accents

I just thought of this. After you live in NZ for awhile, do you start talking like them? or do you keep your US or UK or wherever-you-came-from accent? I for one think it would be awesome to have a NZ accent. :icon_mrgreen:

That very much depends on the person. We know brits who've been here 2 years and have strong kiwi accents, and others who've been here longer and still have their strong uk accents.

It probably also depends on how much interaction you have with kiwis.. if you dont speak with them much, it's unlikely you will get the accent.

We've been here nearly a year and we haven't picked up the accent (as far as we can tell!), but talk to kiwis on a daily basis!

Some people never do, and some nationalities are different from others.

The dutch amaze me
I've spoken to people who have been here 30+ years, (the 50's immigrants) who still sound like they just come off the boat.

However english people tend to soften their accents, so you know their from overseas, but not how long they have been here.

I find myself slipping into local accents after a week or so - I can really get a mouthful of okra when I visit Oklahoma :icon_mrgreen:. I seem to understand what folks're saying better when I can make the same sounds. However, I got a little confused in NZ last time - so many "foreigners" speaking with English accents!

thanks for all the replies, everyone! I guess I'll just have to wait and find out if we pick them up. :icon_mrgreen:

Do you really want to speak newzild?
It has some aweful attributes such as rising at the end making a question out of a statement.
Not to mention having to eat fush and chups ...

heres some examples...

Milbun - Capital of Victoria
Peck - To fill a suitcase
Pissed aside - Chemical which kills insects
Pigs - For hanging out washing
Pug - Large animal with curly tail
Nin tin dough - Computer game
Munner stroney - Soup
Min - Male of the species
Mess Kara - Eye makeup
McKennock - Person who fixes cars
Mere - Mayor
Leather - Foam produced from soap
Lift - Departed
Kiri Pecker - Famous Australian businessman
Kittle crusps - Potato chips
Ken's - Cairns
Jumbo - Pet name for someone called Jim
Jungle Bills - Christmas Carol
Inner me - Enemy
Guess - Vapour
Fush - Marine creatures
Fitter cheney - Type of pasta
Ever cardeau - Avocado
Fear hear - Blonde
Ear - Mix of nitrogen and oxygen
Ear roebucks - Exercise at gym
Duffy cult - Not easy
Amejen - Visualise
Day old chuck - Very young poultry
Bug hut - Popular recording
Bun button - Been bitten by an insect
Beard - A place to sleep
Chully bin - Esky
Sucks peck - Half a dozen beers
Ear New Zealand - An extinct airline
Beers - Large savage animals found in U.S. forests
One doze - Well known computer program
Sex - One less than seven
Iggs ecktly - Precisely
Beggage chucken - Place to leave your luggage at the earport

Very good :icon_lol:

Hilarious..

I'll have the accent LONG before I get there...

If I can do something about the pasty ass complexion then I might even look like a local..

wow! that's quite a list. where did you find it?

[quote:9e453550dc="netchicken"]Do you really want to speak newzild?
It has some aweful attributes such as rising at the end making a question out of a statement. [/quote:9e453550dc]
Um, like, that's like, a trait of Valley Girl speak?