Would you seek a speech evaluation if folks kept asking your DC if they were British?

[Pegasus]

DD14 and DD11 were both born and raised in East Tennessee. They've been asked many times by folks who have just met them if they were British because of the way they talk. I usually just laugh it off but it is happening more often recently. Just today, after overhearing my DDs chattering in a near-by restaurant booth, a woman gushed "Where are you from? I just love their accents." Ummm. . .we're from here. I did ask where she would have guessed we were from but she said she had no idea but repeated that she loved their accent.

 

So, if folks continued to think your DC were from another country, would you seek a speech evaluation?

 

Pegasus

[Janie Grace]

Probably. Sorry -- I'm sure it's not a huge deal, but I'd at least ask the pediatrician's input.

[ChristusG]

I probably wouldn't. Now I'm curious to what words they say with a British accent though. :D

[Carol in Cal.]

Naaaah, not if they are supposedly from Britain...I'd just chalk it up to too much PBS/BBC.

 

Now if they were thought to be from Sweden, I'd go for an evaluation, LOL!

[Mom in High Heels]

No. I can't see that it's really that big of a deal. If they're pronouncing their words clearly and can be understood, what's it matter?

When Indy was little everyone thought he was British. Of course it could be because we were living in Germany and the only children's television we had was Brisith. Even now though, he says things that have a slight accent to them. It doesn't bother me or him.

[homebody2k]

My 12 year old daughter has been asked if she is british - she not - she's southern thru and thru. With her is is obviously an "r" combination thing.

 

a good example is that for and fur sound very similar when she says it.

 

 

 

And she requested speech therapy - so she started about 3 months ago

 

- making progress.

[regentrude]

No.

Sounds like they speak well, without slang, and are able to articulate clearly.

[sparrow]

No, I probably wouldn't. I'm curious what they sound like! Do you think it's a lack of regional accent? Perhaps people expect a southern drawl and speaking without one equates British?

[Kate CA]

No, not at all. I would think it was fun!

[Shellydon]

Yes. That generally means they can't say the /r/ sound.

[beaners]

I've heard before that Southern and British accents are actually similar linguistically.

[Ester Maria]

No, if they are differentiating all the individual sounds and are capable of blending them properly, and it is only an accent / intonation issue, there is no need for an evaluation.

 

I would personally be pleased if my children spoke with British accents. :tongue_smilie: It can be very aesthetically pleasing, if you ask me.

[Chris in VA]

Yes. That generally means they can't say the /r/ sound.

 

:iagree:

My dad was raised in England--I didn't pronounce R very well as a child and they chalked it up to his influence AND an articulation problem. Had speech at school for two years and was fine after that.

 

I'd get it checked out if you notice any missing or mispronounced sounds.

[Plucky]

Yes. That generally means they can't say the /r/ sound.

 

I agree.

[JessReplanted]

Yes. That generally means they can't say the /r/ sound.

 

:iagree:

[Julie in CA]

I would.

[Laura Corin]

Do you think they have a weak 'r'? That often sounds British. Hobbes' Scottish speech therapist commented that if he had been Scottish she would have worked on his 'r', but as his accent is English it's within the normal range.

 

Laura

[stephanier.1765]

For years my youngest (now 15) has been asked if he was British. Everyone assumes he was adopted. He did go to speech therapy from the time he was 2 until he was 10. When he was released from therapy his therapist said he was up to him now. I guess he's okay sounding British.

 

He doesn't sound British to me though. :confused:

[Shellydon]

 

He doesn't sound British to me though. :confused:

 

 

That is because you are accustomed to his speech and don't hear the errors any longer.

[Jennifer in MI]

My oldest two get asked that all the time! My oldest had trouble with his rs for a while, but I think it's corrected now. I always thought it was because they spoke clearly and enunciated their words well.

 

I think it's fun!!

[stephanier.1765]

That is because you are accustomed to his speech and don't hear the errors any longer.

 

I hear the errors but they don't sound like a British accent to me. They just sound wrong. Maybe if I didn't know he has a speech difficulty I would assume it was an accent over a speech impediment. It's funny to see the looks on people's faces though when I tell him he's not British...sheer shock. They truly don't believe me.

[AvasMom]

No.

Sounds like they speak well, without slang, and are able to articulate clearly.

 

That would be my thought too. In some areas, speaking properly sounds odd because the majority doesn't.

[Shellydon]

I hear the errors but they don't sound like a British accent to me. They just sound wrong. Maybe if I didn't know he has a speech difficulty I would assume it was an accent over a speech impediment. It's funny to see the looks on people's faces though when I tell him he's not British...sheer shock. They truly don't believe me.

 

 

AAAhhh got it. It is probably because they assume that a teen can't have a speech problem and therefore he must have an accent. All in all, it is probably an ok assumption :)

[LizzyBee]

DD14 and DD11 were both born and raised in East Tennessee. They've been asked many times by folks who have just met them if they were British because of the way they talk. I usually just laugh it off but it is happening more often recently. Just today, after overhearing my DDs chattering in a near-by restaurant booth, a woman gushed "Where are you from? I just love their accents." Ummm. . .we're from here. I did ask where she would have guessed we were from but she said she had no idea but repeated that she loved their accent.

