losing aus accent

**swarbs** · 08-12-2005, 03:09 AM

have pendulum lost their accents...has spready(magnum)? ...how can u pull chicks with an aus accent if u lose it..

**DJ Stolen Reeboks** · 08-12-2005, 03:58 AM

On a far more interesting note - why do people lose their accent? What's the psychology behind it? Anyone know?

**HERETIK** · 08-12-2005, 04:14 AM

Originally Posted by DJ Stolen Reeboks

On a far more interesting note - why do people lose their accent? What's the psychology behind it? Anyone know?

heres my uneducated answer:

i guess its just because from birth you're taught to speak a language and the accent that language is spoken in naturally develops.
and vica versa once you leave that language/country/accent behind.

i heard sometime ago that it takes about 7 years to lose an accent.

ive noticed on my travels people from perth have rather neutural australian accents compared to people overeast who have a more 'aussie steve irwin' accent. quite interesting.

**aleks** · 08-12-2005, 07:51 AM

poms n scots that have been here for 20+ years that i have encountered still have their accent?

**Jazza** · 08-12-2005, 07:57 AM

I'm stuck with a weird one cos of living in the states/malaysia for the majority of my childhood

**aleks** · 08-12-2005, 08:01 AM

Originally Posted by JaZZa

I'm stuck with a weird one cos of living in the states/malaysia for the majority of my childhood

werd, i noticed it at the pdma straight away

**Jazza** · 08-12-2005, 08:03 AM

Originally Posted by aleks

werd, i noticed it at the pdma straight away

hehehehe no shit that was the 1st thing u said to me lol

U coming to roller tonite?

**aleks** · 08-12-2005, 08:41 AM

not sure....as i have to wake at 5.30am : | but the 6th bday is gona be huge

but will sms u if i end up going

**Vilandra** · 08-12-2005, 08:45 AM

Originally Posted by HERETIK

ive noticed on my travels people from perth have rather neutural australian accents compared to people overeast who have a more 'aussie steve irwin' accent. quite interesting.

yeah thats very true.

i think people are like sponges really... they absorb whats around them. Most people instinctively try to assimilate too. Its the same as groups of friends picking up on each others vocabularies - using the same catchphrases. So if youre constantly around others speaking in a different way, you will probably absorb and assimilate to some degree.

Id guess people who dont lose their accent to any degree probably still mainly associate with people/family/friends of their own country/accent, or are older with their self more entrenched, or actively try to maintain it - or a combo of all 3

**Jazza** · 08-12-2005, 09:07 AM

Originally Posted by aleks

not sure....as i have to wake at 5.30am : | but the 6th bday is gona be huge

but will sms u if i end up going

Sweet hope to catcha there for some brewski's!

**crave** · 08-12-2005, 09:26 AM

Originally Posted by HERETIK

ive noticed on my travels people from perth have rather neutural australian accents compared to people overeast who have a more 'aussie steve irwin' accent. quite interesting.

that's prolly becos our ethnics don't have much of a voice/influence unlike over east who have full sik ethnic masses...

da leb akscent mayte iz just fun-knee as hell orrat...

**mooki** · 08-12-2005, 09:34 AM

after about 10-13 itll be harder to lose/pick up an accent.
a lot of the time people pick up a slight accent after a couple of years but as soon as theyre back with australians (or wherever theyre form) theyll lose it.

its just like picking up slang i spose. you dont make an effort but you find yourself using certain words because other people do.

**crave** · 08-12-2005, 09:44 AM

what about vietnamese they really can't shake lose dat accent!

i think the majority of people who are fluent or have influences in another language at home will have different phonics tones... there was a piece on the news this morning about how the education system is failing reading at schools, main reason of this was becos of the lack of "phonics" being taught at school... i believe it's somewhat true, my sisters rarely did phonics... i remember when you sat most mornings in class making word sounds! ah! ee! au! ou! haha...

nothing hotter than an oz accent with hints of southern euro or spanish accents...

