Say What??

A few months ago, Olivia came home from school speaking a new language. We are used to her using the occasional Spanish or Chinese word (added some French this week), but this was a surprise to us. What language was she speaking? Well, it was English, but not the way we speak it or are accustomed to hearing it. The best way to describe it, I think, is a Southern drawl with a Texas twang. Following are some examples:

• "They-at's my day-ad."
• "What's in the bay-yag?"
• "I need to take a bay-aff."
• "She's my fray-yand."
• "Cay-an I have some cay-andy? I just looove cay-andy!"
• "Hey, they-at's my chay-yer."

It seemed to primarily affect the short /a/ sound. She used her new accent for about a month and then seemed to be done with it. Well, it's bay-ack!

We don't know anyone who speaks like this. Olivia's favorite television characters don't talk like this. (But that is where she is learning most of her Spanish and all of her Chinese.) The day all this craziness started was during "H" week at preschool. They made horses (stick ponies), and their teacher had made amazing cowboy outfits for all the kids--vests, gun belts with holsters, hats. I called her to ask her if she had been teaching them to talk like cowboys. Nope.

You'd think a speech-language pathologist would have some sort of decent explanation for this. I don't. And my only experience with accent reduction was helping a professor from China. When I was in grad school. A long time ago.

I'm actually not concerned about it, and it's pretty good entertainment!

This is Olivia's super cute cousin William in his cowboy gear. I didn't get a picture of Olivia in hers. Thanks for sharing, Julie.

By far, Olivia's favorite part. She ate all of her bullets as soon as she got home.