Posted by Luke Dolman on June 06, 2014 at 07:30:37 user LukeDolman.
In Reply to: Re: Arthur's voice posted by Peter Hyland on June 06, 2014 at 00:40:24:
I'm not so sure it can be dismissed as rubbish, Peter. You can often get a pretty accurate idea of an English person's background, where they were educated, and so on, from listening to them - even some rather subtle information if you listen closely enough. Conversely there's a tendency with the British in general to consciously (or subconsciously!) change their accent depending on where they perceive themselves to be in the social order and with whom they wish to fit in. I don't see this as being at odds with children having different accents to their parents - it simply seems to suggest a desire for social mobility, be it "up" or "down". I've certainly got the impression from the various biographies that Ransome was quite keen to identify with other social groups throughout his life, be they Bohemians, wherry men or perhaps those he imagined listened to fishing programs on the BBC!
Accents are fascinating... after nine years in the States my two children have two completely separate accents, which they use interchangeably depending on whether they're speaking to their American friends or to British people, including us. At first it sounded "put on" but they genuinely have no idea they're doing it. The differences are right down to vocabulary, phrasing, etc and we understand from our American friends, neighbours and teachers that they're indistinguishable from other children. It actually landed my son in a bit of hot water when an English supply teacher took his class. My son unconsciously began replying to questions in an English accent and the teacher thought he was taking the mickey.
Funnily enough my own English accent seems to have become more clipped and neutral since we've been here; no hint of American at all, according to relatives back home. Listening to the recording of Arthur Ransome I wonder if perhaps his years abroad did much the same for him, eradicating any lingering regional accent he might have had from his youth? I have a friend who is a linguistics prof - I will have to ask him if there's any evidence for this.