ACCENTS

During T1’s first month of Kindergarten, I had to ask the teacher to sign some educational paperwork, without which we wouldn’t be able to move to England. Her response was, “Oh! Given T1’s accent, I thought you guys had already lived there.” I was like, ‘What? Does my kid have an accent?!’ Strangely, she was not the first person to mention this.

T1 is not the kid I pegged for developing an accent. I figured it would be my sponge-brained, Peppa Pig loving, articulate T2. But only 5 days into British school, this is the conversation I overheard:

6yr: Why were you crying at school today?

3yr: I missed mom.

6yr: No, its ‘mum’. You say, ‘I missed mum’.

Every day I grill both of them on what happened at school. I usually only get answers regarding what they ate. T1: “to-MAH-toes”. T1: “It’s paaaasta Mom. Not pasta. P.A.A.A. paaaaaasta.”

He has also started raising the tone of his sentences at the end. You know how the Bri’ish do it: every sentence feels like a question.

I hear phrasing and vocabulary changes from both of them: ‘toilet’ instead of ‘bathroom’ or ‘potty’. ‘As well’ instead of ‘too’. ‘Holiday’ instead of ‘vacation’.

T2, talking about her teacher: “Ms. A have to live at her home because she is really poorly.” (Translation: Ms. A is taking a sick day.)

I suppose we’ll check-in again in 2yrs time and see how proper these American transplants can speak!