Weekly Wishes/1


My friend Melyssa from the Nectar Collective has started a link up for Weekly Wishes.  I have been watching the past few weeks, wanting to take part, and have decided if I must post twice on a Monday to do so than I shall. If you know me than you know I like to seek the positive and the good.  What better way then to start the week off with that mindset and goals for the week.  Hence 'Weekly Wishes'. 

This week I am tapping into my theatre background in the hopes to get back into it.  It is something I have wanted to do once my kids were both 'school aged' and now that they are six and eight it seems about time.  To be honest I am a bit anxious to start again when I have not done much if anything in the last ten years since practically growing up in community theaters and majoring in it at Uni.  I am reading a play this week, working on memorization of lines, and beginning character development. It is my goal to work diligently on this every day this week.  Which leads me into my major wish for the week.

Dropping my accent.  Since our first week here I have felt very self conscious about my american accent.  Slowly over the last two years of our expat life in England I have started to say certain words with the local accent and have picked up english phrases and vocabulary.  Yet still I board the bus and dread asking for the fare when my american accent is so prominent.  If I am in restaurant and something is not right, I will not speak up because I fear the connotation that will go along with my accent.  It sounds silly.  But when you have moved so much and been forced in such different cultures and countries, assimilating to your surroundings in something my soul yearns to do.  I do not want to stick out.  The assumption that I am just here on holiday or having to explain that I am really not from anywhere to people I meet in town is constant. My kids accents are already changing so fast and my husband, an American, is changing faster than me due to going to work in town.  

So with my motivation to get back into the theatre my wish is to really work hard on softening my American accent and adopting a neutral English accent. Luckily I have a pretty amazing blogger friend, Amanda, who has been giving me tips and guidance and plenty of resources online to help me this week.  I know it will be a long process not to be complete in just a week but its a start.  With every great goal an action must take place to make a change. 




Q: What are your Weekly Wishes? Have you linked up?



11 comments:

  1. Good luck with working on your accent! I have an American friend who lived in England for 5-6 years, and she worked at a call center and needed to develop a British accent in order to be understood. Now she's back in the states and retains the British accent, which is so confusing when she meets new people. They ask where she's from (Wisconsin), and they're like, but you have a British accent! I don't know where I'm going with this- I'm sleepy. Anyway, best of luck to you- I'm sure that theater background will help immensely!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I actually relate to a lot of what you said here. I've always found acting really appealing, but I've never had a chance to pursue it. When I was in college (the first time I tried college, in a dorm) there was a theater group I signed up for, and it made me hyperaware of *my* own speech issue: I talk super fast. I always have and I've always known it, but I've never felt like I could change it short of going to a speech therapist, and I've really dragged it behind me for a long time. I feel like I've made some peace with it while I wasn't looking, now, because I'm not quite as self-conscious anymore. But yeah.

    I think it's really cool that you feel you can change your accent and that you're going for it. Personally, I'd stick with the American accent - there's nothing wrong with standing out and on a personal level, I'm just more comfortable using an American accent than an English one, and I'm going to sound off either way because I'm Spanish. But I totally support your decision - I think any decision that will lead to someone feeling more comfortable in their life is a fantastic one - and I wish you the best of luck with it!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Whoa! This is possibly the most drastic Weekly Wishes post I have seen! But honestly, I TOTALLY understand where your coming from. To be honest, whenever I was in other places, I would emphasize my Canadian identity in order for others not to attach the negative connotations of Americans to myself. Its unfortunate that this happens so much because one should not feel at all ashamed of something such as their accent. But we both know it's MORE than JUST an accent; it's loaded with presuppositions. In fact, I'm really looking into living in Australia one day and would LOVE to pick up the Aussie accent when I'm there. But as for you, I hope you find your endeavor to be a successful one, Bonnie! :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. I feel the same way with my American accent abroad! Glad to hear someone else feels this way!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Wow, break a leg with getting back into theatre! It's such a beautiful outlet to have... and I think it'll end up being really fulfilling! I know I used to be a part of an improv troupe and haven't been for a couple of years and I've missed having that type of creative expression in my life!

    As for the accent, wow, good luck! I definitely can get the whole wanting to blend in sort of thing. I felt like my "awful" French accent kept me from really connecting with people and maybe it was more in my mind, but... yes, sometimes you don't want to be the special snowflake, especially if you are LIVING somewhere and not just visiting. Also, I am HORRIBLE with accents, haha! My Irish accent sounds the same as my Indian one, if that gives you any sort of indication... ;) I'm sure you'll fare much better than me!

    --Erika
    http://www.chimerikal.com

    ReplyDelete
  6. Just remember it's a marathon not a sprint. It'll happen before you even realize it! xx

    ReplyDelete
  7. I love how you want to get back into theater. I am sure it is going to help you with 'dropping' your accent. But I wouldn't be too worried about your accent, I can understand it might make you a little more self-conscious while going out, but at the same time it makes you you.
    Good luck!

    xxSusanne

    ReplyDelete
  8. I am pretty self conscious of my Canadian accent since moving here as well so I can relate. I would love to "soften" my accent and bring in a bit of the english accent ~ so pretty. I am hoping that it will somehow just organically happen and one day I will wake up and not get funny looks every time I open my mouth to speak. I completely "get it" and wish you all the best with your wish. Cheers! xx

    ReplyDelete
  9. I'm so glad you decided to join the link-up this week! :) It's such a fun to take part in! Accents are very interesting and peculiar things... I'm German, but speak English with a North American accent, because I spent a year in Canada during High School and this is were I became fluent. Had I stayed in England, I would probably speak British English and if I had never left Germany, I would sound totally German.

    My point is this - it's not something we're born with, but something totally man-made and that's why I'm sure that you'll be able to drop at least some of your American accent if you so desire. :) I think it's mainly about conversing as much with people as possible and then paying a bit attention to one's words. :) Good luck!

    xx
    Melanie

    ReplyDelete
  10. I cannot remember exactly how long you have been back in England but I have been in Sweden for two years and my accent is naturally changing, not to a Swede talking in English one but more of a Canadian one for some reason! I think it is just my hard vowels softening but after working in England back in 2008 I have one phrase that just stayed with a British accent which is "would you like to leave a message" because it was just easier than in my American one!

    ReplyDelete
  11. My accent has become pretty neutral but no matter what it still sticks out in France. I've been here for almost four years, I don't want to stick out. I understand your wish completely :)

    ReplyDelete

I love to interact with my readers and I try my best to respond back to all comments.

Cheers,
Bonnie Rose

Disqus for A Compass Rose

Linked Within

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...