How to learn a British accent?

[yg17]

Until you get to an aria from Tosca.

A what from who?

 

[jb60606]

Early American colonists did not have a British accent, at least not in the sense you're thinking of. At the time the prevailing British accent was actually somewhat more like an American one. We've both diverged from a common starting point.

It's funny - I was just reading about that (I love the last paragraph ):

1) The colonists broke into FOUR distinct migrations from different parts of the British Isles, and each having different "cultures" (or "folkways"), which included different dialects, not the same one. And those foundational divisions, though now modified by other events (including the migrations of NON-English speakers).

2) The dominant accents of modern British English (and esp the "Received Pronunciation") was NOT yet dominant at the time of the American colonial migrations. So Americans did not "lose" such an accent -- they never HAD it!

3) Also, MANY of the things (including accent) that distinguish the main British dialects from the American did not yet exist in colonial times (so again, Americans could not have "lost" them!). The "dropping" of final r's is a prominent example.

This is a key point many miss -- both American and British English have changed over the past four centuries, but it is especially humorous to hear a pro-British complaint about some change Americans made in the language, only to research the matter and find that Americans in this case are PRESERVING something older, while the British changed it!

 

[Jaffa Cake]

For instance wrath is pronounced "roth" (although unfortunately the American pronunciation is becoming common over here).

Depends of course which part of the country you're in. Up here, 'wrath' is 'rath' with a bit of emphasis on the 'th'.

 

[kabunaru]

Thanks mates. I actually learned an Australian accent from all of this, not any of the British ones. It's pretty hard for a non-british person to learn any british accent. Australian is easy. Thanks anyways for you help.

 

[iBlue]

Thanks mates. I actually learned an Australian accent from all of this, not any of the British ones. It's pretty hard for a non-british person to learn any british accent. Australian is easy. Thanks anyways for you help.

I'm just dying to hear this.

 

[Jaffa Cake]

I agree. This is just crying out for a sound clip to be posted.

 

[MacSA]

Northumberland is the best....

http://www.northumbriana.org.uk/
http://www.northumbriana.org.uk/langsoc/index.htm

Wu’ll dandor an mooch ayont yon galloway, an tyek note o thi blee sky blent wi thi hills, see thi spuggies, an thi neuks bedighted wi eglantine. Fornenst thi cree an abeun thi hemmel, wu’ll hev wor bait, an batten worsels, time wu watch wor bollen bellies graa tiv i muckle, yarkin size. Then wu’ll tyek wor pipe an blin heor time thi reek gaans oot, an set wor dowps amaang thi pittleybeds an forgit aboot this bale world. An gyep it thi cuddies, an thi gobby, donnart craas wi thor feckless cries an thi lowpin yows an dunchin coneys i thi grass.