Guest Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 It is where you are as a child that determines it.What you have up to about age 16 won't change that much after that. I'd say younger based on my very un-scientific study - around 8 seems to be the critical age. My son was 5 when we moved and had something of a Scottish accent, not strong as both me and OH are English, he very quickly took on an Australian accent, despite his best efforts to remain Scottish but having moved back when he was 10 the change in his accent is very subtle - the words he uses are changing - 'goddammit' has been replace by 'oh gosh' and 'awesome' by 'jolly good show' (I really wish I was joking!!!) and to be honest I can't hear his accent but I asked a friend recently if he still sounded Australian and she said yes. I had a friend in Perth who had moved there at 8 and still had very much an American accent but his brother who had been 5 didn't (& this was despite huge efforts to lose his American accent as a child). It's something I'm quite interested in so I have spoken to lots of people and mid-childhood seems to be when accent is largely fixed. I am sure there is a difference between those that try hard not to lose their accent and those that try hard to adopt the new one. My OH is a scouser and although he has a soft accent he is very proud of it whereas I tend to absorb the accent around me much more - I did start doing the annoying going up at the end of sentences thing in Australia. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve13 Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 We had an uncle who had lived over here for over 40 years & still had a broad Yorkshire accent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robfromdublin Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 Its not about you.At 26 with a thick scottish accent you will never lose it now. That's rubbish, it's entirely down to the person. I have relatives who came over from Ireland in their 20s and they have lost their accents. They have pretty neutral accents now. I've heard that it's related to how well you can pick up languages. People who have a better 'ear' for languages tend to lose their accents more quickly, and vice versa. In my own situation that would be borne out because I've always been rubbish at languages and still have my accent after 10 years! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest51810 Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 That's rubbish, it's entirely down to the person. I have relatives who came over from Ireland in their 20s and they have lost their accents. They have pretty neutral accents now. I've heard that it's related to how well you can pick up languages. People who have a better 'ear' for languages tend to lose their accents more quickly, and vice versa. In my own situation that would be borne out because I've always been rubbish at languages and still have my accent after 10 years! If you have a Irish accent then you shouldn't want to lose it anyway lol they are lovely! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aunt Agatha Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 I love your idea of recording your voices now and later @Gbye grey sky. I'm a Geordie so I think my accent is set in stone, although a few friends commented that I sounded a little bit Australian when I went back in 2013. I don't think I do (though I use some Aussie expressions) I think it's just that I have had to soften my accent to make myself more easily understood and have dropped most of my colloquialisms. My DH is from Cheshire (northern posh!) but he hasn't taken on an Aussie accent either. My kids on the other hand are definitely Australian! I think a year from now there will be no trace of it which is a bit of a shame. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robfromdublin Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 Ha! Yeah, I don't know what they were thinking! Recording your voices is a great idea. It'd be really interesting to hear how they've changed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akiralx Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 A work colleague is Scottish-born, lived in Aus for 30 years, still sounds like Taggart... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest51810 Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 A work colleague is Scottish-born, lived in Aus for 30 years, still sounds like Taggart... "there's been a murrrrdurr" :laugh: That's how my mum would sound even if she moved over to Australia and lived there till she was 90! She acts as if people who lose their accents are traitors or something lol especially if it's fairly quickly. Don't know why it bothers her :unsure: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bristle Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 I have a West Country accent. Mrs Bristle & I were in a bar last week and had the following conversation. Me - What ciders do you have? Barman - just the normal type. Me - What is that? Barman - Fizzy like everyone else's. Me - What's the name of it? Barman - It doesn't have a name. Me - How do people ask for it? Barman - They just ask for it to be added to whatever drink they buy. Me - No, not soda.......cider! Barman - Oh........sorry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest51810 Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 That made me laugh. I've had similar incidents.. Both in Guernsey. I asked for chicken in a place and ended up with fish. I asked for a strawberry milkshake in another place and ended up with chocolate. I know my accents strong but c'mon :laugh: Then when I was working in the cafe over there I would ask people if they wanted milk in their drink and they looked at me like I was talking Swahili :unsure: If I had a pound for every time someone said "that's not a Guernsey or English accent" I