Speaking correctly

Neyite

OP, someone who knows more than me about lingusitics will be able to explain more, but at that age, there are some things that a toddler says that they naturally grow out of: lisping, saying lello instead of yellow, tree instead of three, that sort of thing. So maybe give it a bit of time on that front.

Down the line, things like elocution or drama lessons might hone an accent a bit. I'm not sure that you can really choose a different accent for your children though, I see it all the time in my neighbourhood - little Polish, African, Indian or Pakinstan kids speaking in the local accent when speaking English. A friend of mine and her husband are Chinese, and their kids have a very strong local accent.

But I do think that at 3.5 its a little young to be worrying, their speech is still developing.

anncoates

Shouldn't laugh but I keep thinking of Hyacinth Bucket when I read this thread. :pac:

nc19

idnkph wrote:

.......OP just because its how you were brought up doesn't mean its best for your child. But trying to change the way they speak is complete snobbery. I'm afraid your child will grow up with your values and worries. Now that is something you should be worrying about.

I disagree. I think it is best and as it my child ill make that decision.

My values? I value a well spoken child, why is that something to be worried about?

nc19

MrWalsh wrote:

It wont, but it might have an impact on future employment prospects.

This is one of my concerns

nc19

Ashbx wrote:

But having a "working class" accent doesn't make the slightest bit of difference who your daughter is or will grow up to be!

Never said it did?

Orion

nc19 wrote: »

I disagree. I think it is best and as it my child ill make that decision.

My values? I value a well spoken child, why is that something to be worried about?

Personally I value well behaved, well mannered, healthy children more than well spoken ones.

eviltwin

anncoates wrote: »

Shouldn't laugh but I keep thinking of Hyacinth Bucket when I read this thread. :pac:

Bouquet dear, bouquet!!

nc19

Ashbx wrote:

..... I should also add in here that my mum is a speech therapist and never felt the need to make me talk "correctly"!

Convenient much......

pmasterson95

anncoates wrote: »

Shouldn't laugh but I keep thinking of Hyacinth Bucket when I read this thread. :pac:

Its pronounced Bouquet

Orion

idnkph wrote: »

Still all stinks of snobbery I'm afraid.

That's now twice you've said snobbery. Less of the name calling please.

MrWalsh

eviltwin wrote: »

She's 3! Her accent may change many times between now and when she's ready to get a job. At that age she should be allowed just be a kid without the issue of how she speaks being raised. You can't really teach someone to speak with a particular accent anyway can you?

I dont disagree and personally I wouldnt be worried about it, Im simply relaying something that I know happened in a workplace of mine - I thought it was extremely bad form personally, but thems the breaks. Unfortunately preconceptions towards certain accents exist.

eviltwin

nc19 wrote: »

Never said it did?

Just be careful you don't push your prejudice onto her. You say you grew up in a nice area, well this is her area and she should be allowed feel proud of where she is from and the people she knows from there. Don't forget if you stay and she goes to school there that she will be friends with people from this area. Don't let her feel there is something wrong with that.

pmasterson95

eviltwin wrote: »

Bouquet dear, bouquet!!

Damn you.

nc19

Ashbx wrote:

......But by immediately insulting people with comments like " Some people won't see it as an issue but I suspect these people probably speak like this too"....you will not get a good reaction.....Nor do you deserve a good reaction by being so insulting.

If someone feels insulted by this then they must believe it. It's hard to be insulted by something you don't believe.

I'm fat. If someone says to me that all fat people are smelly I won't be insulted because I don't believe it!

Ashbx

nc19 wrote: »

This is one of my concerns

That may have happened in their workplace but I am a legal executive and a receptionist....I talk to clients from 9-5 every single day! This has NEVER affected me getting a job! We have foreign people here, people with country accents, people with northern irish accents, people with strong Dublin accents and people with posh accents. That company was obviously run by pretentious d*ckheads.

What other concerns do you have? You never expressed this concern in your original post. What else would a strong accent stop your daughter from doing exactly?

nc19

anncoates wrote:

Shouldn't laugh but I keep thinking of Hyacinth Bucket when I read this thread.

My idol!!!! Lol

anncoates

nc19 wrote: »

My values? I value a well spoken child, why is that something to be worried about?

I was brought up in a very working class area and don't really have a very strong accent to this day. It's just a flat enough, quite neutral accent.

My parents, like others have said, were strict about speaking 'correctly' and politely but they weren't exactly drumming it into me that I had to speak like I was from a 'better' background then I was either.

Basically, it's hard to tell if you simply wish to mask your child's background as opposed to making sure she speaks intelligently (for want of a better word): clearly, not coarsely; politely and with a good vocabulary.

Ashbx

nc19 wrote: »

Convenient much......

Im not being "convenient". Im telling you my situation whether you think its being convenient or not. She has been working with the HSE for over 35 years and is based in Dublin 14.

