Do I Have An Accent?

I tend to acquire some traits of other´s accents when I speak with other (british) speakers.

Do you think californians have an accent, if so what do they sound like to you? And no our(I'm a native S.Californian) accents are not like surfers or like the people you see on tv that is a sterotype, one that I am very tired of hearing.

Southern California accents are very neutral for American English. Actually, most of California, Oregon, Washington, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and the rest of the Western states have the same accent which is the "standard American" accent.

When I have traveled to the Mid West, I have picked up their accent rather easily. When I have traveled to Britain, I began to think in a quasi Brito-American accent, but I never was able to pick up a British accent.

I think there no reason to blame people who try and change their accent. It's a personal choice.

I'm French and English has nothing to do with my identity. I learn it only because I find this language fun and beautiful.
What if I prefer the British accent to the French one when speaking in English ?

As long as I don't speak French with a British accent, I don't betray my roots !

Plus, when you learn a foreign language, everything change : the words, the grammar, the pronunciation, the spelling, the conjugation, ... everything differ from your native language !

Personaly I learn English because of these differences !

I consider learning English as similar to learning drawing : that's a different way of expressing yourself that you don't know and have to get used to. I consider all the different beautiful accents existing in the British Isles as belonging to the art of speaking English !

Of course, like in every art, no one is to limit one's creativity to the rules ! That's why people are also right when they want to keep their foreign accents.

What's important is to keep in mind is that everybody is free. When I draw, I don't mix some different ways of drawing if I don't feel they fit together.
My personal feeling is that French accent is as much suitable when speaking in english as a big warm coat when trecking in Sahara.

Maybee zerre arre Franch 'o arre prood of zeirr 'eavy Frrench axant... and I respect their choice. But I've just to listen a single sentence in any of the accent of the British Isles to be convinced I just want to learn one of them and get rid of mine.

Tout le monde est libre !

Au revoir et a bientôt !

Erratum : I meant "what's important is to keep in mind that everybody is free", of course. I put a useless "is" in the sentence.

i'm a malaysian studying in melb..and i've been here for 2 years....i find it very disturbing when other malaysian students who've been in australia less than a year trying to speak english with an australian accent...i mean i know you pick it up and all ....i used to live in melb as a kid for about 3 years...and i did pick up the accent but after going back to malaysia...i lost it within 6 months...

A lot of people tell me that I sound Brit. My dad says that it is just because I have very good diction, but I hear some Brit in my own speech. This is probably because I tried to learn the British dialect. I get teased for haveng a british accent. I should propably try to get it out, like it. Any way that would take who knows how long. So I just keep it the way it is.
Stephen

leashady, why is it disturbing to hear other Malaysian student who've been in Australia less than a year speaking english with an Australian accent? I'm a Melbournian and as a student at Melbourne university I encounter many international students, some Malaysian, who speak clear english. That this english happens to be spoken with an aussie accent seems only natural given that they are exposed to native english speakers with aussie accents. In my opinion the important issue is that the international students are learning to speak comprehensive english fluently and pronouncing words correctly. Being an international student is more that studying in a foreing country, it's also about learning the host country's social culture. For those from nonenglish speakting countries, it's a great oppertunity not only to learn or expand their english, but also to aquire an accent that they might actually desire. When these students return to their native countries, speaking english with an aussie accent might make them appear to be more acomplished and thereby help them in their career oppertunities (since english is a global language).

Cricket,

I don't think it's wrong to pick up a different accent. I agree with mostly what you've said, especially on the social culture part. But I think pronouncing words correctly is already an accomplishment. It doesn't take certain accents to show it. However, people tend to be afffected by the surroundings. I picked up an American accent unintentionally after spending years in the States.

cricket,
see there's a difference between speaking clear english and trying to speak with an accent...i mean...i've heard international students speaking clear english without an australian accent and it's fine....i don't think you need an accent to speak in english properly....but the things is..i don't understand why some ppl want an accent so badly that they fake it and you can tell that they're faking it...it's ok if it's natural n all...can u stand someone who's faking it...an accent is just something you pick up....