I mean take this for example: A baby was born in the United Kingdom with two completely English parents and was raised there and grew up to develop an english accent, but what if the baby was born in the United Kingdom with the same parents but they moved to lets say Alabama because of a big job which would provide better for the family. Would the baby grow and have a southern accent or would he grow up to have an english accent? What do you think?
2007-02-22 09:43:15 · 8 answers · asked by Brodie Bruce 5 in Society & Culture ➔ Languages
It depends quite a lot on the circumstances. As someone said, peers tend to trump family, but this isn't always the case.
Depending on the amount of time the child spends at school or with its parents, it could develop a mainly US accent, a mainly English accent, or a mixture of both. The second is the least likely scenario: it's the kind of thing that might happen if the child was home-schooled. There are quite a few individuals who can swap easily, sounding US to their friends and English to their family (or vice versa, depending on mood).
Accents also often change over people's lives. If the child grew up and moved to London, they might retain a mainly US accent, or they might become very English sounding. Quite possibly, they'd end up with something rather mixed.
So, in answer to your question: it depends, but in most cases, the child would develop an Alabama accent fairly quickly, though would probably be able to sound British when it needed.
2007-02-22 11:26:41 · answer #1 · answered by garik 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I guess the baby would have an english southern accent. He'd pick up the english from his parents, and the southern accent from everything around him.
Accents are weird.. I have an american accent (Los Angeles), yet I can talk in a British accent thats SOO good that you'd think I'm actually from the UK. Although I have been to the UK only during summer breaks and never stayed there for more than 3 weeks or a month (I mean that we didnt live there or anything, nor did I study there)
I dont have British teachers, dont have British parents, and I dont watch British TV :p
I have no idea how I can talk like that!! Its just something I could do ever since I found out I can :p
2007-02-23 00:29:14 · answer #2 · answered by Chickeneta 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Well I know that people learn accents from what they hear, one of my friends lived in the UK for 5 years and she didn't have an accent at all, because her parents lived in the US. However, I believe you get an accent from who you listen to, so i think it depends on if you hang out with friends more and go to school, which you would get a Southern accent, or if you learn everything by your parents, in which case you would get a British accent. But I'm not a pro. or anything, that's just my guess.
2007-02-22 09:52:21 · answer #3 · answered by Nikole K 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Accents are strange. And some people are more susceptible to the influence of the accents around them. I was born in South Louisiana (my parents both have fairly neutral, yet still southern accents) and my mom's best friend was from Mississippi. Since we were constantly around her, me and my mom both picked up a Mississippi accent. Then I moved to Arkansas - the accent morphed to a more norther Delta twang. THEN I moved to London England. the mix of British accents and the Yankee accents of my friends (I went to school with Americans from the north) totally screwed my accent up. I picked up the British words but still used southern words...it was real funky. Even now (8 years later) people can't discern where I'm from (obviously southern, but not a recognizable dialect).
I know I'm rambling - I'm almost done. I know two Scottish people who live in London. It is hard to understand what they are saying sometimes. But their kid has an English accent - his Scottish cousins make fun of him for it.
2007-02-22 09:57:08 · answer #4 · answered by smellyfoot ™ 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Alabama will prevail. If the parents make an effort to preserve the UK accent, the kid will have one accent for his/her peers and one accent for family.
I lived next door to a family with two Irish parents with strong Irish accents - their daughter went to school in London and spoke with a British accent. I also know a British couple who relocated to the northern part of the US and their two daughters do not even remotely sound British. When I was a kid my parents would ship me to my grandparents farm for the summer vacation - I would come back with with a "terrible, unsophisticated" accent, according to my mom, which she would then work to eradicate for a couple of weeks in time for school :)
2007-02-22 14:27:50 · answer #5 · answered by Snowflake 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
EVERYONE has some kind (or kinds) of accent (and regional vocabulary as well)
Most people's accent is fixed by the time they are teen-agers,
but it more likely to be possible to change to another accent if you are:
1)female
2)less formally educated
3)living totally among speakers of the new accent, with no contact with speakers of your old accent
Some people have only one kind of speech and accent, all the time.
Others' accent can switch between certain accents they earlier acquired when young, when they are among people with that accent.
Still others can switch accents at will, but htey are very few.
2007-02-22 13:31:57 · answer #6 · answered by mongoemperor 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
The child would have a British Southern accent. it depends on the people you are around. My cousin was born in Vermont and he was moved in Japan when he was two , and spend two years their, he has both accent, which makes him sound like Elmer Fude
2007-02-22 09:48:10 · answer #7 · answered by danicolegirl 5 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Peers and school trump parents. The kid would sound like any other Alabamian, pretty much.
2007-02-22 09:46:53 · answer #8 · answered by Doc Occam 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