I use a fake accent in awkward situations...

I do when i'm out in public and someone asks me something.. I don't think it's a conscious thing after 15 years here,... just a way of keeping anonymous.  I slip in and out all the time depending on my mood or who i'm talking to. But again, been here fifteen years. Sometimes i'll be watching a show and can't even make out if it's an American or British accent. The line seems to blur alot for me.

I think there's a difference between naturally picking up a bit of a British accent just from living around British people and consciously faking an accent.

I'm sure my accent has changed naturally a bit since I've moved here, but I wouldn't consciously put on a different accent.

About mixing up American and British accents: sometimes I will overhear someone speaking, and after they've finished, I think they might have had an American accent, but I'm not sure.

If someone asked me something in public and I replied to them in their accent, I think it would just sound like I was taking the piss.

Something  to remember is that there are a lot of class issues associated with regional accents and British people can be very sensitive about how other people perceive their accents.

Nope. Couldn't fake any form of accent if I tried. It would just like I'm mocking someone.

I have, on very slight occasions, said as few of words as possible in a conversation,just to not bring attention to myself (though always in my American accent, because I suck at accents) But no one gives me sh*t about being American- either that, or I seem to unconsciously let it roll off my shoulders.

rynn, that same situation could have happened to anyone, the person before you, the next person in line, who could be British, or Polish, or American, Japanese, whatever.  Not like the scanner was like "Oh an American, lets act up" and if the cashier was running around to help you, then all is fine.  I guess what I'm saying is, stupid things happen to all of us- where ever we are and probably wouldn't have mattered if you said sorry in your American accent.  I personally wouldn't have worried about it, but if it makes you feel better in an uncomfortable situation, then that's ok. I would just take heed and make sure you're not going overboard and it looks like you're mocking someone.  

Some people are making it out to be a horrible thing. It is all well and good to say "be yourself" but really, I don't want to have to explain myself constantly. When I'm feeling tired or sad, I would rather murmur a few "thank yous" and "sorrys" than have people look at me like that.  

I'm not saying it's horrible, just that I think perhaps it might be a bit misguided. I was born in the UK and brought up in both the US and the UK - a fake accent (either British or American) just sounds silly to me. And I can always tell. Always. So if you're wanting to be anonymous, I'm not sure putting on an accent that doesn't come naturally to you is the way to do it.

That's all.

I'm not saying it's horrible, just that I think perhaps it might be a bit misguided. I was born in the UK and brought up in both the US and the UK - a fake accent (either British or American) just sounds silly to me. And I can always tell. Always. So if you're wanting to be anonymous, I'm not sure putting on an accent that doesn't come naturally to you is the way to do it.

That's all.

I agree with this 100%.  Sometimes people in shops, etc. comment on my accent (and it's always something positive, like they've been to the US on holiday, where in the US am I from, etc.), but most of the time they say nothing.  Probably couldn't care less.

I personally wouldn't have worried about it, but if it makes you feel better in an uncomfortable situation, then that's ok. I would just take heed and make sure you're not going overboard and it looks like you're mocking someone.  

I know exactly what Rynn means, and am surprised at so many people turning it into something malicious! Like you say PB, if it makes us feel better in an uncomfortable situation, then why judge?

I know exactly what Rynn means, and am surprised at so many people turning it into something malicious! Like you say PB, if it makes us feel better in an uncomfortable situation, then why judge?

No, not malicious, just a bit misguided like chary said.

I know exactly what Rynn means, and am surprised at so many people turning it into something malicious! Like you say PB, if it makes us feel better in an uncomfortable situation, then why judge?

I don't think anyone's called it malicious! Not at all!

And as for judging ... well, Rynn started a thread about it. If you start a thread on a topic - any topic - people are going to comment about it. And some of those comments will be negative. That's just the nature of a forum.