**heist** · 08-12-2005, 09:47 AM

Originally Posted by DJ Stolen Reeboks

On a far more interesting note - why do people lose their accent? What's the psychology behind it? Anyone know?

i lost mine years ago.. didn't want to sound like a bogan.

**hArDcOrE rAvEsS** · 08-12-2005, 09:48 AM

I found myself speaking some american words whilst over there (was there for one month)

Words such as Mall & Restroom.. and even that annoying high pitched "uh huh!"

**crave** · 08-12-2005, 10:07 AM

like ohmaigawd feeyona...

**Facter** · 08-12-2005, 10:16 AM

out of all the australian accents, the West Australian accent is the most akin to the English accent. We dont have the long drawl of the east, or the clipped word usage - in all, our accent over here is a lot more refined mainly due to the heavy english influence that WA has had, moreso thant he eastern states.

Its reasonable to assume that therefore, when people go over to the UK from here, people from the east coast will retain their accents a lot more than people over here, because it is easier for us to slip into the nuances of the English language due to the correlation in our accent.

When you go overseas, you very very quickly learn to identify if a person is fromt he east coast, or from Perth. I am betting that those Perthites over there have noticed this fact as well - if someone from sydney or queensland or even M E L B O U R N E comes intot he room, and you've been voerseas for a qwhile, you can pick exactly that - the same as you usually can if they are from Perth.

Its quite interesting. Most of you probably dont even realise that you have a completely different accent to someone from say, M E L B O U R N E or Sydney.

edit: shit, marc mentioned this. but yeh, its neutral i would say due to the heavy english influence in Perth.

**geisha** · 08-12-2005, 10:18 AM

if i'm feelin peppy (fukn LOL) i will talk in a clipped english accent

it fools everyone and i come across extra bratty and get what i want even more !!

for some reason, my voice is a little bit more english than my sister's. a lot of people have noticed it. maybe it's cos i have spent those 2 extra years listening to my parents hehe

**Adam Brown** · 08-12-2005, 10:23 AM

i remember the first time Dair went to the UK for only a couple of months he came back with a thick english accent

i guess if you want something bad enough...

**geisha** · 08-12-2005, 10:24 AM

i wish i had an alabama or texas accent. that would be cool

**Urban Decay** · 08-12-2005, 10:25 AM

Originally Posted by geisha

i wish i had an alabama or texas accent. that would be cool

i love talking in that accent.
'howdy pretty layde. your lookin' real purdy'

**hArDcOrE rAvEsS** · 08-12-2005, 10:27 AM

Originally Posted by crave

like ohmaigawd feeyona...

Like ...you know....wow!

**playtoy** · 08-12-2005, 10:32 AM

your voicebox or your thought of speech is most influencial throughout puburty and in your teens you will find that most vocal influences you are surrounded by in this time will aid the structure of your vocaburlary...i.e when you are growing up and your constantly surrounded by english ppl you will pick up words and ways of saying them.

being that we already know english adapting to other english speaking accents would occur rather naturally in a shorter period of time if you were constantly surrounded.

i have a weird accent apparently and it chops and changes every hour.
i bring this down to bouts of dyslexia when i was younger
growing up with scottish, english and norweigian friends
dating a pom for three years
finding to pronnouciate my words properly i adapt a proper accent...

all of which i am not conscious of doing until ppl ask me where i am from - -- most common ones are canadian american english or irish.....

you will find i will even sub consciously adapt to another accent if engaged in conversation with someone who has one...dang

i like having a funny quirk cause it makes me special....i call it the peta accent

**Ange** · 08-12-2005, 10:32 AM

Originally Posted by HERETIK

heres my uneducated answer:

i guess its just because from birth you're taught to speak a language and the accent that language is spoken in naturally develops.
and vica versa once you leave that language/country/accent behind.

i heard sometime ago that it takes about 7 years to lose an accent.

ive noticed on my travels people from perth have rather neutural australian accents compared to people overeast who have a more 'aussie steve irwin' accent. quite interesting.

