Foreign Accent Syndrome

[Russ]

http://acer.yahoo.com/s/987162

This is weird. Appearently, in rare cases, your brain will make you start talking in completely different accents. I find it quite interesting. Discuss.

[aces2022]

I don't know about you, but when I get around someone with a strong accent, I pick it up so strong that it sounds like I'm making fun of them and I have to catch myself or they get mad.

[Icey]

Heh, I know people who do that, aces - it's totally unintentional, but the non-native speaker obviously finds it irritating.

Yeah, I looked this up. Apparently there are a few theories as to why this happens. I think the main common element is that some part of the language center of the brain gets messed up and it gets harder to pronounce certain things in your own accent, so you find it easier to just speak in a different accent normally (where your new speech impediment doesn't matter).

Personally, I think it's total bs. I am willing to wager this is a psychological phenomenon or even simply an act - the sample size is so small (what, 50 people over a century?) and it's kind of ridiculous so I'm pretty skeptical.

[ShadowTiger]

Some people think I have an Israeli or British accent. (One or the other - It seems random...) and I can never tell for the life of me. I have an okay british accent, but I only have an Israeli accent while speaking Hebrew. (It sounds French when I try the accent in English.)

I pretty much have to speak in accents most of the time to get what I need to say across though. (Throat-closing Speech impediment hit me pretty hard. Accents really help.) I find that the accent-mockery factor is offset by the usage of correct manners and social skills. :shrug:

[Chris Miller]

I get it completely. Mostly, I have your typical Texan accent -- slow, drawn out.
Sometimes, I find myself speaking with an Irish accent. Left over from my dad's side?

[Revfan9]

I assume the reported cases are just an extreme form of a simple psychological phenomenon. When you're around people speaking with an accent for a while, your ears and your brain "Tune In" in order to understand it more easily. When you leave the "accented environment", it can take a few moments for your brain to re-adjust to the old pronunciation. This personally happens to me a lot when I'm watching subtitled anime...

I also do a really good British accent, and I'll use it for no reason at random just to piss people off.

[Sam Atoms]

This is actually parodied in "Freddy the Cowboy," one of the books in the Freddy the Pig series. Near the end, Freddy the Pig is in a department store, running from a crazed cowboy, and asks a salesperson for a quick exit.

Freddy: "Take me to your back stairs!"
Salesperson: "Well, I don't know what you mean, I'm shaw!"
Freddy: "Well, I'm shaw you do, miss. I'm shaw you know whaw the back staws aw."

The salesperson is not amused, needless to say.