Happy to give you her details if you would like to try make an appointment. PM me if you want them.

To think I actually felt bad for the way people were jumping down your neck about this!

Ashbx

MrWalsh wrote: »

It wont, but it might have an impact on future employment prospects.

Its happened in a place I worked, 2 people went for a particular role, not a customer facing role, an internal role where 99% of the time the only communication they would have would be with other staff.

One applicant had stellar qualifications and a "common" accent.
One applicant had less stellar qualifications and a "posh" accent.

They offered the job to the second person because the management are snobs basically.

That's awful isn't it! You'd wonder what difference does it make? I don't really see an issue having a Dublin accent and interacting with the clients. We (well I am anyway) are in Dublin after all so I do expect to hear Dublin accents!

Miaireland

I wouldn't be too worried to be honest if your child is speaking correctly and with good vocabulary, grammer etc.

My Aunt and Uncle had a similar problem where their daughter spoke very similar to one of the ladies working in her creche However she was copying her poor grammer and mispronounced many words. They enrolled her in Speech and Drama and it is not an issue anymore.

ElleEm

nc19 wrote: »

This is one of my concerns

Your daughter is three. The liklihood of her speaking the same way in her job hunting years is absurd! She has probably only speaking a year or two. She is still learning. Her accent will change lots of times before adulthood.
By all means, correct her when she uses the wrong word (tree instead of three) but don't fixate on it. It could turn into a power struggle and she may rebel against it. At 32, my father still pulls me up when I don't prounounce my t's properly!

And sounding very Dublin has not held me back professionally!

pwurple

nc19 wrote: »

This is one of my concerns

It passes.

Their accent is very fluid at that stage, and they can't pronounce a lot of words. My 3 year old could have passed for someone from liverpool at some stage she was so guttural.

Now, she has (I think!) a fairly neutral accent, rather than being identifiably Cork. But it's about vocabulary plus accent. For example, when people ask her to do something and she's in the middle of a jigsaw, she will say "Just a moment please", rather than "I will in a minute, like".

nc19

Orion wrote:

Personally I value well behaved, well mannered, healthy children more than well spoken ones.

In my experience, having spent a lot of the last near 4 yrs around young kids of all backgrounds, well behaved and well mannered usually can be found with well spoken.

This is my personal experience having frequented play centres in Celbridge, blanchardstown, Lucan, terenure and dundrum.

If this offends anyone I don't know what to say....

pmasterson95

Or could try homeschooling to prevent her being corrupted by the locals. If she only hears your voice she cant get any bad habits from the more common folk.

nc19

eviltwin wrote:

Just be careful you don't push your prejudice onto her. You say you grew up in a nice area, well this is her area and she should be allowed feel proud of where she is from and the people she knows from there. Don't forget if you stay and she goes to school there that she will be friends with people from this area. Don't let her feel there is something wrong with that.

Fair point

eviltwin

nc19 wrote: »

In my experience, having spent a lot of the last near 4 yrs around young kids of all backgrounds, well behaved and well mannered usually can be found with well spoken.

This is my personal experience having frequented play centres in Celbridge, blanchardstown, Lucan, terenure and dundrum.

If this offends anyone I don't know what to say....

You really need to take your blinkers off. I thought your issue was your child's mispronunciation but its really just your own issues with people based on how they sound. Its interesting you are happy to leave your child in the care of women you obviously don't think very highly of just because of how they speak.

frozenfrozen

It's a 3 year old picking up a lazy improper accent. She's not trying to hoist her up into an ivory tower to shove a silver spoon up her arse, it's just a case of wanting to teach her correct diction

MrWalsh

Ashbx wrote: »

That's awful isn't it! You'd wonder what difference does it make? I don't really see an issue having a Dublin accent and interacting with the clients. We (well I am anyway) are in Dublin after all so I do expect to hear Dublin accents!

Yeah, it was the owner of the company who had final say so it really told me anything I needed to know about him. Tbh I knew anyway because the way staff were generally treated there was rubbish, no matter how well spoken they were.

nc19

Ashbx wrote:

What other concerns do you have? You never expressed this concern in your original post. What else would a strong accent stop your daughter from doing exactly?

You can get down from your high horse there right now young lady!!!

I never said it would stop her doing anything.

Having a strong accent can affect you if you are travelling though. It won't stop you from travelling but it may affect you. When I was in OZ the really heavy Irish accents were misheard all the time. Not just Dublin accents, kerry accents and donegal accents were particularly hard for the natives to understand. Having to repeat yourself constantly while on holiday is a bit of a downer.

I know plenty of mainland Europeans with a better grasp of the English language and how to speak it than people who have grown up here.

nc19

anncoates wrote:

Basically, it's hard to tell if you simply wish to mask your child's background as opposed to making sure she speaks intelligently (for want of a better word): clearly, not coarsely; politely and with a good vocabulary.

Let me clear that up so, it's the latter.