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Accents

how long do you guys think it takes for someone to lose their native accent when living in another country?

i was thinking about this today becasue this chick i work next to has a slight colombian accent but i mean she moved from colombia when she was like 10 and i think it's a little ridiculous that she would still talk like she just came from there. she is in her 40's and has an american-jewish husband and a kid and everything so it's not like her husband is spanish and they speak spanish all the time at home.

i mean is it really about a sense of pride or something, or do you guys REALLY just have a hard time picking up the language/accent of the country you're in, even after 10 + years?

i still speak with mexican accent, 9 years speaking english

I started learning English at the same time i learned Spanish... I have an accent in both Spanish and English:/

Re: Accents

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Originally posted by Slylee how long do you guys think it takes for someone to lose their native accent when living in another country? i was thinking about this today becasue this chick i work next to has a slight colombian accent but i mean she moved from colombia when she was like 10 and i think it's a little ridiculous that she would still talk like she just came from there. she is in her 40's and has an american-jewish husband and a kid and everything so it's not like her husband is spanish and they speak spanish all the time at home. i mean is it really about a sense of pride or something, or do you guys REALLY just have a hard time picking up the language/accent of the country you're in, even after 10 + years?

why would she want to give it up? maybe she doesn't feel the need to assimilate and americanize her voice. her friends and family, ie. parents, siblings etc, may still speak spanish together too...ya never know

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Originally posted by nchs09 I started learning English at the same time i learned Spanish... I have an accent in both Spanish and English:/

fag accent?

Re: Re: Accents

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Originally posted by barbina why would she want to give it up? maybe she doesn't feel the need to assimilate and americanize her voice. her friends and family, ie. parents, siblings etc, may still speak spanish together too...ya never know

yea but it just makes me think she makes an actual effort to keep her accent, which is sort of put on...as in, phony.

anyway you just answered my question. it's more about having a sense of pride from where you come from and not wanting to conform.

It depends on how early the person started learning the language and the influences while learning it. I still have an accent and have been taught English since I was a baby, but grew up and lived until I was 19 years old in South America where I went to a British school.
The person you are talking about didn't learn English as a first language, so don't expect her to speak it as if she did

sssss... dont be silly paaaaaaaaaapi.


There really is no effort into losing an accent.. you eiher have it or you dont. It is mostly related to how you pronounce words in the place you where born/learned to speak.

I know i have an accent, but i am never thinking "oh i need to lose it..." its something that i spend 0 time thinking about.

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Originally posted by Chaska It depends on how early the person started learning the language and the influences while learning it. I still have an accent and have been taught English since I was a baby, but grew up and lived until I was 19 years old in South America where I went to a British school. The person you are talking about didn't learn English as a first language, so don't expect her to speak it as if she did

i know that, but she is in her 40s now and that's plenty of time to pronounce things the "american way" you know what i mean?

i'm not being biggoted or anything i'm just honestly curious and wanted to see what some of you would say because i know a lot of ppl here are bilingual. my own boyfriend is french-canadian and has been living in america for 7 years. before he dated me, he had only french-canadian girlfriends and friends and even in his line of work, he mostly works for the frenchies, so he never really had to practice english much. he still has an accent and has a hard time saying words.

i never said you have to lose it neither did i

fag4life

the amount of accent seems to depend on who I'm talking to. I've spoken english for 12 years but I tend to subconsciously slip into a slight eastern-european accent whenever I'm speaking with someone else who's native language is not english. But when I'm giving a talk in a class for example, I don't have much of an accent, if any. This might just be an imitation of certain reinforced beliefs/instincts about what is appropriate or common in each situation.

In her case, it might be some aspect of her identity that she subconsciously keeps alive.

a year or two in an english immersion class?

i have a buddy who moved from poland about... five years ago- before, he was a horrendous english speaker. now he speaks english very well, uses colloquial dialect and slang, interprets and understands meaning very well- but still has an accent.

There's actually a specific age range, after which a person will never fully lose their original country's accent. From memory, it's up to around 12 years old, but that can vary from person to person.

I'll try and find one of the studies done.

What I find really hilarious is people I know from here that have went to the US and stayed there for a couple of years and then return speaking with an accent and acting like they forgot a lot of words in Spanish.

I always make fun of them straight to their faces.

