Pardon me, do you have any Grey Poupon?

Sorry, I couldn't think of any better way to title the thread.  When I was thinking of this question, all I could think of was that commercial.  And now that I'm really thinking back to that commercial... was that guy even British?

Anyways, my question is more for people that have moved to the UK (and it might seem like a fairly silly question too).  Once you moved to the UK did you start speaking with an accent?  How long before you noticed it?  Does it seem odd to go home to the US and have the accent. 

Like I said, may seem like a silly question.  And it's probably inevitable to pick up even a slight one.  Just something I'm curious about...

I don't speak with a British accent, even though I wouldn't mind having one.  I still speak with my native accent, although I tend to use British words and phrases.  Some people pick them up quickly.  I've also noticed some North Americans seem a bit self conscious of their British accent (if they've picked one up) when they meet me and hear my accent.  Usually they put on a very broad version of the accent from where they came soon into our conversation.

That being said, when I hear a North American speak who hasn't been here long or is a tourist (and sorry, this includes Canadians), their accents seem so strong and foreign to me.  Sometimes when watching TV with a lot of American/Canadian accents it sounds fake to me.  I don't watch too much TV, and when I do, a good portion of it is British so that might have something to do with it as well.  I sort of have an idea of what a lot of North American accents sound like to British people.

My husband also says that Americans accents soften over time even if they don't pick up a British accent.  He said it's not always noticeable until you compare it to someone who hasn't been in the UK very long.

Madonna picked one up...Britney Spears too (LMAO!!).

I've been wondering about this myself.  I did live in another country for a few years (not in Britain) and I never picked up that accent but I did lose my southern drawl.  My American accent turned into more of a Mid-Western "non-accent"...but I think that was mostly because I got sick of the other Americans there poking fun of my southern accent.  I'm not so sure it really changed so much as I just became more conscientious and purposely tried to change it.

I think my 5-year-old very well could end up with some British type of British accent though.  I think it will be an interesting mixture of Southern American and Northern England.

My Mom had said when she was in England for the wedding that she met a girl on the train that had moved from Texas 3 months prior and was speaking with a British accent.  I like my "American" accent and think I'm going to try at all costs to keep it. 

And Mistress T- It could end up sounding like a different accent altogether.  My husband was trying to do accents one time, and the combination of his British accent mixed with an attempt at a Southern US accent made him sound like he was from Boston.  Good times.

My husband was trying to do accents one time, and the combination of his British accent mixed with an attempt at a Southern US accent made him sound like he was from Boston.  Good times.

LOL...I bet it was incredibly cute.

I am of the belief that once someone reaches adulthood their accent is pretty much what they will have all their life.  I know we all say certain words the way a Brit does.  But we say it wirh an American accent.  I don't think you ever loose that.  A child on the other hand, if spending his formative years in a different country could well pick up that accent. 

I find it difficult in that, since I have only been here for a year, I am still getting used to saying words the brit way, garage, aluminum, plant and such.  I incorporate these words into my everyday language but then when I call family back in the States, I stutter over which way I should say them.  I even get corrected if I say them the Brit way. People look at me funny if I say things like an American and family think it's strange if I say things the British way.   

I am of the belief that once someone reaches adulthood their accent is pretty much what they will have all their life.  I know we all say certain words the way a Brit does.  But we say it wirh an American accent.  I don't think you ever loose that.  A child on the other hand, if spending his formative years in a different country could well pick up that accent. 

I find it difficult in that, since I have only been here for a year, I am still getting used to saying words the brit way, garage, aluminum, plant and such.  I incorporate these words into my everyday language but then when I call family back in the States, I stutter over which way I should say them.  I even get corrected if I say them the Brit way. People look at me funny if I say things like an American and family think it's strange if I say things the British way.   

This is pretty much the same for me.  However, when I'm on the phone to my Mom or someone from the US, my hubby says I do speak even more with my Philly accent!

I have a friend from Cornwall, but she's been living in the US for more than 20 years.  She still speaks with a distinctively Cornish accent.

I am of the belief that once someone reaches adulthood their accent is pretty much what they will have all their life.  I know we all say certain words the way a Brit does.  But we say it wirh an American accent.  I don't think you ever loose that.  A child on the other hand, if spending his formative years in a different country could well pick up that accent.  

I pretty much agree with this too, but I do know that after three years here my accent has softened.  If someone meets me for the first time now, they can tell that I'm not British, but they wouldn't necessarily assume I was American either.  That certainly doesn't happen to everyone, though.

And yes, it is completely possible (I would say probable even) for a child to change his/her accent completely after an international move- it happened to me!

I am of the belief that once someone reaches adulthood their accent is pretty much what they will have all their life. 

I am not sure this is true, and probably varies greately for each person.

I'm like springhaze: after three years, my accent is not British but difficult to pin down exactly as American. I definitely sound different than I did before I came here: I have tapes, and it's very obvious when you listen to them.

It probably depends on stuff like how good a person is a mimicry, conciously or unconciously, how well they can hear the differences, if they can even reproduce them (you'll never pass for a Russian, for example, if you can not roll your r's,) etc.

I find it difficult in that, since I have only been here for a year, I am still getting used to saying words the brit way, garage, aluminum, plant and such.  I incorporate these words into my everyday language but then when I call family back in the States, I stutter over which way I should say them.  I even get corrected if I say them the Brit way. People look at me funny if I say things like an American and family think it's strange if I say things the British way.  

I have the same problem.  And it really makes me roll my eyes when someone corrects me when I say something like say "garage".  Like I didn't have occasion to learn the American pronunciation before I moved here.

I've been here two years and my husband says that my American accent has softened quite a bit.  My family think I sound British; but, I don't agree. I think that I just say things in a British way, which makes them think I sound British.  If we ever have kids, they will sound distinctly Welsh.  Now that will confuse my family! 

I think my 5-year-old very well could end up with some British type of British accent though.  I think it will be an interesting mixture of Southern American and Northern England.

My son...who just turned 8 has definitely begun to pick up an accent. Whole sentences come out and I do a double take because he doesn't sounds remotely American in those moments. I think what has pushed his accent to change is that he is learning to read here and so is being taught to pronounce words and sounds with a British accent.

As for me...people say I sound more British but I don't hear it at all...I think it is more in the way this are said rather than the actual pronunciation of a the words....where the accent lies in a sentence and using British terminology. We just don't say rubbish, for example, in the states so weather it comes out with a British accent it still sounds British. If that makes any sense at all!

Those of you with kids, don't be surprised if your kids pick up an entirely British accent in a couple of years if they're under the age of 12 or so.  I moved to the states just shy of 8 years old. Neither of my parents are American. Within 2 years I was speaking with a flawless American accent by default. The same happened to my siblings.  I never lost my original accent entirely, but it only comes out when speaking to my family now.

Those of you with kids, don't be surprised if your kids pick up an entirely British accent in a couple of years if they're under the age of 12 or so.  I moved to the states just shy of 8 years old. Neither of my parents are American. Within 2 years I was speaking with a flawless American accent by default. The same happened to my siblings.  I never lost my original accent entirely, but it only comes out when speaking to my family now.

exactly. I am sure it's only a matter of time for mine.

I've been here for 10 years (in Manc for 16 years) and although I think I sound as NYC as the day I left, unfortunately I do have that mid-atlantic drawl. I think its pretty much impossible not to pick up some speech patterns that give you that sort of British sound. I get a mixed reaction from people, some think I am Canadian, some think that I sound as New York as Robert DeNiro, and others who think that I talk in a mix of Manchester meets Long Island.

My son is a Manc Monkey, and I freaking love it!!