Talk like an American

Being white American doesn't often mean I'm in the minority, but teaching at British school in Kenya definitely puts me in that category. I guess my students are starting to notice that I'm a bit different than the other white teachers because of some recent student experiences...

During practice for our Years 3 and 4 play production, one of my Indian girls is supposed to have a British cockney accent. As the child said her lines, my British co-worker exclaimed, "That sounds like a weird American cockney something. Mrs. Porter!"

On a writing assessment the children were required to write about this question: Why would you want to travel to Antarctica? One child's response, "So I can have an accent like Mrs. Porter."

I've definitely become aware of my American accent strewn with a few new British words and phrases. Add the Southern influence from my husband and in-laws, and I'm just a talking mess! But it sure does make for some laughs.