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?

[PolyesterBride]

I think sweeping statements like "the Liverpool accent is dreadful" are ridiculous too. In lots of places like Liverpool or wherever the stereotypical accent is used by some or hammed up by teenagers but many people speak a much softer version that even southerners might find acceptable.

[drudgetrudy]

Those accusing OP of being a snob try following a professional career with a very strong Wigan/Bolton accent for many years then post again.
Try "talking posh" in a Wigan comprehensive.
It should NOT matter-but it does.

[frames]

See past this and focus on the positives of moving. Accents encouraged a sense of regional way of life and it is that has something to do with why we have such regional variety, and identity. In places this is associated with poverty, but accent is not a marker of that. There are posh bits of Wigan, Bolton and Liverpool. As as non discript southerner, Lancastrians have been good to me.

[LoxleyBarrett]

My GP and financial advisor both have a very strong local accents druge - it doesn't seem to have held them back. Grammar is far more important than accent and that can be taught at home.

[Birdsgottafly]

""Where are you moving? Liverpool?""

I was about to point out that the OPs description "The in-laws live in an area that is pretty much synonymous with deprivation and poverty ", doesn't describe Liverpool (yes I'm in/from Liverpool).

But then I read the full thread and see we are dealing with Wigan, which along with ST Helens, people from Liverpool take the piss out of.

The only decent about Wigan was it's Pier (joking).

It would be a fear of mine, it's bad enough when my DDs friends leave to live in Manchester and pick up the accent.

My DD's (adults) range from neutral to broad, thick Scouse, depending on whose company they are in, I agree that you can insist on good grammar and it will be available to use when needed.

I'm very good at dropping my accent and sounding intelligent, when I want to, but enjoy channelling my inner Scouse when angry.

[RoganJosh]

If you look at the 'nicer' boys of Wigan the accent will be a bit less strong. I'd imagine you'd want to live there anyway.

[VioletBrogues]

OP I know you are finding the negative remarks difficult to take but you surely must have known that you were going to offend quite a lot of people by your remarks.

[PolyesterBride]

Anyway if you think the area is dire, can't you live somewhere else? There must be nicer and less nice bits of Wigan and you'd still be near your folks?

[Softysoftlycatchymonkey]

op seriously - in a nice way you need to get your head out of your arse!

An accent will not stop anyone succeeding if they want to.

Once your dc go to uni, they will be around a sea of accents and I found dd1 accent changed depending who she spent the most time with.

My adult friend (30) still does it. It's bizarre !

My dd1 is a barristers Clark. She has work voice and home voice.

She grew up on a tough manchester estate (but did go to an out of the area grammar)

Are you anxious about moving and focusing on this instead.

[Birdsgottafly]

""There are posh bits of Wigan, Bolton and Liverpool.""

Can we not put Liverpool, Wigan and Bolton together, they really are completely different places.

We are a city littered with fantastic architecture, two cathedrals and a music/sport/shipping legacy etc.

Yes you can be from somewhere such as Liverpool and still be a snob.

[IamRechargingthankYou]

Dear Honour sorry for the upset, just please try not to worry about the accent side of things. I know change is hard and difficult but it can be a really informative experience - even if it's bad you know for sure of what you do like.

It happens everywhere you go (I speak from 50+ years of experience both abroad and UK) - the 'natives' treat you like the 'outsider', it's normal (I'm afraid). Please don't be frightened of it. The best bit is that everywhere you go, you will meet someone you really get on with, who you would never have met if you hadn't gone there. Also a great experience for your dc.

[LoxleyBarrett]

Now Now Birds we all know that Bolton is far superior! We have erm, erm, erm...

Let me get back to you...

[honourinoneeye]

The problem is violet, people persist in telling me about people they know with regional accents who are intelligent in good jobs, despite my saying a number of times DH is from Lancashire and sounds as if he's from Lancashire.

But there is a difference, which I would be able to make clear if I had sound on here (!) between a regional accent, and that of the one in the immediate area.

I can assure you accent was not something I had given much thought to when dealing with issues surrounding moving. It's ironic I am being told I have a problem with accents when in actual fact it's others who have a problem with ours, and no, I'm not imagining it.

Dd was offered a lollipop by her teacher and asked for "one of those please" (an orange lollipop) - the teacher smirked and repeated in a high, precise little voice "one of THOES."

In case you're wondering, I don't speak "poshly", I just don't really have an accent.

I can't explain how unpleasant it all is. I keep meaning to leave the thread, but I can't!

[FraidyCat]

Link to one of the adverts I was talking about. (I actually find the accents very mild, god knows how my mother would have coped with something actually difficult.)

[ModernUrbanSnowman]

I had primary ed in one area with a strong regional accent, secondary private ed in another different area with a strong r.a. The school was rairly rp but my local family had the accent. Same time my folks lived in a different country famous for its strong accent and I got a bit of that. Then university in a part of Scotland famous for its thick accent.
At uni, one module looked in depth at the judgements people make in the first few minutes of contact and how accent and dialect are involved with that.
I thought this country was bad (ie full of accents) until I went to Italy and found that people living ten minutes travel apart literally spoke different languages - which they call dialects.
I ended up with "no accent at all" not even rp. My accent varies massively from minute to minute as I unconsciously mimic whoever I talk to.
I have tried to stop that but without much success. I was picked out in many inventive ways for too many years to put it back now.
I would happily swap for a Wigan accent.

[Pico2]

Do you really have to move there? It sounds horrible.

I think accents do matter, it can impact how people respond to you. It is fine to believe that it shouldn't, but you really have your head in the sand if you believe it doesn't. My 3 yo noticed that a new child at nursery has a different accent. It is a big part of your identity and how you are perceived.

[Softysoftlycatchymonkey]

Dd was offered a lollipop by her teacher and asked for "one of those please" (an orange lollipop) - the teacher smirked and repeated in a high, precise little voice "one of THOES."

That's not on at all. She is mocking your dd. .

[ModernUrbanSnowman]

Damned if I know if you're being reasonable

[HmmAnOxfordComma]

I think you should find a different school, tbh. That teacher sounds horrible. I'm sure they're not all like that...

[MagicMojito]

You genuinely do not realise how you are coming across do you?!

Yabvu, pot and kettle my love...

[honourinoneeye]

Ok magic

[ApocalypseNowt]

Then that sounds like a problem with that teacher rather than accents. If the teacher had mocked your son for having long hair (for example) you wouldn't be posting "is long hair on a boy ok?", you'd be posting about how unprofessional the teacher was.

As it is you seem fixed on the accent issue which is why people think you do have a problem with it.

Also wanted to say that yes people are judged on accents but not half as much as they used to be. It's changing and for the better.

[MrsJossNaylor]

Oh god OP, you poor thing. I'd hate my DS to pick up a dreadful Lancashire accent.

Awful place. Far better this side of t'hill where we talk reight proper.

Could you not live in, say, Hebden Bridge or even Skipton and commute t'dark side from there?

Don't understand your "bucket/book-it" debate though, love. What do you say, "backit"?

(shakes head sadly)

[IamRechargingthankYou]

Honour further to my last post to you, I think HmmAn has a very good suggestion.

[drudgetrudy]

Yanb horrible, YANBU. but there are nice areas of Wigan and I am sure there are schools with teachers with a better attitude.