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Originally posted by tachobg the amount of accent seems to depend on who I'm talking to. I've spoken english for 12 years but I tend to subconsciously slip into a slight eastern-european accent whenever I'm speaking with someone else who's native language is not english. But when I'm giving a talk in a class for example, I don't have much of an accent, if any. This might just be an imitation of certain reinforced beliefs/instincts about what is appropriate or common in each situation. In her case, it might be some aspect of her identity that she subconsciously keeps alive.

i can see that. and you know how madonna moved to england and she is sort of made fun of for having a slight english accent? i don't see what the big deal is. i think if i moved to england for like 7 years or something, and every day i was talking with brits and became really familiar with the lingo and stuff, i'd probably catch myself talking with a brit accent too. it's just a matter of how adaptable you are.

i'm a very adaptable person so i think if i was born in colombia and moved to america when i was 10, i'd probably have zero spanish accent by the time i was in my 20s.

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Originally posted by Sushipunk There's actually a specific age range, after which a person will never fully lose their original country's accent. From memory, it's up to around 12 years old, but that can vary from person to person. I'll try and find one of the studies done.

I think thats more about learning a new language with ease because of development of the brain.

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Originally posted by Slylee i know that, but she is in her 40s now and that's plenty of time to pronounce things the "american way" you know what i mean? i'm not being biggoted or anything i'm just honestly curious and wanted to see what some of you would say because i know a lot of ppl here are bilingual. my own boyfriend is french-canadian and has been living in america for 7 years. before he dated me, he had only french-canadian girlfriends and friends and even in his line of work, he mostly works for the frenchies, so he never really had to practice english much. he still has an accent and has a hard time saying words.

I once worked with a German lady who was like 55 y.o. when I met her. She came to the US when she was 12 and still has a German accent (however subtle) to this day. My mum is 50 y.o. and still has a slight accent, even though she learned English since very young and her dad is British. I guess that's why it's called the "Mother tongue", heh. When older it's just more difficult to get rid of the accent.

quote:

Originally posted by Sushipunk There's actually a specific age range, after which a person will never fully lose their original country's accent. From memory, it's up to around 12 years old, but that can vary from person to person. I'll try and find one of the studies done.

i disagree, immersion and training should be able to kill an accent imo, then again i wouldn't know for sure being that i'm not a cunning linguist

listen woman you worry about ridiculous details, whaa? you are going to tell me that having an accent is bothersome.

I prefer a nice foreign accent than a plain boring old american yank accent.

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Originally posted by nchs09 I think thats more about learning a new language with ease because of development of the brain.

Yeah, I might have it confused with that. I do remember something specifically related to accents though, from my Psych classes. Stupid brain!

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Originally posted by Slylee i can see that. and you know how madonna moved to england and she is sort of made fun of for having a slight english accent? i don't see what the big deal is. i think if i moved to england for like 7 years or something, and every day i was talking with brits and became really familiar with the lingo and stuff, i'd probably catch myself talking with a brit accent too. it's just a matter of how adaptable you are. i'm a very adaptable person so i think if i was born in colombia and moved to america when i was 10, i'd probably have zero spanish accent by the time i was in my 20s.

Jamie, it's easier to get an accent of the same language!! Same thing if I go to France for a couple years, it's easier to start talking like them then having 0 french accent when I speak english.

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Originally posted by winston listen woman you worry about ridiculous details, whaa? you are going to tell me that having an accent is bothersome. I prefer a nice foreign accent than a plain boring old american yank accent.

it's not bothersome! i was just wondering if she truly cannot get rid of the accent, or if she has a sense of pride from being colombian that she wants everyone to know she is colombian, that's all.

Losing your accent is something you have to work at. Just because she's been in the country and speaking fluent English for a number of years is irrelevant. You have to change the way your vocals chords work and everything

Anytime I was in Egypt for long amounts of time I'd come back with an accent and not even know it, I had to consciously tell myself to drop the accent until it went away. Really weird.

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Originally posted by bas Losing your accent is something you have to work at. Just because she's been in the country and speaking fluent English for a number of years is irrelevant. You have to change the way your vocals chords work and everything Anytime I was in Egypt for long amounts of time I'd come back with an accent and not even know it, I had to consciously tell myself to drop the accent until it went away. Really weird.

ok then you just proved my point. you go to another country for a "visit" and come back with an accent. this chick has been living here and married to an american for 10+ years, and she still has an accent.


*edit* damn ok u said long amounts of time. but how long were they? if it was under a year then yea, u proved my point

quote:

Originally posted by Slylee ok then you just proved my point. you go to another country for a "visit" and come back with an accent. this chick has been living here and married to an american for 10+ years, and she still has an accent. *edit* damn ok u said long amounts of time. but how long were they? if it was under a year then yea, u proved my point

Like a month or two

I'm just saying it has to be a conscious move, it's not something that just goes away on it's own.

My parents are the same way. My mom wanted to lose her accent, and she kind of had to because she speaks multiple language, so when she speaks English there's hardly no accent at all. My dad however...well let's just not go down that road.

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