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Multicultural families

Here's where to share your experience of raising a child or growing up in a multicultural family.

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Original poster

Should I be worried about our daughter’s accent in English?

14 replies

LatinaMadre · 17/09/2025 06:26

My native language is Spanish and my husband’s native language is Portuguese. At home we speak Spanish and Portuguese and English is spoken in the community. We live in the United States.

Our daughter, who is 13 years old, learned Spanish from me and Portuguese from her dad, and she also learned English at school since she was born and raised in the United States. Despite this, she is more fluent in Spanish and Portuguese than English (although she is fluent in all 3) and she has a thick accent in English but sounds like a native Spanish or Portuguese speaker. She has a mix of Spanish-speaking, Portuguese-speaking and English-speaking friends too.

Usually English would dominate. Does anyone know what is happening?

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BusWankers · 17/09/2025 06:27

She prefers to speak the way she does.
She's tri lingual, which is incredible

whattheysay · 17/09/2025 06:40

How old was she when she learned to speak English?
If her first language is Spanish or Portuguese (or both) it could be that when she learned English she spoke and pronounced words as a native Spanish/Portuguese person would. If you or your husband have accents that could also influence how she pronounced English words and style of speaking.
It Is a little more usual for children to adopt the accent of their peers if they go to school etc but not always.
She’s amazing to speak 3 languages fluently.

Original poster

LatinaMadre · 17/09/2025 08:09

whattheysay · 17/09/2025 06:40

She learned English when she started first grade at age 6. She learned Spanish and Portuguese since birth.

We do have thick accents but that should not affect our daughter’s accent in English because we speak zero English at home.

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purpleme12 · 17/09/2025 08:11

Does it matter?

It's ace that she speaks all those languages

indoorplantqueen · 17/09/2025 08:34

Why does it matter. The speech sounds in Spanish and Portuguese are different from English so they will have been well established by age 6. Her accent may change as she gets older or she may get better at adapting according to the language she’s speaking.

TizerorFizz · 17/09/2025 08:37

Well she’s not speaking English 100% of the time or from birth so it’s having an effect. Not surprising really.

Radiatorvalves · 17/09/2025 08:38

Are you worried about how she will be perceived (given the current atmosphere in the US, and ICE?)

It shouldn’t be a consideration, but if that is the case, maybe consider drama or elocution lessons? Congrats to you and her on being trilingual. That’s just fabulous!

Sconcing · 17/09/2025 08:40

It’s interesting that she doesn’t speak English like her peers, though, if she’s hearing US English spoken almost all the time outside the home. I see you note that she has a mix of friends from Anglo and Hispanic backgrounds — what languages do they tend to speak together?

Tunacheesequesadilla · 17/09/2025 08:41

I imagine her accent will become less pronounced as she gets older and spends more time with friends and going out independently. I wouldn't worry about it. It's amazing that she's trilingual, you should be very proud.

MissScarletInTheBallroom · 17/09/2025 08:42

Does it bother her?

Mrsmunchofmunchington · 17/09/2025 08:44

As long as people can understand her then I can’t see it’s a problem?
Or are you just curious?

I generally love an accent of any sort. The only exception being when on the phone to customer services about a complex issue and I struggle to follow what is being said but even then it is the inflexion rather than the accent which is the problem for me.

I met a lovely lady last week who moved here from Spain twenty years ago and she had a very strong spanish accent which was gorgeous to hear.

SorryNotSorry00 · 14/01/2026 20:00

I really don’t think it’s anything to worry about. As others have said, her accent in English will become less pronounced as she gets older. If you are worried about it then maybe expose her to (age appropriate) tv or films in English, this should help.

MrsTerryPratchett · 14/01/2026 20:27

Sconcing · 17/09/2025 08:40

This. Unless the English she's hearing day to day is accented, this is very unusual. Typically children use the 'local' accent. My DD was raised in a different country than I was and her accent changed from mine to local very quickly.

APatternGrammar · 14/01/2026 20:53

I wonder whether her peers at school generally or her friends in particular speak English with an accent? My children are trilingual and since the age of 7/8 they’ve had identifiable native accents in all three languages despite being exposed to a lot of non-native speakers in all three languages. How does she feel about it? She could probably fix it with a little training if she wanted that.

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