If I stay in london for a while will I be able to pick up the british accent?

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No name.

Yeah, you are likely to pick it within a year or so. Some people pick it up easier than others. Younger people pick it up quicker than older people.

But remember that there's no such thing as a British accent, as well as an English accent. You will find that out if you come here. Everyone in different cities sound different.
Liverpool - Scouse
Newcastle - Geordie
Birmingham - Brummie
East London - Cockney

Well, even people in the same city would sound different. Such as Cockney, its an accent in east London, and people in west london sound different.

Yaz

I doubt you'll pick up a accent, however your speech probably will change.
You'll learn to speak slower and more clearly, and you'll become more polite, especially if you have a definitive accent anyway. You unconsciously learn to do these things so that others can understand you better.
And through making friends you'll learn different lingo and phrases.

London is a cosmopolitan city, filled with many different and diverse cultures. You will get some people who "pick up" a English accent after a week and some who'll have lived there decades and still talk like their own nationality.

Funny thing is - No matter where your from and how much your voice changes you'll find you go back to whatever accent your born and bred with as soon as you speak to someone from "home"

misscelticfc

Why would you want to change your accent though

Its part of what makes us who we are

twinkles

How long is that " a while"?

I have been living at London for almost 4 years. I have 6.5 for my IELTS test recently on speaking, which means between Good user and Very Good user. My boss and other british people at work still complain that despite I understand them well, my accent is still too strong. Oh, btw, I have the highest point for reading (9) which means Expert, so I do believe I read your question correctly, dear Sir. Hehe.

You know what, forget the idea of staying for a while at London to pick up British accent, because:
- You can't last a day here without hearing non-english conversation on the road
- London is very expensive, living here only to pick up accent is not the most economical option

To pick up accent you probably only need to buy british movies DVD. I would go for the complete series of Hercules Poirot, Famous Five, Bugsy Malone, Shallow Grave, etc, etc. Much cheaper and effective.

cluckincom

O course me old china, 2 mins down the frog on yer plates, whistle on, and bobs yer uncle yer thrupennies will swell too,

fried green crack baby

If you're a native English speaker then maybe

James M

I laugh when I read 'the British accent.' There are so many accents in the UK. If you stay in London you will become familiar with the local accents but your own accent should not change.

livingdedgrl18

ask madonna. lol!

Ken B

No such thing as a "British" accent.

ella,UK

you will be lucky, there are foreigners a plenty there

edit: don't know why i got thumbs down for this because what i said is true.I have lived in London off and on for years and you would be amazed at the amount of foreigners that work in the hotels, restaurants,pubs, on the buses at the tube stations,in the coffee shops etc..

Zipperhead

Yep...it's an unconscious thing.... I did in Kentucky, and Australia, and even a lil pidgeon when I was in Japan.

Fake E

No because I come from Lithuania (north east europe) and lived in the UK for about 4 years and still people know that I'm not from UK.

Mozart

I don't see why not - if you want to!

Claire Williams

Most probably not, You'd have to live here for years to pick it up,

If your American some of our words are completely different to yours in terms of meaning.

You'd have to submerge yourself in the British culture and British people for a long time, however most tourists head for London and London is very multicultural. Sometimes its hard to pick up a British accent at all.

Ian

I stayed there for two weeks and I wasn't affected. But if you stay in London for a couple of months, it might be different.

The D Man 2008

Depends which part of london, some you may even pick up an indian accent hehe

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