 

So, if folks continued to think your DC were from another country, would you seek a speech evaluation?

 

Pegasus

 

I wouldn't. I grew up in the Appalachians and I've also been asked if I have a British background. It's a dialect, not a speech impediment.

[gingersmom]

Yes/No.

 

At their ages unless they are extremely interested in changing their speech it is going to be extremely difficult to remediate.

[gardening momma]

Are you still in east Tennessee? If you are, and it's the people there that think they sound British, even after they're told they're not, then I would consider speech. If their /r/ is so far off that it doesn't sound like the same /r/ of the community where they were born and raised, then I'd consider that to be a problem.

[Aquinas Academy]

Unless your kids want to cange, I wouldn't bother. Tenneesee may be different, but around here everyone loves my British accent.

[Parrothead]

I've heard before that Southern and British accents are actually similar linguistically.

I'm sitting here listening to people on TV from south Africa and they sound so very southern US at times. It is like a weird combo of British and southeast US. I did actually think that the African influence must contribute to the southern drawl.

[Tap]

Yes, I would get an evaluation.

 

I had a Texan accent when I moved to Oregon as a teen in high school. I got teased A LOT due to it. I finally dropped the accent after a few years, but still have a few words like Y'all that I slip up on (I still get teased about that one. IF I am around someone with an accent very long, I slip right back into it without realizing it LOL.)

 

I was teased so much, but at least it was a legit accent. I think it would have been even worse if people thought I had an accent that I really didn't and just had a speech issue.

 

I would get them accessed at least and see if it is a habit or a biological problem. If they can say all of the correct sounds but are choosing not to, that is one thing. If they can't say them....that would be different, and I would start therapy.

[HollyDay]

have you considered a hearing evaluation?

[Kimberly in IN]

My youngest ds has this issue also, is always asked about his British accent. He has lived in northern IN, southern IN & now upstate NY. /r/ does not seem to be a problem though, have asked others, outside of family if that is a problem & no one has said that is it.

 

He did have a major hearing problem until 3.5 when we found a dr. that actually listened to me. (long story) Surgery & then speech therapy followed but he was released/completed (whatever correct term is) from therapy. Basically, my son didn't hear from sometime as a baby until he had the surgery at 3 1/2.

 

But, now the British accent thing ... am :bigear: on the responses.

[VA6336]

Do your children sound like the people they spend the most time with? My kids are "Southern" due to birth and having lived here their entire lives, but they sound like me, their very Yankee mama. If they had gone to school, they would have picked up a Southern accent from their peers and teacher, easily. In fact, my eldest spent time in a PDO and came home drawling like her teacher. It was cute, but we corrected it. :D

 

So, OP, if your children sound like whoever they spend the most time with, then I wouldn't worry about it. If they sound different, then yes, I'd probably go for an evaluation. As long as they are enunciating clearly and it doesn't bother you or them, I might not actually do anything about it. Just good to know what it is.

[Scrub Jay]

As a Speech Therapist, I would only recommend it if it is impacting their communication and/or bothering them. Otherwise, I don't see the purpose.

[Ellie]

I would get them assessed at least and see if it is a habit or a biological problem. If they can say all of the correct sounds but are choosing not to, that is one thing. If they can't say them....that would be different, and I would start therapy.

:iagree:

[Spy Car]

I can't tell you how many times I've been asked if I'm from England. Not because I have an English accent (I don't). Nor do I have a speech defect. I think when one enunciates and/or has a working vocabulary of more than 200 words, one is suspect :D

 

Bill

Edited June 18, 2011 by Spy Car

[Tangerine]

Well this is very odd! I'm another who has been asked if my son has spent time in England because of the way he talks.

[Farrar]

Someone explained to me once that the southern, Appalachian accent has a lot in kin with the British one, actually, though I forget all the connections. I think if you accompanied that accent with proper pronunciation and a good vocabulary it might sound foreign to untrained ears.

 

I can't decide if that says more about our positive stereotypes of the British or our negative ones of the Appalachians.:glare:

 

Or it could be the r thing, like others suggested.

[nmoira]

 

I can't tell you how many times I've been asked if I'm from England. Not because I have an English accent (I don't). Nor do I have a speech defect. I think when one enunciates and/or has a working vocabulary of moe than 200 words, one is suspect :D

This. My kids get asked once or twice a month, usually after saying "shall" or "shan't."

[Ailaena]

I can't tell you how many times I've been asked if I'm from England. Not because I have an English accent (I don't). Nor do I have a speech defect. I think when one enunciates and/or has a working vocabulary of moe than 200 words, one is suspect :D

 

Bill

 

 

I hate to sound pompous, but I definitely agree with this. DD used to get this constantly when she was younger, and I chalked it up to speech issues, even after therapy ended. I always thought it was because she spoke slightly slower and more... Idk, cautious? Recently, through, we bothhave been getting it, and although I'm sure its possible that I could have picked up her awkward accent, it's not very probable.