wouldn't be worrying about paying for my backpacking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parley Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 I don't think it is rubbish. I agree with Lady Rainicorn. Perhaps if you make a conscious choice to change maybe but not naturally. I came to Australia just before I turned 14 from Dorset. I would say I had just a generic English accent. My voice has probably changed a bit but not very much. Vocabulary is different. You will naturally start using the local terminology for things but your accent won't change. I would be stunned if a Scottish person lost their accent as an adult. Would never happen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aunt Agatha Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 @Bristle that made me laugh! Not long after we arrived DH went to the supermarket and had the following conversation: DH: Excuse me, where is the bread please? Supermarket guy: What? DH: Where is the bread please? Supermarket guy: What? DH: Bread Supermarket guy: What? DH: You know, BREAD (enunciating carefully) Supermarket guy: What do you use it for? DH: Sandwiches Supermarket guy: Ah, BREAD! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Guest66881 Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 Black country and proud of it even though it's not my birth country, the little ones have started to take on aussie terms and some words are coming home from school different to what they left the uk with, yoghuuuurt for one:laugh: Everytime we go through a check out or at the bank we get the same request, 'are you south african by any chance'? WTF:laugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul1Perth Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 I've been here 23 years and still have a Derbyshire accent. Aussie mates love to translate for me when I'm ordering a cup of coffee or something.:wink: You may not think you have an accent but you do. Coming from Derbyshire we would just label it posh.:wink: My eldest was 2 when we came but could talk. I found that both our kids sort of change their accent between broad aussie and a bit of a mixture when they are talking to me and the Wife. She's from near Manchester but lived in Canada for most of her school life. She had a Canadian accent when I first met her. In general kids pick up the accent pretty quick and older people may never. I met a guy who had a broad Scottish accent and he'd been here 50 years.:laugh: Spent a lot more time here than in Scotland but sounded like he'd moved last week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul1Perth Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 If you have a Irish accent then you shouldn't want to lose it anyway lol they are lovely! An Irish accent seems to improve your chances with the girls, well girls that aren't Irish anyway.:wink: That and the blarney I reckon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MelbourneTractor Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 Took my missus a couple of years to lose her Zimbabwean accent when she moved to the UK but her accent has changed in the few months we've been in Melbourne... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sustain Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 Ha! Yeah, I don't know what they were thinking! Recording your voices is a great idea. It'd be really interesting to hear how they've changed Kiwis say my accent is English Australians think its Kiwi but are slightly unsure English girls/women think its "Lush" what ever that means Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 Tha wee laddie learned a po-em fi Rabbie Burns day and his teacher said it was really good for someone who was not Scottish - outraged, he was born in Scotland and has now spent more than half his life here but that accent is apparently undeniable Australia even when saying ramie, stooshie and stomash! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bristle Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 Tha wee laddie learned a po-em fi Rabbie Burns day and his teacher said it was really good for someone who was not Scottish - outraged, he was born in Scotland and has now spent more than half his life here but that accent is apparently undeniable Australia even when saying ramie, stooshie and stomash! Perhaps if he recited a poem with proper words it wouldn't sound so bad. (lights blue touch paper and runs away) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frano Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 Im just known as the pom as most of us are and my OH is allways picking me up on the way I pronounce certain words. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest51810 Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 An Irish accent seems to improve your chances with the girls, well girls that aren't Irish anyway.:wink: That and the blarney I reckon. Definitely! Girls love Irish accents. I'd marry a Irish guy just so I could listen to his accent all day lol :laugh: I like the Australian accent too but Irish is def number 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frano Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 To be sure...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest51810 Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 Anytime I try and do a accent they eventually turn into Indian :unsure: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frano Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 even when you type..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HelensvaleHoward Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 I can never get Keith Lemon out of my head saying potato lol https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnjnAPNUJhE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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