Kids accents

[Guest guest8040]

Of all the things about emigrating one thing upsetting my husband as a proud north easterner is our kids losing their local accents! - will this happen I'm assuming it will they're currently 6 and 4

[Guest mez10]

Our kids are 9 & 7 and they started losing their accents within a month of starting school. Grandparents sometimes struggle to understand them on skype (talking too fast)

But after a 5week holiday in Sept/Oct back in the UK playing with their cousins they soon got their accents back.

Tell your OH its going to happen.

[Guest guest8040]

Blimey! Within a month! What about your accents?

[Rich & Chit]

Definitely, they'll lose their accents. Our kids were 6 n 10 when we arrive 2 yrs ago, the 6 yrs old lost hers quickly and although my son tried hard not to lose his, he cant help it, w/ ozzie kids everyday!

[niknjas]

Hate to tell you this but everyone is right. Mine are 8 and 4 and we have been here nearly two years. They have managed to maintain theirs to a degree - probably because I take the mick and do an aussie accent back at them so they immediately correct it. We joke that their is no T in the australian alphabet because they now have scooders and drink warder not water. It wll go completely at some point though.

[Guest shella_n]

Mine were 5 and 3 when we moved ( been here 1.5 years) they haven't lost their accents at all, although they do say certain words differently like yoghurt - I must say even I struggle with not saying it the Aussie way when thats all you ever here. My best friend arrives from uk today, mabye she will tell me different & that theyhave lost their accents I just havent noticed lol

[snifter]

Oddly I am married to the least Australian sounding Aussie I've ever met. Its bizzare, but even Aussies didn't used to think he was an Aussie. Even when he was living in Aus, he didn't have that Aussie twang at all. He now sounds more English having been here years, but I doubt moving back to Aus will see an Aussie accent come back as he never had one to begin with. Actually, his youngest brother also has a similar sounding accent but you can just pick up the Aussie twang in some of his words, but he could pass as an English speaker from somewhere else for sure.

 

I'm hoping as both hubby and I have similar accents some of that will rub off on our son and he'll retain some of the finer points of the English language I know I've retained my English accent when living overseas, mainly as I don't have one

[Hutchy]

We're proud northeasterners too......but have been here just over a year, and our two boys, aged 17 and 13, have yet to pick up an Australian accent......maybe they will in time, but apart from adopting the lifestyle, living in shorts, etc., they still sound the same..

[Guest Peachie]

we have been here 2 years and our kids still have english accents oldest was 14 last week the youngest is 7 he still sound very english but has picked up the odd local phase such as heaps which he says in his english accent

[Guest Ryan T. Lion]

Been here 5 months and our 5 year old says "noy" for no, "throy" for through, and "goy" for go, etc etc

 

She tries saying "gedding" "sidding" and "liddle" but I foot my foot down and say to her "when they spell it with a 'd' you can say it with a 'd'.."

 

She's just enjoying the experience!

[nikkinoodlesuk]

We're coming up to our 3yrs here, and all my kids accents have changed. My oldest at 17 is the worst, I know they have to adjust for school but she sounds more aussie than her aussie bf at times, which is very bizzare!!

my 10yr old has a slight shift in accent slips in and out some words sound aussie but mostly still very Welsh.

 

My youngest however who is now 4 is full blown aussie accent as he's been attending child care and kindy, and he tells me that I don,t talk properly and tries to correct the way I say things. cheeky monkey.

[jtct]

Depends how long they are away from you during the day and who they mix with at weekends as to how quickly they pick up the accent - kindy, nursery, school all have an effect.

 

Wonder how long it will take for my 'plummy' BBC accent to get toned down. Haven't resorted to 'Noy' yet but yoh gurt is creeping in rather than yog urt already. Even manage to remember to ask for eggplants, zuchinni and capsicums too!

[likesshopping]

My girls were 7 & 10 when we arrived 4 and a half years ago. They still have their english accents - but do us alot of the aussie words, ie Heaps, rock up, etc.

 

 

 

 

 

Sarah

[Guest guest8040]

Really interesting replies guys, looks like they're doomed! It actually feels strange for me to think about them with Oz accents too although it fades into the background with all the other benefits of emigrating! Been practicing my 'noy' all day but when north easterners say a very emphatic no cant see us adults picking that one up!

Hutchy where you from originally?

[andy and lindsey]

I know lots of adults that I've chatted to who say oh yes I'm English I came here when I was 5, 6, 7 etc and I wouldn't know they weren't Australian born and bred. It will happen

[thearmchairdetective]

Been here 5 months and our 5 year old says "noy" for no, "throy" for through, and "goy" for go, etc etc

 

She tries saying "gedding" "sidding" and "liddle" but I foot my foot down and say to her "when they spell it with a 'd' you can say it with a 'd'.."

 

She's just enjoying the experience!

 

 

Ah, That'ss le all the KAth and Kin reruns on the tube :-)

[Hutchy]

Hi thewhitehouse, we're originally from the lovely seaside town of Hartlepool, or 'artlepool, as us locals call it...

[Guest nic-manchester]

We been here 8 weeks now my 6 yr old proper Manchester accent is slipping I.e like others no t in certain words but like you Ryan t I say the same how s it spelt, think my mum an dad going to have a shock when they get here.....3 yr old has adopted a strange accent not sure what it is not Aussie think it's a mx up of all the accents of people she been playing with ha ha, it's a funny old thing but one sure thing that will no doubt take it's course!

 

Nicola

[Guest Messua]

We came here when our boys were 3,5 & 6. We were told by a speech & drama coach we knew that they would gradually lose their accents within 2-3 years. Thirteen years later, they all have Australian accents, but when they say certain words, they give away their Lancashire roots.

[Guest Barney Rubble]

Hate to tell you this but everyone is right. Mine are 8 and 4 and we have been here nearly two years. They have managed to maintain theirs to a degree - probably because I take the mick and do an aussie accent back at them so they immediately correct it. We joke that their is no T in the australian alphabet because they now have scooders and drink warder not water. It wll go completely at some point though.

 

My missus, from Camberley in Surrey, says warder

I tell her if she keeps talking like that i'll arrange for her to stay with one.

 

We've only been here 303 months so i guess i'll have to get used to it

[Dancer Family]

We have been here 20 months, the kids are 13, 11, 9 and 3 and still have the english accents, although they have picked up some of the aussie sayings.

 

The tone of the their sentances does chnage though, as the SA accent goes higher at the end of sentances.

[Guest Barney Rubble]

A lot of visitors notice the raise in the voice at the end of a sentence, rather like asking a question.

 

Seems like most of the pomms we know still don't do this dispite how long we have been here, even though the Aussie partners do

[jtct]

I find myself doing it occasionally when talking to Aussies. Its rather infectious. Sounds really weird with my posh Surrey accent I'm sure!

[Guest James]

I really think you will find the child decides. We have been here two and a half years and not one Aussie twang in my son and everybody loves the way he speaks, very home counties English and fuss over him for it so why would he loose that part of his culture. Other children may just want to fit in so they choose to. Not sure we as parents can do much, although deep down I am very happy we do not have the twang! I am sure it si choice beacuse he can mimic foreign accents well also