British accent, Australian Accent, how to...........?

Question

i want to study child education in Australia for 2 years. I like this country. But I don't want to get an Australian accent. However, Studying in the UK is expensive. Is there any 2-year child education course in the UK? My British teacher told me it is difficult for her and Americans to understand Australian spoken English. Someone told me not to worry because as a Chinese it is not so easy for me to get an australian accent so quickly. I find that British accent is easier for me to hear and understand. I am afraid I would learn Australian accent unintentionally and speak like them. How to avoid this? And maybe it is difficult for me to understand their accents when comparing to British and American accents.I like British accent most.
Should I not study there? Any advice please?

URGENT!!
I don't know how to extend days of questioning.

Answer 1

I don't think your accent will change unintentionally in only 2 years. I'm and Australian and I've been living in the US for almost 2 years. I haven't lost my accent at all. The only thing that's changed is what I call certain things. That's mostly to avoid confusion with the Americans I speak to.

I would just go ahead and study where you want to go. Australia and the UK both have great university systems.

Answer 2

I wouldn't judge an accent. But if you want to sound British (Standard English Received Pronunciation), and if you've got a pair of good ears, just watch BBC and immitate the accent and think about how it is different from the Austrailian accent. That way, you won't need to worry about picking up the accent. On the other hand, if you haven't got a good pair of ears, you wouldn't be able to pick up the local accent that easily. Either way, you shouldn't need to worry.

Answer 3

I'M British and the Ozzie accent is wonderful, nothing wrong with it, no frills and they get straight down to business.

To get an accent you would need to be living in that country for a few years more, like my Uncle who has been a naturalised American for more than 26 years now, he didn't get an American "Twang" until he had lived in the US for more than 6 years. Some 20 years on he now talks like one, you would never believe that he was born in the north east of England, so you shouldn't worry too much about it.

Answer 4

My Nephew who lives in the southern Counties came back with an Australian accent after 12 months. I have found that after quite a short period away from Liverpool say in Eire or Wales i start to pick up their accent quite rapidly. but revert to a slight Liverpool accent when back. I would suggest go with the flow

Answer 5

G'day,

I used to be an international student in Australia and have been living in Melbourne for over 16yrs. I got friends from everywhere including Australian, Chinese (from mainland and others), Malaysian, Singaporean etc. What my experience told me is, if you come to an English speaking countries only to study in uni level (not started in high school), then it is very unlikely that you will adopt the country's accent. Yes... you will pick up maybe a few Australian slang/words that pronounced differently, but I reckon you will be able to adapt if you move to another English speaking country again (eg UK or US). I've got Australian-Singaporean friends who keeps talking in their "Singlish" (Singapore-English accent), Malaysian and Chinese with their own accents as well even though they've been living, studying and working in Australia for years, and not b'cos of not mixing with Australians at all. They all either came for uni study or migrating for work. The ones that come since school tends to speak more with Australian accents (eg. Vietnamese refugee children).

Mind you, from what I've been told, Australian accent is uniform across Australia. In UK, you'll have all different accents like Scottish, Irish, England and so on. So does US, as different states have different accents (that's how they can tell the hometown of different ppl) like Texan drawl (cowboy style), African-American, Spanish etc.

I take it that you want to go back to China to teach after graduated. Then it is no problem at all. I got Australian English teacher when I was still in high school in my home country and never have problems in understanding at all. B'cos when teaching, all teacher (and I hope including you in the future) tends to pronounce the word slower and clearer to make the pupils/students understand better. So it doesn't really matter what accent you got. I even got Indian (from India) English teacher at some stage. That one is a bit hard to listen to :)

Hope this helps. E-mail me at mikegun(at)studentfirst.com.au if you have any further questions abt study in Australia. Good luck for your study.

Answer 6

British accent ? What's that?

English, Scottish, Welsh or Northern Ireland? Take your pick. Even then there's regional variations.

Answer 7

There is no reason why you should lose the accent you already have.

People live abroad for years and never lose theirs.

Nothing should stop you going to study in Australia.

Answer 8

Study wherever you feel. It would take awhile to develope the Australian accent so you have nothing to worry about.

Answer 9

Nothing wrong with the good old aussie accent.

Answer 10

I do not know . . but i love British accent !!!!!