Accent inferiority complex?

Same here Mindy.  To be honest I do see what Suzanne is saying and for me I guess it's like switching from English to Spanish which I do all the time...though with my mother I speak both and whenever I seem to be able to communicate best in one or the other.  It does not help me decipher "motherease" though.  On the other hand,  I must write in UK English here for work and school and I speak to 99% English people so I tend to adapt my sayings to that.  Since what we are talking about is a dialect and not a distinct language I think it is indeed easier to just use the terms of the English speaking place you are in.  For me it is not a matter of speaking one or the other on purpose, but simply that I naturally use terms I hear around me.  I mean I am not southern by any means and I am still trying to stop using the term y'all.  Trust me it was not my intent or desire to use this expression it just happened as a result of natural language acquisition. 

I do think that at times I might flip the mental switch in my mind and probably use more "American"  phrases with other Americans.  Though to be honest Balmerhon and I usually have a hodge podge of both.  Or I find myself double naming things.. like cart/trolley...   

Oh, you're joking.  I've lived here for over fifteen years.  I have English children, husband, friends, family, that I speak to EVERY day.  I speak to hundreds of people at work a day.  I lead a very busy life where I see aLOT of different people.  Language evolves.  And I want to be understood and frankly, I don't have the time or the inclination to change my speech depending on who I'm talking to.  I live HERE.  This is the language I speak.  Using two different sets of language patterns and vocabulary would be impractical and exhausting.  In other words, I call a trolley a trolley.   

I'm with Mindy.

Except I haven't lived here 15 years.

And my kids were both born in the US.

But other than that - spot on!

I haven't noticed my change in accent however it has apparently changed quite a bit. Went back to the states just a couple of weeks ago for the first time in 2 years and everyone kept asking me where I was from. (uh, here). One guy told me I could easily be an Brit who has lived in the states for awhile. Apparently it's how I say certain words. Don't know which words but apparently I speak them differently now. My family loved taking the piss out of me for it.

And I'm always being asked if I'm Australian. I have no idea where they're getting that from.

And I tend to use british words now. I get confused with having to use two different words for the same thing.

Oh, you're joking.  I've lived here for over fifteen years.  I have English children, husband, friends, family, that I speak to EVERY day.  I speak to hundreds of people at work a day.  I lead a very busy life where I see aLOT of different people.  Language evolves.  And I want to be understood and frankly, I don't have the time or the inclination to change my speech depending on who I'm talking to.  I live HERE.  This is the language I speak.  Using two different sets of language patterns and vocabulary would be impractical and exhausting.  In other words, I call a trolley a trolley.   

Not only is this me, but now I can't even REMEMBER certain American terminology....

I'll go back and forth. No doubt about it. There are some British words/pronunciations that I just feel too silly saying. I've resigned myself to the fact that I will probably never sound quite right anywhere anymore! 

There are some British words/pronunciations that I just feel too silly saying.

That's exactly how I feel.  I'll use words with which I'm comfortable or sound right coming out of my hybrid-accented mouth.  Trousers, nappy, dummy (unless I'm calling someone that), trolley and fillet will never be in my comfort zone.

I always felt it would be so much easier picking up any English dialect as opposed to Scottish. Why? Have any of you seen some of the names of the towns here?

It could be worse.  Have you studied a map of Wales? 

Actually, when television was in its infancy, the powers that be deliberately chose the midwest "accent" as the default for announcers, anchormen, etc.  That's why nobody really thinks of it as an accent, because it's what we're all used to hearing on tv.

A similar thing happened in Britain, with both BBC and ITV adopting neutral southeast accents for newscasters, continuity announcers, and so on.     This "accent" is what is commonly referred to as "Received Pronunciation."   

It was really only in the 1980s that the TV companies started using announcers with regional accents for national broadcasts, and it actually prompted some concern at the time.  I remember letters being written to the BBC complaining that one of the new anchor links for children's programs had a strong northern accent and that it would teach children bad pronunciation.

The general presentation on Briitish TV was very different 25 years ago to what you see today. 

Fillet and filleted will never be part of mine either... unless I am clarifying it for the fishmonger.....

I tried to ask for the Dover sole descaled and fil-ey-d to which I got a very confused look and she then said... oh oh you want it "filet-ed"  Ack...

