We are moving to England. She is 5 and quite advanced. (or so i think, no bias here!) She reads, writes, and speaks more clearly and with more structured sentences/'grown up' words than most kindergardeners, and her teacher, piano teacher etc. all comment on it. We are from the midwest, so we have no pronounced drawl, etc., to overcome. A few years ago, I lived in Louisiana, and after being there for a while, I found myself s-l-o-w-i-n-g down my speech patterns, because it was so easy to do. My British husband only lived in the US for a bit, so of course his British accent is very pronounced. Therefore, I am thinking that because I am the only one around her that will be american, she will gradually lose her current accent. On one hand, this would be great, as she wouldn't sound like an 'outsider' but...I never want her to lose her identity as an American (and yes yes yes I know its not the accent, or lack thereof that makes you american). Should I encourage her to lose it?
2006-09-06 17:04:50 · 8 answers · asked by icyjesi04 2 in Travel ➔ United Kingdom ➔ London
You are actually considering "encouraging" your daughter to lose an accent, that seems a little overbearing to me even at five. Just let her do what she is going to do. By the way you said "so we have no pronounced drawl, etc., to overcome" Just what is that supposed to mean. Just because we have a draw does not mean that we are handicapped, it is not something to overcome.
2006-09-06 17:08:52 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
Your daughter will more than likely lose her American accent (drawl or no drawl) after a while of being here. If you think about this through her eyes (even though the process is unlikely a conscious one), this is a huge change for her - she's moving away from everything she's grown up to know to something new - including new friends.
She won't want to be seen as 'different' from the rest , because as children, we all want to "fit" in and be "normal". She wont want to sound different from everyone else in case they make fun of her (in her eyes). Its like the saying 'adapt or die' - and she will adapt, especially if she's as bright as you say she is.
The accent however is like a peel of an orange - it doesn't matter whats on the outside that counts, its whats on the inside. I know that sounds very cliched, but its true. And if you are going to bring her up to believe that whats inside isn't as important as whats on the outside, then you have to deal with those consequences later on. Cherish your nationality, and let her do the same. She looks up to you and always will. She is lucky to get to experience 2 different nationalities - with both of your support!
Enjoy England! And don't forget your brolly!!! :)
2006-09-06 21:12:24 · answer #2 · answered by apple 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
What you will find over time is that your child will use different accents in different situations.
With her peers she will sound more like them and use more local words, and with you and your husband the change will be less.
The issues around having a different accept are not as bad as you might think. In many cases being somewhat different can be good. What you may find over time though is that people from the US will say she sounds British and people from the UK will say she sounds American.
(Allthough I was brought up in Ireland I never sounded 100% irish)
But if I went to my town of birth I was always seen as Irish.
I hope you enjoy your time in the UK.
2006-09-08 01:34:13 · answer #3 · answered by Andy 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I wouldn't worry about it if I were you.
After all, it ain't rocket science, it's just an accent!
Plus she's a kid and a bright one at that.
Kids her age adapt easily anyway... she'll be able to change the way she sounds/ speaks regardless.
What's most important is that she not lose her identity or sense of self.
2006-09-06 17:16:02 · answer #4 · answered by ViRg() 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I work in the USA for a British company and have this many times.
At her age she will easily learn to switch back and forth between British and American accents whenever she wants.
2006-09-06 17:09:30 · answer #5 · answered by Jay 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Leave her be, fer chrisesake! What's wrong with a little accent! It's not like it's a disfigurement, or something, is it? Besides it can add a touch of distinction to her life. Who knows, huh? So, lay off and let her do what she wants on this one.
2006-09-06 17:25:36 · answer #6 · answered by MaqAtak 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
She will definitely lose it naturally through school, by coming here so young. I worked with immigrant children in Canada, aged around 10 or so, and all of them sounded more Canadian than their parents.
2006-09-07 06:34:00 · answer #7 · answered by Dunrobin 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
She will loose it eventually. The longer you are in the UK, the more she will sound like a pommie.
She will learn speech habits from other children at school.
2006-09-06 17:13:50 · answer #8 · answered by Fuzzy Wuzzy 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