Accents

[BigColSutherland]

Now, I saw this story yesterday about the deaf woman who could hear for the first time in her life.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/amazing-moment-deaf-woman-joanne-milne-is-overwhelmed-as-she-hears-for-the-first-time-after-having-cochlear-implants-switched-on-9218755.html

Amazing stuff really.

But. here's what puzzles me. If she's never heard a sound in her life, how has she picked up a north eastern accent (she's from Gateshead)? I would have assumed accents were formed from hearing, as a child, the way our parents and friends spoke. How's Joanne picked one up?

Edit - 59 views and no one seems to know. It's a puzzler indeed!

[BillyStubbsTears]

It's an evolutionary effect. Random mutation made her voice box and mouth speak with a Geordie accent. The people like her in Gateshead who, through extraordinarily bad spoke like Boris Johnson or Michael Gove got their heeds stoved in of a Satdi neet.

[BigColSutherland]

Right, so I'll put you down as a "not sure" BST.

[StocktonRover]

Can't be certain, but as she's been deaf from birth and has spoken for the majority of her life, it would be fair to assume she has lip read from predominantly Geordie people and has mimicked their movements hence the accent.

[BigColSutherland]

Interesting thought Stockton, and probably the only plausible explanation.

[Dagenham Rover]

Just been on the radfio about this  they pick the accent by lip reading as the words are formed by the mouth in different ways by different accents  ie Bath  Barth  etc

[coventryrover]

Absolutely moved by this story..Warms the cockles and thats why i am a scientist