Sofia wrote about something that really interests me (oh I could go on about this for ages) - accents!
Have a look here, and look at the video she posted, SO COOL!!
Most Swedish people speak American English, as that is mainly what we hear on TV. Before I moved to England I had a Swedish/American accent. It's very interesting to see old films where I speak English before I had moved to England, I sound completely different!
When I moved to England my English was pretty good, as I have always been interested in languages. But children are brutally honest, and I was constantly made fun of by my au pair children for getting things wrong.
I pronounced ketchup wrong, I said "fish and ships" instead of fish and chips, I said cell phone instead of mobile and candy rather than sweets. I think being around children is a brilliant way to learn, as they are not polite like adults. They will tell you "you sound stupid when you say that word", if you do.
So I quickly changed my American English to British English, and I didn't even realise before my friends back home heard me speak and thought I sounded funny. You are very adaptable when you are young.
The first months in England every new person I would meet would say "so where are you from, Sweden?". It really frustrated me that they could tell by my "hello" where I was from. Then I got to know Deborah, who is from Australia. (Funny how when I first met her I could not tell the difference between Australian and English.) And suddenly people started asking me if I was from Australia, or New Zeeland. I was over the moon the first time someone asked me that, finally they thought English was my first language!!
The biggest change was when I started working in telemarketing. I was on the phone all day long, just speaking speaking speaking. When I met up with Deborah who I hadn't seen in a few months the first thing she said to me was "you're English has got good!". Yey! Finally!
I would always challenge myself to see how long I could talk to someone before they asked me where I was from, and finally, after a year and a half in England no one did.
I know I was surprised sometimes though as I would get a word wrong and think "shit, now they'll realise I'm not English!", but then English people get words wrong all the time (kom ihåg det mina svenska vänner som tycker det är pinsamt att prata engelska för att ni är rädda att ni ska säga nåt fel!). It's just a confidence thing, if you get a word wrong, just ignore it and no one will notice.
Since I moved back to Sweden I have lost my touch a bit. James and I speak Swedish, as it was more important for him to learn Swedish than it was for me to maintain my English (more about his Swedish another time).
I notice when I speak English now that I sometimes struggle for words ("thingy" mainly works though), and that my accent is not as good as it was when I lived there.
It's very frustrating but not something I can do much about. We chose to live in Sweden where I don't speak English as often.
It's impossible to speak a language perfectly if you don't use it on a daily basis, and that's just something I have to accept.
Utlandssvenskar - vad pratar ni för engelska?
Du har så rätt! Jag tror mina au pair-barn rättade mig en hel del, då jag också pratade amerikans engelska när jag flyttade hit. Min engelska förbättras fortfarande, och jag säger fortfarande fel ibland - men samtidigt gör jag ju misstag när jag pratar svenska också, so what's the difference?
ReplyDeletePrecis som du hade jag också svårt för att höra skillnader mellan olika dialekter i början under det första och t.om andra året. Jag hörde skillnad på engelska och amerikanska, men inte om någon var från australien, och irländska tyckte jag bara lät som amerikanska. Men jag kan fortfarande nästan inte höra skillnad på australienska och new zealand dialekten.
As you said, I can go on for ages about this topic. Jag tycker din engelska är jättebra och förstår att det är svårt när ni endast pratar svenska hemma.
Kram!
Jag har bott i England i snart 2 år och folk hör ibland fortfarande att jag inte kommer härifrån. Det gör mig inte så mycket, ibland frågar dem om jag kommer från Sverige och ibland om jag kommer från Cornwall, konstigt nog. :S när folk får reda på att man kommer från Sverige berömmer de alltid en för att man pratar bra dock.
ReplyDeleteHåller med att barn är brutalt ärliga och när jag var au pair rättade ofta mina au pair barn mig också, trots att de bara var 3-4 år (första familjerna)!! Häromdagen ringde jag till min förra familj för att gratulera Francesca på 5årsdagen och det var pappan som svarade och jag har inte pratat med honom på nästan ett år, han sa: oj vad din engelska har förändrats! Du låter ju nästan brittisk! så det var kul att höra. :)
Visst är det fantastiskt hur ens språk bara fortsätter att utvecklas! Man finner nya nivåer hela tiden, jag tycker det är jätte intressant att gå igenom!
ReplyDelete