My folks (and alot of other relatives) have been living in Australia for the past 15+ years. Their accents are as strong as ever. Probably depends on the age that you are when you move to a country. The younger you are the less likely you are to keep your accent - or at least keep it strong.

When ever I travel back to Ireland, within 2 days I have an accent. Its weird and I cant help it. Doesnt take long to lose it when I return to Australia though.

I love to hear people with spanish, italian, dutch, russian accents. <3

**flaunt** · 08-12-2005, 11:06 AM

Originally Posted by aleks

poms n scots that have been here for 20+ years that i have encountered still have their accent?

weavy is living proof that a scotsman never loses his accent

**Wrepz** · 08-12-2005, 11:10 AM

WA has a lot of Sith Eflickenz. Thats the accent I cant stand most.

Howzit?

**geisha** · 08-12-2005, 01:03 PM

i would love a seth efrikan accent

would be good for pissing ppl orff

**ice_olde'** · 08-12-2005, 01:14 PM

My mum came to Perth from Scotland when she was 10 and she has lost her accent completely. She does not sound particularly Australian, probably a middle ground between the two. Nearly everyone who meets me thinks I am british which I can't understand at all- I'm an Aussie mayte!!

**golden_girl** · 08-12-2005, 01:33 PM

two diff guys we know came over from romania and got taught english.. one by an australian teacher, one by an american teacher.. and they picked up the accent of who they were taught by!!!

**ambrella** · 08-12-2005, 01:33 PM

Originally Posted by Adam Brown

i remember the first time Dair went to the UK for only a couple of months he came back with a thick english accent

i guess if you want something bad enough...

lol, It doesn't even sound English to me, it's like stuck in the middle somewhere with a strange twang.

My boss says he thinks where ever you went to School, that's the accent that sticks with you.

**outremont** · 08-12-2005, 02:06 PM

i think you'll find that people who want to lose their accents will start speaking like wankers much sooner than those who wish to remain true to their roots.
i had a gay friend who went to london for a month and came back with this ridiculous english soho accent. i.e. wannabe pom.

**Adam Brown** · 08-12-2005, 04:24 PM

Originally Posted by amba

lol, It doesn't even sound English to me, it's like stuck in the middle somewhere with a strange twang.

this was like 3 or 4 years ago

**Capt'n Goff** · 08-12-2005, 04:28 PM

Originally Posted by Wrepz

WA has a lot of Sith Eflickenz. Thats the accent I cant stand most.

Howzit?

one of the great shames in the world is that chicks with south african accents sound so hot, but none of them have a sense of humour.

**HERETIK** · 08-12-2005, 05:48 PM

my 7 year accent lose comment wasnt aimed at scots/brits or irish.
you couldn't even beat an accent out of them with a 4x4.
my grandma has been here 50+ years and still has the strongest scottish accent ever.

i meant australians, because we have such neutral english accents compared to everyone else, its easier to lose..

and what vilandra? i think it was, that said were just sponges basically, we are, in effect, big parrots.

**skittle** · 08-12-2005, 06:32 PM

i said yogg-urt the other day *hangs head in SHAME*

talking to peeps back home makes me realise how much i've lost my aussie twang, dunno if that's a good or bad thing????

**skittle** · 08-12-2005, 06:36 PM

Originally Posted by geisha

i would love a seth efrikan accent

would be good for pissing ppl orff

SHUDDER!

i LOATH saffa accents.....

**Paj** · 08-12-2005, 07:19 PM

I think it has to do with where you grow up, or more specifically, the people who surround you and who you spend most time conversing with as you grow up. As you learn to speak a language the accent you use is intrisically a part of that learning., and its pretty much locked in before puberty I reckon.

