - if it's a company transfer, your spouse and kids will get L2 visas. Your spouse can work, your kids can't. So there'll be no teen job for your oldest - factor an allowance into your reckonings.

kodokan

Oh, and accents - mine are 16 and 12, and have lived outside the UK for 8 years, 4 years in Switzerland, and 4 in the US.

The 12 is an accent sponge, but she treats it like a foreign language - she switches effortlessly between sounding EXACTLY like American kids at school or talking to friends over Skype, and sounding British with me.

The 16 still speaks in the most ridiculous British Home Counties accent. He hasn't a trace of foreign in it at all, even when saying things like 'awesome, dude'. He spoke fluent French in Switzerland with a resolutely British accent, which is a very bizarre thing to listen to.

So - it depends. But you're probably fine.

themadpooper

Reading the OP, I would strongly suggest the US isn't for her and her family. Your kids adopting the American terminology for things like crisps is going to be the least of your worries in a country where gun ownership is a way of life for many people, as is Evangelical religion (though admittedly not so much in San Francisco). And the rabid nationalism will make an uptight Brit from the home counties feel very out of place to put it mildly. To put it simply, you're in for a culture shock beyond anything your mind could ever envisage and I personally wouldn't recommend that to someone who appears to have an inverted snobbery about accents and language

md95065

While you make some valid points I think that you are also being rather condescending. Yes, moving to the U.S. does involve some culture shock, and the majority of people are able to handle it just fine. The fact that a mother admitted to some slight concern about her children losing their current accents doesn't sound like "inverted snobbery" to me.

robin1234

As usual, your post is rude, condescending and unsubstantiated.
"Home Counties?" She says they live in Bristol!
".. beyond anything your mind could envisage.." Really??
"Evangelical religion..." Does OP mention religion? No. The family may be evangelical, Jewish, atheist, Baha'i, does it matter?

If pooper is British, he seems to have a self hatred. To give pooper the benefit of the doubt, he's very young, maybe should keep quiet for twenty years until he has a bit more experience of real life.

Beaverstate

penguinsix

They won't necessarily have an accent, but they'll be able to pull one off without any trouble or anyone thinking they are 'faking' it. They will start to substitute words and spellings around, like "elevator" and "flashlight" and the like, but generally they'll keep some of their current accent going well throughout their lives.

Beaverstate

They will become Hybrids or perhaps Hybrits. Say instead of 'wader' or wotah perhaps a hybrid say woter. That was fun. Kids will adjust, make new friends and do just fine.