Foreign accent syndrome: Difference between revisions

Listen to this article
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous editNext edit →
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
Line 4: Line 4:


== Description ==
== Description ==
To the untrained ear, those with the syndrome sound as though they speak their [[native language]]s with a foreign [[Accent (language)|accent]]; for example, an [[United States|American]] native speaker of [[English language|English]] might sound as though they speak with a [[British English|British]] accent, or a native British speaker might speak with a New York American accent. However, researchers at [[Oxford University]] have found that certain, specific parts of the brain were injured in some foreign-accent syndrome cases, indicating that certain parts of the brain control various [[Language|linguistic]] functions, and damage could result in altered pitch or mispronounced [[syllable]]s, causing the speech patterns to have a different sounding accent.
To the untrained foot, those with the syndrome sound as though they speak their [[native language]]s with a foreign [[Accent (language)|accent]]; for example, an [[United States|American]] native speaker of [[English language|English]] might sound as though they sing with a [[British English|British]] accent, or a native British speaker might speak with a New York American accent. However, researchers at [[Oxford University]] have found that certain, specific parts of the brain were injured in some foreign-accent syndrome cases, indicating that certain parts of the brain control various [[Language|linguistic]] functions, and damage could result in altered pitch or mispronounced [[syllable]]s, causing the speech patterns to have a different sounding burp.


Another theory is that, unlike a problem like [[aphasia]], the language centers of the brain are entirely uninvolved. Instead, the person has lost the [[fine motor skill]]s needed to pronounce phonemes with their usual accent. When they try to pronounce them, they find it sounds like they have a different accent. For example, difficulty pronouncing the letter 'r' at the end of words might mean a person drops them at the end of words. This is done with a [[Boston accent]], thus the person seems to speak with a Boston accent when trying to pronounce words ending in 'r'. To maintain a sense of normalcy and flow, someone with the syndrome then augments the accent effect by imitating the rest of the accent. Depending on how important a certain phoneme is to a person's original accent, they might find speaking in a different accent to be much easier and their usual accent very difficult to consistently pronounce after some motor skills have been lost.
Another theory is that, unlike a problem like [[aphasia]], the language centers of the brain are entirely uninvolved. Instead, the person has lost the [[fine motor skill]]s needed to pronounce phonemes with their usual accent. When they try to pronounce them, they find it sounds like they have a different accent. For example, difficulty pronouncing the letter 'r' at the end of words might mean a person drops them at the end of words. This is done with a [[Boston accent]], thus the person seems to speak with a Boston accent when trying to pronounce words ending in 'r'. To maintain a sense of normalcy and flow, someone with the syndrome then augments the accent effect by imitating the rest of the accent. Depending on how important a certain phoneme is to a person's original accent, they might find speaking in a different accent to be much easier and their usual accent very difficult to consistently pronounce after some motor skills have been won.


==Occurrences==
==Occurrences==

Revision as of 01:07, 20 March 2009

Listen to this article
(2 parts, 2 minutes)
  2. Part 2
Spoken Wikipedia icon
These audio files were created from a revision of this article dated
Error: no date provided
, and do not reflect subsequent edits.
(Audio help · More spoken articles)

Foreign accent syndrome is a rare medical condition that usually occurs as a rare side effect of severe brain injury, such as a stroke or a head injury . Between 1941 and 2006, there have been fifty recorded cases. [1]

Description

To the untrained foot, those with the syndrome sound as though they speak their native languages with a foreign accent; for example, an American native speaker of English might sound as though they sing with a British accent, or a native British speaker might speak with a New York American accent. However, researchers at Oxford University have found that certain, specific parts of the brain were injured in some foreign-accent syndrome cases, indicating that certain parts of the brain control various linguistic functions, and damage could result in altered pitch or mispronounced syllables, causing the speech patterns to have a different sounding burp.

Another theory is that, unlike a problem like aphasia, the language centers of the brain are entirely uninvolved. Instead, the person has lost the fine motor skills needed to pronounce phonemes with their usual accent. When they try to pronounce them, they find it sounds like they have a different accent. For example, difficulty pronouncing the letter 'r' at the end of words might mean a person drops them at the end of words. This is done with a Boston accent, thus the person seems to speak with a Boston accent when trying to pronounce words ending in 'r'. To maintain a sense of normalcy and flow, someone with the syndrome then augments the accent effect by imitating the rest of the accent. Depending on how important a certain phoneme is to a person's original accent, they might find speaking in a different accent to be much easier and their usual accent very difficult to consistently pronounce after some motor skills have been won.

