Accent and Way of Speaking - Are You Losing It?

I love this! I'm originally from Texas, born and raised however was educated with Irish nuns so don't have a strong twang at all, much more of a slight southern accent but use Texas words such as Y'all and reckon or anything ending in ING sound with EN.

 I've been here a year and worked the past 9 months and it is a hoot going out to lunch and asking for things the Texas way: "What kinda Coke do you have? "ooh Candy Bars" or the favourite they all love " The food truck is here". I do have to spell the British way, my laptop is set up for it btw and of course my dates but I refuse to loose my accent! I go home and put on my country music even though I didn't listen to it much in Texas and I embrace being different. Like someone said before, I would look and feel silly trying to sound British.

 I did forget Rocket was called Arugula the other day and do prefer to say Zucchini etc. but I love living here and it does feel like the US 30 years ago in a way. Life is slow and the air, food and water are still clean in my neck of the woods (North West England). My 3 year old now sounds completely British like his dad and family but will say Garage the way I do, not sure for how long.

Haha I'm actually in Texas myself and when we go out for dinner and I ask for a coke they say "What kind?" and it gets me every time! I've been here 5 years! I just respond with "Pepsi or Coca Cola. I'll leave it up to you" One waitress was a little horrified at having that responsibility I had to insist that I was fine with either until I said "Oh alright! I'll have Pepsi!" LOL.

If you don't mind me asking, where are you from in TX? I'm in Austin. 

9 years 4 months here.

I speak with an American accent but my sentence structure is very British.  It does take a second for my family to get used to how I say things when I speak with them.

Interrupting myself, husband just corrected me in how I pronounce vehicle. ARGH!

I use a combination of British and American spellings and words.  My husband and those around me generally know what I'm talking about.  Only my husband corrects me (and honestly, it annoys me).  Half the time I say sweater and the other half I say jumper.  People know and understand and while the British is slowly gaining the greater percentage, I'm not bothered either way.  As long as my friends and family understand me it doesn't matter.  I'm a mix and so is my language, since I haven't forced it and no one else has I don't feel either happy or sad about it. 

My husband does sometimes correct me though and it does make me want to slap him.  I know he wouldn't want to quit pronouncing certain words certain ways simply because he'd lived in the States for a few years.  He picked the most inopportune time to pick on me about vehicle...I was perfectly posed for a good kvetch to UKY since I was already posting on the topic!

The other day a woman asked me how long I've lived here because my accent was very subtle. Then yesterday another woman stopped my husband and I because she thought we were speaking German! So I have no idea how much I've lost my accent!

I'm getting much better at using British phrases - when we were back for a visit I was out doing some shopping and said "I'll just put it in the pram." It must've sounded so pretentious since the cashier didn't know I live in England!

The other day a woman asked me how long I've lived here because my accent was very subtle. Then yesterday another woman stopped my husband and I because she thought we were speaking German! So I have no idea how much I've lost my accent!

I'm getting much better at using British phrases - when we were back for a visit I was out doing some shopping and said "I'll just put it in the pram." It must've sounded so pretentious since the cashier didn't know I live in England!

This is pretty much my situation over here in the States. People notice my accent and then others don't and then I say a British phrase and it throws them off and they either think I'm pretentious or just off my trolley! haha

I'm a UK/US dual citizen, UK born, US naturalised My accent is all over the place! I regularly use all the accents of all the places I have lived but, unfortunately, I cannot predict with which accent I will speak on any given day! The other day I left a voicemail for someone who thought I was Texan (our US base is Houston) and then was very confused when I answered the phone with my UK Devonian accent! In Houston they think I'm very British, and in the London suburbs I'm assumed to be American! I can't win, wherever I am I'm assumed to be from somewhere else! And if i talk to an Australian or New Zealander for any length of time i acquire their accent.

I'm from Boston but been here just shy of 2 years. Nobody here can tell, they just can tell I'm from the US but make comments like "aren't Boston accents meant to be more noticeable?" hahah

Also, my family and friends back home tell me constantly that I sound british now when we chat on the phone. They LOVE taking the p*ss!

Living in London for 13 years, I still have my New York City accent.