Comments on: When to Use a Fake British Accent (like Madonna)

By: Karen Sullivan

Karen Sullivan — Tue, 12 Apr 2016 14:20:32 +0000

I am a British Expat living in Canada – I found the term bathroom confusing when I moved here, as to me a bathroom contains a bath ;). I also rarely asked for the toilet when I lived back home, especially in a pub it was always the “ladies” or the “gents” you might find that more comfortable. PS it’s bollocks not bullocks. Like you I’ve struggled here and I am determined even after almost 10 years not to change the way I pronounce some words, in spite of being corrected on many occasions lol. Fun read, cheers!

By: Megan Dyson

Megan Dyson — Wed, 09 Mar 2016 11:48:32 +0000

Totally know where you’re coming from! I’m Louisiana native living in Leeds, aka the frozen nawth! I haven’t consciously tried to adopt a British accent, but I have had to adapt my vocabulary just to be understood as you say, especially in an academic context (period=full stop, parentheses=brackets, etc.) and food shopping (cilantro=coriander, green onion=spring onion etc.). I occasionally say PRO-cess and the like without thinking but that’s just because I’m around British people all the time so it rubs off.

By: Sunny London

Sunny London — Fri, 08 Jan 2016 18:27:41 +0000

In reply to Kirsty Marrins. A glass of arse? HAHAHAHA! That is pretty hysterical! Thank you for reading and agreeing. These posts are always a bit dangerous because you're not always sure if people will share your perspective, or worse, be offended. Where did you live prior to the UK?

By: Sunny London

Sunny London — Fri, 08 Jan 2016 18:25:22 +0000

In reply to Emily.

Awwwww. Emily that was both funny and heart-breaking. I’m sure expat readers will absolutely relate to your words. While it seems phony to consciously use words that aren’t part of our natural vocabulary, through time it becomes a necessity. Although, sometimes I saw ‘banaaaana’ with a particularly heavy New York accent just to ‘wind up’ my British friends. I haven’t ventured in to tomahhhhhhto yet. 🙂

By: Sunny London

Sunny London — Fri, 08 Jan 2016 18:20:21 +0000

In reply to Diane Oui In France. Bonjour Diane! It must be very hard living as an expat in a non-native language. I'm lucky I only have to struggle with occasionally saying some words with a British accent. Glad we agree it's about speaking to be understood. Oui? ;-)

By: Kirsty Marrins

Kirsty Marrins — Fri, 08 Jan 2016 12:20:35 +0000

I loved this post! I moved over to the UK 12 years ago and like you, had to learn the lingo (I never say pants anymore, it’s trousers – that one’s important). I quickly dropped my ‘ja’ for ‘yeah’ but I remember once asking for ice at a pub and having a blank stare. After asking numerous times to ‘I’m sorry, I don’t understand’, eventually I said ‘blocks of frozen water!’. Oh ICE. Um yeah… (apparently with my accent it sounded like ARSE.)

By: Emily

Emily — Fri, 08 Jan 2016 09:57:06 +0000

I know *exactly* what you mean with this! I’ve never lived in the UK, but I lived in New Zealand for three years, where they speak more British-y English than American (also, I hung out with a lot of English people there). I got made fun of constantly no matter what I said, but I still found myself rapidly changing to adapt to how everyone talked around me. I even started saying “tomahto.”

I still use “toilet” and “veg” and loads of other words, even though I live in the Netherlands now. I also use loads of British spellings. I don’t even know who I am anymore, really.

By: Diane Oui In France

Diane Oui In France — Fri, 08 Jan 2016 09:22:09 +0000

Cool post and loved the tie-in to Madonna! As a native speaker in English, I can do my best to imitate a Brit and try to mimic certain sounds to be understood. Just one thing though about the accent in a non-native language though — you mentioned Spanish and French. Since French is my second language, it’s not so simple to “put on” an accent. If that were the case, foreigners wouldn’t be so easily identified. Even if I try really hard, there’s no way I can repeat a sentence exactly like my French husband. As long as I’m understood, that’s enough for me and so far so good. 😉