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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Original poster

picking up accents at school

33 replies

Sallyssss · 26/06/2010 20:25

Ok, now I am know this thread wont make me the most popular person, but I need some advice/reassurance (or a kick up the back side ;-) .

My 5 yr started a new local school in a new area (where we have moved to)and has already started picking up the accent, which to put it mildly I do not like!

Hmmm - do I accept this? Will she grow out of it? Any words of wisdom?

OP posts:

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DanJARMouse · 26/06/2010 20:27

Im having the same!

We moved from Suffolk to the Scottish Highlands, and DD1 (also 5yrs old) is picking up the accent for some words too.

Im resigned to the fact it will come naturally to her in time as she spends more time in school and with her friends.

No advice, just sympathy!

WorkInProgress · 26/06/2010 20:42

You are both mad and a bit snobby. Of course they will pick up the local accent. If you don't like it move or send them away to school. The locals are probably complaining their children are picking up a horrible southern accent from your children.
Scottish accent is lovely.

DanJARMouse · 26/06/2010 20:45

I dont say I dont like it, it is actually quite cute.... but if you hear the mix of suffolk with scottish it can grate for a while!

I would love all my kids to have wee scottish accents, its the transition that is hard!

geraldinetheluckygoat · 26/06/2010 20:48

my ds1 says quite a few words with a polish accent as a lot of his friends are polish...I think its quite nice!

LostArtofKeepingASecret · 26/06/2010 20:59

I think you are going to have to lump it.

I will never forget the day when my DD came home from pre-school singing in a pure Suffolk accent. Up 'till then she had a normal yorkshire accent. And she is getting broader and broader by the day [sigh]. Going through phonics with her is fun too with my flat vowels!

MarshaBrady · 26/06/2010 21:02

The vocab and accent at the school will have more of an impact than the one at home. It is unavoidable, unless you move.

SuziKettles · 26/06/2010 21:04

It's natural. All my cousins have English accents, of various localities, despite all having Scottish parents and some of them not moving to England until they were 7 or 8.

Some people pick up accents very easily - and I've noticed these people often have slightly different accents depending who they're talking to. Others seem to be less influenced by those around them. Nothing you can do.

It might be worth thinking about why this is a problem to you because that's how your children will talk and it'll be a lot easier if you're not mentally wincing all the time

BelleDameSansMerci · 26/06/2010 21:07

LostArt how strange... I'm from Suffolk but now live in Yorkshire. My DD has a mix of my accent (which isn't Suffolk but is v. Southern) and the Yorkshire accent she's picked up from nursery. I'm hoping she'll be bi-lingual!

purpleturtle · 26/06/2010 21:07

We moved to Liverpool a year ago, and the DC had picked up the accent by the end of the summer term. On the whole, the accent is much stronger when they are in school, and as they are coming home at the end of the school day. At weekends and in the holidays it is much less noticeable - although our extended family usually comment when we see them.

It's really important that they are able to pick these things up so quickly, to help them be assimilated into the group. Even now, my Y4 DD is told occasionally "We're playing with X today, because we've known her since pre-school", so she feels different enough as it is, without sounding like an alien all the time as well.

Clary · 26/06/2010 21:11

Well let's see, this is where you live, no?

It's probably a good thing if she talks like other people in the area. Anyway it's where she comes from. How do you want her to talk????

My DC have a derbyshire accent (eg foon (oo as in look) for fun etc) but d'you know what, it's fine. We live here. They are from here, even if I and DH are not.

LostArtofKeepingASecret · 26/06/2010 21:11

Belle I know I'm strange - not many people move to suffolk before they retire

Limpopo · 26/06/2010 21:12

Yep it's inevitable.

But surely a good thing as your children will fit in a bit more. It's difficult when your accent is different than everyone elses and people may not even understand you. This is what happened in my 1st term at uni - all my southern friends struggled to undertand my v strong northern accent. It's much softer due to having lived in lots of different places, and people tend to understand me on the whole

ZZZenAgain · 26/06/2010 21:14

ah go on now, tell us, what hideous accent is this?

They will definitely pick it up. How will she "grow out of it"? Are you envisioning moving away at some stage? If so, yes if she is a dc, she will replace it with the next local accent after some time probably.

you might well pick up this local accent yourself. Watch out!

janeite · 26/06/2010 21:16

Clary - I am from Derbyshire but I don't understand what you mean by 'foon' at all. Please elucidate!

OP - you are being a snob. We live in Birmingham, so my dds have Birmingham accents. It happens. So long as they have something intelligent to say for themselves (at least osme of the time!), does it really matter?

usualsuspect · 26/06/2010 21:17

Why would it bother you?

Limpopo · 26/06/2010 21:17

Purpleturtle I live in Liverpool too and DD can switch between scouse and lancashire (my accent) at will. I think when she goes to school the scouse will being to dominate though...

BelleDameSansMerci · 26/06/2010 21:19

LostArt but how true...

I was thinking of moving back but now have better job option up here so will stay put for a while.

Clary · 26/06/2010 21:57

Janeite, I mean that when they say "fun" (as they used to en masse at the end of Beavers (what have we had? Fun! Fun! Fun!)) instead of saying it like I do (sort of like "fan" but not really!) they say it foon with the vowel sound of look or cook.

Does that make sense? It's quite sweet really. And anyway it's how all their friends talk, even tho some of them are children of Geordies, or Scots, or whatever.

janeite · 26/06/2010 22:09

I get you! I say it to rhyme with book and look, too - I think! I certainly don't say it like 'fan' and I'm not sure I've ever heard anybody say it like that. Am trying to 'hear it' and can't...

sue52 · 26/06/2010 22:12

Children are natural mimics and will pick up whatever they hear. I suggest you buy tapes of Stephen Fry reading the Harry Potter novels to counter balance the regional accent. Seriously, if your child is enjoying school and making friends this is a non issue.

Clary · 26/06/2010 22:41

well I don't say "Fan" either but a hooray Henry might! Try saying "oh what fan!"

I actually say "fun" like "butter" but then my kids say "bootter" so that's not much of an explanation

janeite · 26/06/2010 22:46

I was talking about 'badges' a few days ago and friend thought I meant 'badgers' - must be my hard Derbyshire twang.

SpringHeeledJack · 26/06/2010 22:57

I remember my SIL slowly repeating to her dcs "trrow-zerz. trrowzerz"- she had her knickers in a twist because they kept saying "traaaahsis"

...I reckon if a place is good enough for you to live in then the accent is good enough for your dcs

[stern]

SpringHeeledJack · 26/06/2010 22:59

...and where's the OP gorn?

smugmumofboys · 26/06/2010 23:03

This is interesting as DS1, who was born in London, used to speak with quite an RP accent with long vowel sounds.

It's only this year - after 4 years of being in the northwest - that his accents changed to flat vowel sounds (just like mine).

I keep wondering why it's taken 4 years for it to change.

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