 

And the recent comments have specifically either been asking if we are originally from England, or how long we lived there. Really quite amusing:D

[LaxMom]

I can't tell you how many times I've been asked if I'm from England. Not because I have an English accent (I don't). Nor do I have a speech defect. I think when one enunciates and/or has a working vocabulary of moe than 200 words, one is suspect :D

 

Bill

 

I've found the same to be true. I have no accent and it tends to throw people into thinking I have some sort of very strong one. Leads to all sorts of interesting inquiries.

[Spy Car]

I hate to sound pompous, but I definitely agree with this.

 

Now wait a minute, are you saying what I think you're saying? :tongue_smilie:

 

Bill

[JenC3]

Who are all these people who imagine they are hearing British accents? I mean do the even know what one sounds like? I live in the SE yet I have a very heavy northern accent. I'm constantly assumed to be from Chicago. When I was in England they thought I was Canadian since I didn't have a southern accent!

 

Yes, Bill is right.

[Pegasus]

Wow! I really appreciate all the varied responses. To answer a few questions and to clarify, we are still in East Tennessee and it is usually local folks who comment on the "British" accent. Both DDs were in speech therapy when they were around 3/4 and completed their treatment plan. Their hearing has always been found to be excellent.

 

I've been trying to listen very carefully and they sure seem to be saying /r/. Of course, as someone commented, it can be hard for a parent to hear a problem as they are so used to their child's speech patterns. The only word that I can really tell that sounds "off" is when DD14 says "bird." It sounds almost like "bored" but not quite. So, I'm not denying that there could be some leftover speech issues.

 

I am also sometimes told that they sound "like adults" so I think that does lend credence to a wider vocabulary. Perhaps it is a combination of things.

 

I found the comments about similarities between accents very interesting. I met a woman from South Africa the last time I was in Disney World and I immediately guessed that she was British from her accent. She corrected me but she sure sounded British to me!

 

Pegasus

[yucabird]

Many Americans are terrible with accents. I am from Alabama, but on countless occasions I have been asked if I am British (even before I met my husband, who is). In the small town in Florida where we briefly lived, we used to frequent a restaurant. One day the owner pulled me aside and shyly asked, “Your husband--he seems like a nice guy--but is he German?

 

In contrast, I was around one day when my husband was introduced to another Englishman; both could identify the other’s university...by accents!

 

It sounds as if your children have a pleasing manner of speech; I wouldn’t be concerned.

[cathmom]

My twins, who are 5.5, are currently in speech therapy. We took them to get their hair cut Friday and the hairdressers asked me if they had accents. I was pleased that they understood so much of what my twins were saying! So I guess I can look forward to this question in the future from what you all are saying LOL!

[nd293]

No. I would assume their speak is clearer than the average speech in the area - unless people are thinking Cockney instead of Queen's English when they say that! Dd got comments about her "accent" a lot when she was younger. I always told people it was because we lived in an expat community, but honestly, I think it had more to do with the fact that her favourite TV programme was British. She is 10yrs old now, and the mother of one of her friends says she loves it when dd comes to stay, as her kids start speaking more clearly! In other words, dd just speaks more distinctly than average, which, depending on where in the world we were, was interpreted as "accent".

[Jean in Newcastle]

Yes and I did. Dd9 was constantly asked if she was British - she has trouble with her r's and lisps. I assume it is the r's that made her sound British.

[Lacie]

I have some people comment on the way my boys speak. Mainly on the larger words that they use. But for some reason I have not figured out yet, both the boys use the word what quite a bit.

 

 

"See the toy what is over there." instead of "See the toy that is over there."

Any ideas on where that comes from?

 

I say that if your children can communicate well then they don't need speech therapy. Only you know how their speech affects them on a daily basis.

[Desert Rat]

I've got an 8yo with a cute little accent....unlike the rest of our family. He says bag, rag, etc. with a little cockney and has softer r sounds. No, I've not had him evaluated. I figure people raised in Boston or New Jersey don't have an issue with slight variances in speech. As long as he's understood I'm fine with his little accent.

[JeneralMom]

I can't tell you how many times I've been asked if I'm from England. Not because I have an English accent (I don't). Nor do I have a speech defect. I think when one enunciates and/or has a working vocabulary of more than 200 words, one is suspect :D

 

Bill

 

 

I have to admit when I moved from Montreal to Kansas, I was constantly made fun of for my accent (English Montrealer with a British mum) and the words I used. I was called uppity and pompous and superior (although this is I secretly took as a compliment). I got so sick of being asked where I was from and why I spoke with a "weird" accent that I intentionally dulled my accent and made it neutral. Apparently it comes back out in force when I talk to a Brit, a Canadian or when I am sick.