Can you get an accent from living in another country?
Research has shown that accents become permanent around the age of 12 years old. That being said, it is possible for accents to change over time or for adults to develop a subtle accent after living in a foreign country for an extended period of time.
How long does it take to get an American accent?
Fortunately, learning to speak with a Standard American English (SAE) accent is perfectly doable and doesn’t require more than 2.5 or 3 months if you’re practicing diligently. It does require daily practice, however. Some people have a gift for accents – they can just shift into the accent.
Can you speak a second language without an accent?
The answer is no. After your early teens, the chance of learning to speak a new language without an accent is vanishingly small. Not only the speech sounds but also the rhythm and intonation will give you away. But many people find a foreign accent intriguing, even sexy.
How do you pick up an accent?
Here are some practical tips to improve your accent in another language, no matter which language you’re learning.
- Learn The Phonetic Alphabet.
- Get Familiar With The Spoken Language.
- Identify What’s ‘Weird’ About The Pronunciation.
- Listen, Listen, Listen!
- Practice Makes Perfect.
Why can’t I pick up a native English accent?
You can’t pick up a native-like American, British or any other English accent just because you’re exposed to it, or just because you speak a lot with other English speakers. Exposure alone isn’t going to alter your pronunciation by a bit, and speaking without CONSCIOUS effort isn’t going to do the job for you either!
Is the “Rez accent” real or exaggerated?
While the accent Thomas uses in this clip is somewhat exaggerated according to Native Americans, linguists have found that the features in his speech do appear in Native American English, which is sometimes called the “Reservation Accent,” or just “Rez Accent.”
Do older people lose their native accent when they move?
The older people are when they move, the less likely will they lose their native accent. But some people will simply be more adaptable than others, and I don’t know why — ear training might have something to do with it (I am also quite musical).
Why didn’t Native American accents intermingle?
There’s no definite explanation for why Native American accents didn’t intermingle much, but it likely has to do with attitudes toward Native Americans. Our impressions of accents are strongly related to our impressions of people. Thus, discrimination against Native Americans meant people would resist picking up Native American speech patterns.