English Accents

[macloudt]

I've been reading the posts on this topic with interest, especially 
since it really hits home.  My parents first moved from the 
Netherlands to Canada before I was born.  My mom was 37 and had 
learned English in high school from a British nun, so she thought she 
was prepared language-wise.  As if...the first day in their new home 
a neighbour's child wandered into the kitchen and said to my mom, "My 
mom is going to the store.  Do you need anything?".  And Mom panicked 
because she knew what a *shop* was, but had no idea what a *store* 
was.

Four years later I was born, and I can't remember a time when Mom 
wasn't correcting my English grammar or vocabulary.  She was a 
Domestic Goddess as well so spent all her time in the neighbourhood 
with non-Dutch speakers, while my Dad still often spoke Dutch at 
work.  As a consequence Mom's English was far better than my Dad's, 
and also her Dutch accent was far less pronounced than Dad's.  No one 
ever had problems understanding Mom, but Dad still stumps English 
speakers sometimes.

The really fun bit was after I'd moved to England and my folks would 
come to visit me.  Since they spoke Canadian English with a Dutch 
accent, *nobody* could figure out where they were from!

Of course my Canadian accent is still thick as can be, and always 
will be, but still I've picked up some West Country.  I use the local 
influctions and some of the vocabulary, but still revert to good 'ol 
Canuck.  I still say to-may-to rather than to-mah-to, for example, 
and use the term sidewalk rather than pavement.  My kids speak fluent 
West Country, of course, though once in a while I catch them using 
Canadian vocab or cliches.

But when I first moved here I had grave problems understanding anyone 
from anywhere in the British Isles.  The Scots, Irish, English, and 
Welsh people I knew back in Toronto had had their accents "softened", 
but these accents in the raw threw me.  Part of the problem was that 
they all understood *me*, probably thanks to American TV programs, 
and it never entered their minds that I didn't know what the hell 
they were saying.  It was several months before I could easily 
understand the locals.  Funny thing is, I have no problems with any 
British accents now, whereas many Brits have problems understanding 
Brits from other parts with different accents and dialects.  Strange.

And yes, I still get pretty riled up when I'm called an American :)  
It's nothing against Americans...it's just a Canadian thing.  And if 
a local *really* wants to ruin my day, they'll tell me that Canada 
and the US are pretty much the same country anyway.  Hmmm...

Cheers!

Mary Ann :)