My mum came here whan she was 20 and speaks perfect english, but her accent is so thick that many have difficulty in understanding her. She says "fact" and "fucked" in exactly the same way, hehe.... this was highlighted in a speech she gave at my sisters wedding when she uttered the phrase "fact or fiction"... many were amused.

I twould be interesting to observe what would happen if one were to take a child to a different english speaking country say, every year or two since birth... what accent would they have?

**Kimberli** · 08-12-2005, 07:22 PM

Originally Posted by skittle

SHUDDER!

i LOATH saffa accents.....

im not a fan altho im kinda used to it cos i have alot s/a mates
the american/canadian accent on a guy tho =

and some british/scottish accents also =

**psychiq** · 08-12-2005, 08:00 PM

Its ok Emma, youre not as bad as ben. He has swapped the word 'una' for 'innit' We figured out quickly that its the english translation for the aboriginal slang

Hes also started saying 'alright?' when greeting people. ARGH!

I've tried to put on an english accent over the phone at work to stop people from making a bad joke about how im from down unda mate, but I cant pull it off. Why must they make a joke about convicts? Hah Ha HAA I NEVER HEARD THAT ONE BEFORE

OOH OOH. Completely off the topic. I'm listening to Slam on Radio1 wooooooop wooooooop. go pendulum.

**Jezebelle** · 08-12-2005, 08:04 PM

My friends back in Perth laugh at me cos my accent is disappearing

I try not to pick up stupid English slang. I refuse to say 'innit' or 'alright' for a greeting.

I don't even acknowledge my students talking to me when they say 'innit Miss...'

**psychiq** · 08-12-2005, 08:09 PM

A pet hate of mine is English people saying sickth.

Its SIXTH you MORONS!!!!!!

**bonnie0908** · 08-12-2005, 08:12 PM

my accent is disappearing. especially when im at work, as its all english ppl here! i prob get a bit more ocker around my aussie friends.

**bonnie0908** · 08-12-2005, 08:14 PM

Originally Posted by psychiq

A pet hate of mine is English people saying sickth.

Its SIXTH you MORONS!!!!!!

dont you start that again!

loz you and ben have the most thickest aussie accents, i dont think there is much hope of you guys losing it over the next year and a bit you're here.

**Jezebelle** · 08-12-2005, 08:15 PM

Originally Posted by bonnie0908

my accent is disappearing. especially when im at work, as its all english ppl here! i prob get a bit more ocker around my aussie friends.

Hell yes!!

OCKER IT UP!!

**Invisibleagent0** · 08-12-2005, 09:14 PM

engluish people secretly hate us aussies and wish our accents would disappear so they can assimilate (sp) us.

just a thought from the desk of nick

**little dead gracey** · 09-12-2005, 12:17 AM

when i'm drunk people ask me if i'm canadian

**purlin** · 09-12-2005, 12:23 AM

Originally Posted by ice_olde'

My mum came to Perth from Scotland when she was 10 and she has lost her accent completely. She does not sound particularly Australian, probably a middle ground between the two. Nearly everyone who meets me thinks I am british which I can't understand at all- I'm an Aussie mayte!!

i get lots of that too, even though i grew up in country WA.

edit: i really dislike the strine accent. horrible bogans.

**psychiq** · 09-12-2005, 12:37 AM

Originally Posted by bonnie0908

my accent is disappearing. especially when im at work, as its all english ppl here! i prob get a bit more ocker around my aussie friends.

I dont think your accent is disappearing too much ebony. I remember the other day you even said the C WORD

I think I'm a bad bad influence on you

**slave** · 09-12-2005, 01:20 AM

i lived in canada for a year and didn't pick the accent, i found more i picked up some of their words in my vocabulary but the aussie accent stayed as thick as ever

i agree with whoever said about some people going to london and try and put on a english accent as soon as they get there, i think i will always have my aussie accent.

i will never say "hi ya, you alright" the london greeting here ever

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