When I was living in the US, I did feel that my accent made me stick out a bit... especially as I was in New Mexico and Arkansas, where there aren't many Brits around at all , so I tried not to draw attention to myself by not talking too much in shops and places like that. Occasionally I found myself saying things like 'toona' (tuna) and 'tomayto' when I was ordering food, but it was more to make myself more easily understood than to fit in (the 'tomayto' one just slipped out accidentally, lol).

I was also a TA in New Mexico and was teaching undergrads, so I did change a few words so that I didn't confuse anyone as to what I meant (I would say 'class' instead of 'lecture', for example, or 'grade' instead of 'mark', 'soccer' instead of 'football', 'apartment' instead of 'flat', 'bathroom' instead of 'toilet' etc.). Also, apparently when I talk to Americans, my accent changes very slightly, but it's not something I do deliberately... it just happens .

I don't fake my accent because I can't (not that I would anyway)!    but I do enunciate differently when I'm at work - I'm very conscious of pronouncing my Ts, for instance and I do notice a bit of regional pronunciations here and there - mostly it's just to make myself understood.  When I'm out and about I will say tomah-to rather than to-mayto and I do say my name differently when I'm on the phone because to say it the way my family says it, no one understands it and I end up repeating myself, spelling it etc.. 

My son switches his accent all the time.  At home, he's all Canadian but with his friends, he's all midlands.  He's got a fantastic ear and he can make it work but that's not unusual for kids; we've seen it many times with other kids whose family accent is different than where they live. 

I would imagine that a lot of people think they would never put on another accent yet when they return to the states are surprised that their family and friends think they've picked up a British accent. Surely is a natural thing to happen of youve been here a while - your bound to start using British words and phrases.

Nope, and I would sound ridiculous if I tried.  Where I live, people have been invariably friendly to me, with my regional American accent, and interested in where I'm from - I don't think I sound especially Southern & I'm from Kansas, not the South, but people often think I'm from the South.  Lol!  I think I sound like a complete dork, but I get so many compliments on my accent here - it's just plain weird. 

Of course, I use British words and have probably picked up some vocal inflections, but I sure don't think I sound British at all & no native Brits think I do either!

I don't fake an accent..cause I am not capable of it- but I do speak as little as possible sometimes with one word comments when I just want to get in and out without the whole  where are you from conversation. Generally now that I have been here awhile the one word comments avoid the american question- when I first moved over even saying one word I was identified

I would imagine that a lot of people think they would never put on another accent yet when they return to the states are surprised that their family and friends think they've picked up a British accent. Surely is a natural thing to happen of youve been here a while - your bound to start using British words and phrases.

But that's not quite the same thing. Over time, you're bound to pick up a bit of something, but it's not deliberate.

My son switches his accent all the time...

It's easier for younger people to do it; their speech patterns aren't as set.  It's near-on impossible to pick up a full new accent as an adult... UNLESS you go and fake it!  That isn't to say that some things won't change; my vowels have gone a teensy bit rounder, for example.  But yeah - was totally discussing this whole thing with my sister the other day; she majored in French in college, and I did six years as a Russian linguist in the Air Force, so linguistics is of total interest to us!

I will say that I do totally emphathise with some of y'all being affected by negative accent love - I have a lot of friends stationed over here, and there's definitely some US dislike near bases, since the government-sponsored Yanks drive house costs through the roof. :s  Which is understandable - I have friends who have four-bedroom detached houses 'cause they have to either spend the money offered, or lose it, and they'd rather get the biggest house they can manage.

But that's not quite the same thing. Over time, you're bound to pick up a bit of something, but it's not deliberate.

Well I think "fake accent" is actually a harsh way to put it. I tend to go in and out of it after spending nearly 3 years in the country over the last 6 (especially teaching children - I have picked up a lot from that without trying, simply to make up for the fact that the very little ones have trouble understanding me sometimes). When I'm out and about though, and I want to avoid being noticed too much, I do just slip into it, and as others have said say as few words as possible.