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Q: Has your accent changed since being in China?
I wouldn't notice this myself but I was told by my friends during my last visit back home that I had a South African twinge. I thought that was funny considering I'm from South London and speak with an Estuary English drone. I do have to alter my English when teaching to a more "standard" form, so the kids can properly understand, though I wonder how much my normal accent has changed since being here. I guess it's all just part and parcel of being abroad and hanging around with people from all over the shop.
My accent was a bit strong for a lot of people back home to understand and so it started to change a little when I was at uni. Now I bet it's just a generic northern English accent. Shame really, but I don't really use English that much nowadays anyway.
Nope. Slowed down the pace quite a bit though. Even though I'm from the American south, people always think I'm from Chicago....weird huh?
I'm from Dublin, Ireland, and have heard the South African thing also. And the Australian. And the English. The Kiwi. The American. I could go on...
And that's just from expats
Once in a blue moon, one expat will haltingly hesitantly bewilideringly suggest "you're Irish, yeah?'
So I'm not sure China has changed my accent so much has hammered home to me its homelessness
My accent has changed hugely, I have no idea why, I am from a middle class family in North London, but now I speak with a very thick Jamaican accent. It's the strangest thing.
"I g'wan BOSSy'in y'blodclart, SEEN! mArtiAn com fi SHOOT OP China!"
darkstar1:
Haha I bet that sounds great. Better than my Croydon drawl.
I don't think it's specifically down to being in China, but by being overseas and travelling for years, I almost completely lost my Australian accent and ended up sounding more like some weird linguistic hybrid of a bunch of different places.
It's slowly returning.
maggiegirly:
lol MissA,
After living in China with me for two years,My husband still has his strong Aussie accent.whenever he speaks English ,People can tell He's an Aussie bloke lol
My Chinese accent has changed a lot since I met my husband ,I guess it's just because I speak English with him mostly.BUT I am a Chinese and live in China, I was told by people that I'm like from Taiwan,Singapore or even western countries.Tell me a joke lol
Hell yea, being from London I've definitely developed an American twinge in my vocals accompanied with some American words thrown in.
For instance, I'll always use 'Eggplant' instead of 'Aubergine' - I guess I think it's easier for the kids to remember. Also, 'Apartment' too has slipped on to my tongue rather than 'Flat'. It's just easier to communicate like this to students and adults who may of had a focus on the American style of English rather than mafan'n your way through a convo.
Anyway, cultural surroundings for me as Brit has changed my accent for a variety of reasons:
Most Chinese speakers will annunciate in an American accent.
There are more Americans here than Brits/Aussies (in my opinion).
Hardening vowels actually makes teaching easy than the mumbley fumbley mono-droning spoken by us.