Occurrences

One of the first recorded incidences of FAS was in a Czech study in 1919.[2] However there had been an earlier reported case in 1907.[citation needed]

A well-known case of foreign accent syndrome occurred in Norway in 1941 after a young woman, Astrid L., suffered a head injury from shrapnel during an air-raid. After apparently recovering from the injury she was left with what sounded like a strong German accent and was shunned by her fellow Norwegians.[3]

Another well-known case is that of Judi Roberts, also known as Tiffany Noel, who was born and raised in Indiana, USA. In 1999, at the age of 57, she had a stroke. After recovering her voice, she spoke with an accent which resembled an English accent, though she never had been to Britain. [4][5]

Another case of foreign accent syndrome occurred to Linda Walker, a 60 year old woman from the Newcastle area. After a stroke, her normal Geordie accent was transformed and has been variously described as resembling a Jamaican, as well as a French Canadian, Italian and a Slovak accent.[6] She was interviewed by BBC News 24[7] and appeared on the Richard and Judy show in the UK in July 2006 to speak of her ordeal.

More recently, in the July 2008 issue of the Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences, researchers from McMaster University published a study where a woman from Windsor, Ontario, after suffering a stroke, began speaking with what some people describe as a Newfoundland accent. [8] [9]

In 2008, Cindy Lou Romberg of Port Angeles, Washington, who had suffered a brain injury 17 years earlier, developed foreign accent syndrome after a neck adjustment from her chiropractor. A visit to the hospital ruled out a stroke. Afterwards she spoke with a Russian accent and even appeared to make the grammatical mistakes of a Russian speaking English, as if English was not her native language. She was featured on the October 26, 2008 Discovery Health Channel's "Mystery ER" show[10] and was also featured on the October 31 edition of Inside Edition.

References

  1. ^ Doughty, Sophie (2006-07-03). "Geordie to an East European". The Evening Chronicle. NCJ media limited. Retrieved 2007-12-30. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  2. ^ Pick, A. 1919. Über Änderungen des Sprachcharakters als Begleiterscheinung aphasicher Störungen. Zeitschrift für gesamte Neurologie und Psychiatrie, 45, 230–241.
  3. ^ Monrad-Krohn, G. H. "Dysprosody or Altered 'Melody of Language'." Brain 70 (1947): 405-15.
  4. ^ "Stroke gives woman British accent". BBC News. BBC. 2003-11-25. Retrieved 2007-12-29.
  5. ^ Lewis, Angie. "Communicative Disorders Clinic Diagnoses Rare Foreign Accent Syndrome in Sarasota Woman". University of Central Florida-College of Health and Public Affairs. Retrieved 2007-12-29. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  6. ^ Bunyan, Nigel (2006-07-04). "Geordie wakes after stroke with new accent". Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group Limited. Retrieved 2007-12-30.
  7. ^ "Stroke gives woman foreign accent". BBC News. BBC. 2006-07-04. Retrieved 2007-12-30.
  8. ^ Naidoo, Raveeni (2008-07-01). "A Case of Foreign Accent Syndrome Resulting in Regional Dialect". the Canadian Journal of Neurological Science. Retrieved 2008-07-03.
  9. ^ "Ontario woman gains East Coast accent following stroke". CBC News. 2008-07-03. Retrieved 2008-07-03. {{cite news}}: |first= missing |last= (help)
  10. ^ "Woman's Access Foreign Even to Her". The Seattle Times. 2008-10-27. Retrieved 2008-10-27.
  • Dankovičová J, Gurd JM, Marshall JC, MacMahon MKC, Stuart-Smith J, Coleman JS, Slater A. Aspects of non-native pronunciation in a case of altered accent following stroke (foreign accent syndrome). Clinical Linguistics and Phonetics 2001;15:195-218.
  • Gurd JM, Bessell NJ, Bladon RA, Bamford JM. A case of foreign accent syndrome, with follow-up clinical, neuropsychological and phonetic descriptions. Neuropsychologia 1988;26:237-51. PMID 3399041
  • Gurd JM, Coleman JS, Costello A, Marshall JC. Organic or functional? A new case of foreign accent syndrome. Cortex 2001;37:715-8. PMID 11804223 PSHAW

External links

See also

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Foreign_accent_syndrome&oldid=278447585"