Have you ever met someone who was born in the US..

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S

Syringer

Lifer
Aug 2, 2001
19,333
3
71
yet had a foreign accent? :confused:

My friend claims he's known several people like this, but I claim it's very very very rare if not downright impossible for this to happen.

From my experience, people who come here before the age of ~10 or so generally lose their accents after a few years..that is the people I know who are in college now who moved to the US before they reached 10 speak as if they were American born.

 
CPA

CPA

Elite Member
Nov 19, 2001
30,322
4
0
I have a niece who was born in the US, but when she was four her family was shipped to England (Air Force). When she came back several years later she had a British Accent. Now, though, it's gone.
 
C

Codewiz

Diamond Member
Jan 23, 2002
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Someone born in Hawaii could very well have an accent. One of the guys I work with lived in Hawaii for his first 8 years of life and learned english as his second language.
 
K

Kibbo

Platinum Member
Jul 13, 2004
2,847
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I have a friend who's father is British, but we born here in Ontario.

When she drinks, the British accent tends to creep out. Kinda funny.
 
B

b0mbrman

Lifer
Jun 1, 2001
29,470
1
81
Bruce Lee?

[Edit] Also, I know of many US-born Asian Americans whose parents spoke to them in their native tongue initially, who have hints of an accent...

[Edit 2] Spider
 

Originally posted by: Syringer
yet had a foreign accent? :confused:

My friend claims he's known several people like this, but I claim it's very very very rare if not downright impossible for this to happen.

From my experience, people who come here before the age of ~10 or so generally lose their accents after a few years..that is the people I know who are in college now who moved to the US before they reached 10 speak as if they were American born.
Click to expand...
Are you that dense? Ever heard of missionaries and their children? Ever heard of immigrants who deliver their kids here but decide to return to their native lands? Then their children return with foreign accents as citizens of the USA? Born in the US or not, it depends upon how long you have lived in the country and at what age. During your critical age, you'll lose any foreign accents you had. But if you live in the country at an older age (maybe 10 or older) and missed an earlier experience in the country, you're likely to retain at least some, if not all, of your foreign accent.

Either your friend or you are begging the question. You're arguing about nothing, it appears.
 
N

necine

Diamond Member
Jan 25, 2005
3,631
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my ex was columbian, born in the US and spanish was her primary language. She only started learning english when she was 7. soooo... i got cursed out in spanish alot. lol.. no effin idea what she was talkin about.
 
S

Syringer

Lifer
Aug 2, 2001
19,333
3
71
Originally posted by: DearQT
Originally posted by: Syringer
yet had a foreign accent? :confused:

My friend claims he's known several people like this, but I claim it's very very very rare if not downright impossible for this to happen.

From my experience, people who come here before the age of ~10 or so generally lose their accents after a few years..that is the people I know who are in college now who moved to the US before they reached 10 speak as if they were American born.
Click to expand...
Are you that dense? Ever heard of missionaries and their children? Ever heard of immigrants who deliver their kids here but decide to return to their native lands? Then their children return with foreign accents as citizens of the USA? Born in the US or not, it depends upon how long you have lived in the country and at what age. During your critical age, you'll lose any foreign accents you had. But if you live in the country at an older age (maybe 10 or older) and missed an earlier experience in the country, you're likely to retain at least some, if not all, of your foreign accent.

Either your friend or you are begging the question. You're arguing about nothing, it appears.
Click to expand...

It was kind of implied that these kids were born in the US and stayed here their whole life..
 
J

jst0ney

Platinum Member
Feb 20, 2003
2,629
0
0
Originally posted by: b0mbrman
Bruce Lee?

[Edit] Also, I know of many US-born Asian Americans whose parents spoke to them in their native tongue initially, who have hints of an accent...

[Edit 2] Spider
Click to expand...

Bruce Lee was not born in the US.

Yes to the OP. It just depend on how much interaction they have with native accent speakers. If their parents speak with an accent it happens all the time.
 
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