To worry about DCs picking up very strong regional accent?

[honourinoneeye]

DH has been looking for a job near his elderly father for a while, and secured one last month. The in-laws live in an area that is pretty much synonymous with deprivation and poverty - their home and immediate area (street, estate) is lovely but the area as a whole is pretty dire.

I have been concerned about the effects living somewhere like this may have on children but one thing in particular I'm a bit worried about is the accent. It's very, very thick - even "well spoken" people have what I and most others would consider to be a broad accent.

At any rate, this week we have been in a premier inn to buy a house and find schools and get things sorted for September. My twins will be going into year 2 and their teacher 'mocked' my dd's accent - not nastily, but nonetheless it was there. I also noticed the TA spoke with a strong accent with numerous grammatical errors - "you was staying in a hotel?" complete with dropped 'h's'

I was a teacher pre DC and have worked in some very deprived schools but such an accent would undoubtedly hold people back, I really can't explain how strong it is! I don't mean I'm judging people for it (I do for the bad grammar) but just the same, I can't pretend I'd be happy about my children picking up such a thick accent and I do feel it would be detrimental to their future.

So - any ways around this?

I'm making no bloody sense am ?

• I ?

EVERYONE modifies their accent depending on who they're talking to. Most of it's subconscious, but we all do it, no matter how much you think you don't. It's called accommodation. Sociolinguistics is a fascinating field of study, for anyone who's interested!

And there's no such thing as a 'neutral' accent. RP is only perceived as neutral in the southern half of England.

It's sad you've acquired such prejudicial attitudes re accents,but this may cause you to reflect
My accent is evidently Scottish,it's not been a hindrance
Good luck with your move.a regional accent is different to an undistinguishable accent

Maxine peake
Kirsty young
John SIMM
Dougray Scott
Idris elba
... All have accents all sound great to me

And I grew up in a socio- economically deprived area in a scheme
No I don't have a unpleasant accent
Neutral accent usually denotes se England bbc, rp

Honour I am also a non Wiganer married to a returner. For the first 10 years we lived in the centre of Wigan, where to be honest we frequently came across people with the same pig ignorant parochial attitude as the teacher you encountered.

We now live in a naice village on the outskirts of Wigan (think Standish, Appley Bridge, Parbold) about 20 minutes from the centre by car but a million miles away in reality. It is lovely here. My big regret is that we didn't move here in the first place. Seriously OP, rethink your school and your house choice.

With regards to accent, my kids have lovely soft Lancashire accents, my DH has a posh northern accent (and he is originally from the roughest bit of Wigan but went to university etc). I think accents are the least of your worries though when faced with attitudes like that teacher's.

I only say neutral since I don't know what to call it tbh. It's not southern I don't say barrth. So vague Northern then ?

My mother went out of her way to make sure my db, ds and I didn't grow up with the regional accent she really hated the way people talked where we grew up as she was Irish

I like 'vague northern'
I think that's what mine is too!

Stop panicking. It will be fine. I might try for a different school, however.

Kids adapt quickly and will use slightly different accents at school and home. They will probably keep your accent but slightly modified.

Just so you don't think it's only northerners taking the piss out of 'poshos', I am from Merseyside and have spent 16 years down south and still regularly get mocked for the way I say 'cup' or 'glass' or whatever. It does grate and I don't like it but it's mostly meant in a 'banter' kind of way. I've been told by friends that I don't have a particular regional accent (ie you can't easily tell which part of the North I'm from) - I just have the Northern vowel sounds etc.

The town I'm from is made up of a mix of people with Liverpool accents, and those with nondescript Northern/posher accents. When I was about 15 I used to put on a bit of a scouse accent. It wasn't real, it was to fit in with a certain group of friends and faded when I was 17 and went to sixth form in yet another town. My cousins from the middle of actual Liverpool have always said my family 'sound posh'. Nowadays I get told I sound southern, despite the fact I get all the banter at work for being northern! Sometimes you just can't win.

I'm just saying all this to point out accents are everywhere, but it's perfectly possible to live somewhere and avoid a strong accent if the parents speak differently. It's also perfectly possible to find good employment regardless of an accent! If your child aspire to be doctors/lawyers/whatever chances are they'll naturally develop a milder accent as they go through education anyway (just happens, I think).

Oh my Lord, haven't read all the posts because I can't get over my frustration and frankly fucking anger at the OP, what a jumped up SNOB!! and no, I'm not from Wigan, but am a PROUD Scouser!

Where are you originally from? Somewhere that doesn't have an 'accent' and therefore full of mutes?! FFS, get over yourself you silly woman!

Not everyone modifies their accent.

I certainly don't. Why on Earth would I?

I am a northerner married to a southerner and our children were born in the south. All of us speak very nicely, naturally.

All accents are lovely. I enjoy listening to some more than others as I enjoy the differences but that doesn't mean I am prejudiced against someone from a none northern city.

You do modify your accent. It's a fact. There are numerous studies. All people subconsciously modify the way they speak, depending on who they're speaking to. I have a Masters and unsubmitted PhD in this stuff.

Agree the teachers attitude and the TAs grammar are probably a bigger problem than the accent.

However am accent can be a hinderance and if your DCs grow up with a strong accent especially one with dropped h's it may negatively affect them. I'd try and make sure they know how to speak 'properly' so correct them on dropped h's and any 'we was doing painting' crap and maybe get them involved in speach and drama?

I was born to southern parents in a northern city. Went to a private school and had speach and drama lessons. Got teased by the neighbour kids for having a 'posh' accent.

Now I'm down south I apparently have a northern accent. Can't win!

You do modify your accent. It's a fact.

I def do! But not on purpose. Sometimes I'll realise and think 'wtf, where did that come from?'

My toddler's accent is a mess atm but it's so fascinating how they learn. I'm not particularly bothered. Dh is polish and I'm welsh. Half his grandparents are from laaandaaaan so he says howw for hall and boww for ball. It's cute. But when he says 'come on' it's in thick Swanners clear as day. It will change as he grows and meets different people. And when/if he goes to uni he'll get the 'mate I'm a shtoodent' accent anyway probably.

I'm from the south west but have lived in london for 20 years.
My two DC are starting to drop their T's so I do correct them. I'm also aware that they will pick up some kind of london accent.
I am too scared to say what I think about some accents on him as I will be flamed!

I love listening to local accents, even in the west midlands there are big differences from North Birmingham to South and with the Black Country to the East. I think it's great.

My DS2 attends a very multi-cultural school and I hear him speak with an asian twang now and then, it really makes me smile!

Ffs, is it not about a person as opposed to an accent?! The prejudice on this thread is truly shocking

I had to Google 'Wigan accent' on YouTube because I had no idea what it sounded like and I have to say in my opinion, it's one of the better accents.

Do you mean dialect OP? I can understand you not wanting your children to pick up the local dialect and use slang but the accent itself is really rather nice.

I think there is still a prejudice against regional accents in some quarters and certainly in some professions but this is slowly becoming less entrenched as the 'old guard' step down and younger people take their place.

Thegreylady "I aff fut go fut buzz" Where is this accent from?

Reminds me of the accent in Stoke where people say "A gain go up Hanley Duck." Meaning, "I am going to go up to Hanley Duck."

Ladyfoxglove That's classic Wigan Variation being: 'I haffut goh fut buzz.' ('I have to go for the bus', as opposed to 'I've got to go for the bus')

Beg pardon - 'I goffut goh fut buzz.' Got the wrong variation