British/American accent?

[AC Question]

I am an American with an Anglo Scottish heritage. (If you idn't know what Anglo Scottish was, ... its British from Scottish descents). My dad doesn't have an accent, but my grandfather was 100% Anglo Scottish with an accent. I have a slight British accent and I wanted to know why. My sister doesn't have one, only I do. I get annoyed by the fact that's it's a mix of British and American. I've tried training myself to a full American accent but nothing works. I can easily do a british accent. Should I convert to british or try american? Or stay the way it is? People at my school make fun of me for it, so I need help, and I want to know why I have this accent.


ps.
I've lived in america my whole life.

 

[belodion]

Welcome to Android Central.

That's very interesting. Most people can't affect accents very well. You may have a hidden dramatic genius. I'm British myself, and could therefore easily tell the astonishing accuracy of Jodie Foster's very correct, clipped British accent in one of her films. Marlon Brando did a good one too, as a naval officer. Johnny Depp did a good one in a Jack-the-Ripper film, though a bit too cor-blimey for the police officer role he was playing.

My advice to you is to follow your own star, and to speak in the way that you want to, rather than in the way that others want you to. Also, those others probably don't really have the slightest interest in how you speak....they are ribbing you as tends to happen in school.

Why you have the ability to speak with a variable accent I don't know, given your all-American upbringing, but in your position I'd cultivate that ability rather than repress it.

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[anon8380037]

I moved to London from Ireland in 1987. I tried not to sound too Irish. It worked for a time, (though most people asked what part of the States I was from). Some Irish living in England for 30 years or more never lost their Irish accent, others did. (I think it's partly to down many not trying).


I happened to be driving a professor of some sort in the 90's.
According to him, and it made sense to me at the time, some people (like myself) have greater pitch perception in the ear. I was into stereo equipment then and could tell if a recording was not playing correctly.

So it's something in the brain that lets some people start to adapt their tone to those around them. That really doesn't solve the your conundrum unless you are around both accents.


Some actors even recently have impressed with their accent change, but whether that's down to training and repetition or an inherent ability I don't know,

- - except in the case of **** ( < Richard then !) Van **** in "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" and "Mary Poppins"
(but that's for the much older among us ).

 

[Golfdriver97]

To quote from Star Trek TNG: 'If we are going to be damned, let's be damned for who we really are.' Same thing applies to you. Or, better yet, you could make the accent even more pronounced, and start using British words that few in America would understand the context of.

Otherwise, I would ignore them. Who cares what they think?

 

[belodion]

Yes. I am confident that no-one in these forums cares what these school persons think, whereas it has been a pleasure to meet you.
If ever you get an Android device, join as a member....you'll be welcome.

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