 

I always use Brit English - I agree with Mindy - it's what I hear day in and day out, and it's the language of the country where I've chosen to live, so that's what I speak.... And besides, if you want to be understood, you almost have to adopt the speech. I can't tell you how many times I had to repeat "pahstah" in restaurants before I finally just started saying "paastah" - no skin off my nose and now I'm understood! And it's just far too much bother to switch back and forth depending on my audience. If I was French or something, OK, fine, but I don't think any Americans in Britain will get too confused if I use Brit speak....  When I'm in the US I revert back to US speak to avoid confusion. There may be a few words that I still feel weird saying, but not too many, and I find that forcing myself to say them, they start sounding "right" pretty quickly. I use Brit spelling because it's what I have to use at school and it's just far easier to have one way rather than having to pause to consider my audience. I do use a few more Americanisms when I talk to my American friends, but not at the expense of Brit words, and I'm trying to stop it 'cause I don't really like the way they sound coming out of my mouth anymore - I grew up in California on the coast during the era of "awesome" and "totally" and have fought desperately for a while now to drop that sort of speak!!! 

?? I've never heard Brits say paastah as opposed to pahsta! I've heard Canadians do that though!

See, my thing is, I AM American and no amount of living here indefinitely is going to change that. Yes, I use lots of British phrases and words and pronunciations but I'll be d*mned if I'm going to completely eliminate my Americanisms just because I'm here. Actually, my DH gets mad when certain things DO slip into my speech - such as tomahto instead of tomayto! He fell in love with an American, not a Brit, and he likes the difference and would never want me to change to fit in any more than necessary.

Yeah, I may have to repeat myself occasionally or clarify things but that's fine by me. To me, that's no skin off my nose!! 

That's just all IMHO!

I just say what comes naturally to be honest... hell I was mixing in words even before we got to the UK and my hubs still says schedule the US way a lot... they rib him occasionally, but hell he spent a few years in the USA and is married to an American so it's bound to happen.

Why worry... just be you.

I've never heard Brits say paastah as opposed to pahsta! I've heard Canadians do that though!

My hubby says pasta with a short 'a' as in 'at', rather than a long a.

See, my thing is, I AM American and no amount of living here indefinitely is going to change that. Yes, I use lots of British phrases and words and pronunciations but I'll be d*mned if I'm going to completely eliminate my Americanisms just because I'm here.

Um, right on, sister!  I'll change what I'm saying if it causes offence (fanny) or if I need to make myself understood, but for the most part I do what comes naturally and more often than not, people understand me.

My hubby says pasta with a short 'a' as in 'at', rather than a long a.

That's what I meant! I just couldn't figure out how to write it!!!! LOL.

I must say that I'm all for being yourself and saying whatever comes naturally. I think I've got two personality attributes that influence my speech in that respect - First, I'm one of the most self-conscious people on the face of this lovely earth and HATE standing out (I'm not "whinging"  about that - it's a fact of life that I'm quite OK with after 36 years!  ) I prefer not to draw attention to myself if at all possible. But also I have always been a ridiculous anglophile and so am quite happy sounding as much like a Brit as I can without actually changing my accent (which sounds ridiculous to everyone's ears including my own....) 

Trousers, nappy, dummy (unless I'm calling someone that), trolley and fillet will never be in my comfort zone.

Does anyone know what you're talking about if you say diaper? I've had two kids here and just naturally used the word Nappy - I just assumed no one would understand the word "diaper"

I have been corrected on pronunciations of lots of things - which most of the time I accept. (Example: the other day I said Math to the Maths Teacher and he corrected me) PECAN is the one that gets my goat up. I had a waiter try to correct me when I pronounced it and we had such a battle (okay he was rather young) that I ended up saying "look kid, it's an american nut and therefore my pronunciation is just fine!" ( think it was found in Mexico or Texas...can't recall now!)

Puh-caaaaaaaaahhhhhhn. not Pee-can (IMHO!)

Puh-caaaaaaaaahhhhhhn. not Pee-can (IMHO!)

If I was in that situation, I'd say 'do you understand what I'm talking about?  Yes?  Then what's the problem?'