I think the phrasing is slightly more important than actual accent. Then again, my hometown is so small and boring that no one moves here unless they're air force and can't live closer to base or else have moved here to be near friends or family. No one moves in for no reason or, if they do, it's generally assumed that they have a Troubled Past and are trying to hide from it.
And a lot of people my age are actively trying to lose our accents. If you want to get a job out of state or even at the call center, you can't sound like a stereotypical redneck. My sister has a thick accent picked up from our father (a local), while my accent is nearly non-existent (picked up from my mother, who was born in Miami, moved here as a kid, and has been trying for "news anchor no-accent" ever since). Sis took a job at the call center and got a lot of grief about that accent. I only ever get "But you don't sound Southern!" from out-of-towners. It's weird.
I have a co-worker, an older gentleman, who was born and raised here, left for decades, and came back. His accent is weaker and he's more abrupt, I guess. He's sometimes a little impatient with the obligatory social niceties ("Your ma and them?"), but never rude. But then he mentions drinking pop or something and it's just so weird. Because he's local, but he isn't. (Does that make sense?)
The last three volunteers we've had were two Korean teenagers (a brother and sister) and a Chinese girl. I think all three were born in the U.S., but none of their parents were. In each case, English was their second language and none of them were born or raised in this area, but moved here as teens or pre-teens. But they picked up on the Southern phrasings and word choices, if not the accent, so it was always surprising when one of them would switch to their first language to talk to their parents or grandparents. Because they weren't locals, but they were. (Does that make sense?)
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Date: 13 Jan 2011 05:53 am (UTC)And a lot of people my age are actively trying to lose our accents. If you want to get a job out of state or even at the call center, you can't sound like a stereotypical redneck. My sister has a thick accent picked up from our father (a local), while my accent is nearly non-existent (picked up from my mother, who was born in Miami, moved here as a kid, and has been trying for "news anchor no-accent" ever since). Sis took a job at the call center and got a lot of grief about that accent. I only ever get "But you don't sound Southern!" from out-of-towners. It's weird.
I have a co-worker, an older gentleman, who was born and raised here, left for decades, and came back. His accent is weaker and he's more abrupt, I guess. He's sometimes a little impatient with the obligatory social niceties ("Your ma and them?"), but never rude. But then he mentions drinking pop or something and it's just so weird. Because he's local, but he isn't. (Does that make sense?)
The last three volunteers we've had were two Korean teenagers (a brother and sister) and a Chinese girl. I think all three were born in the U.S., but none of their parents were. In each case, English was their second language and none of them were born or raised in this area, but moved here as teens or pre-teens. But they picked up on the Southern phrasings and word choices, if not the accent, so it was always surprising when one of them would switch to their first language to talk to their parents or grandparents. Because they weren't locals, but they were. (Does that make sense?)