Can an American learn to speak with an Australian accent...?

I have never known an American to manage the Australia accent without sounding stupid and even after many, many years of living here they still sound like Americans trying to speak with an Australian accent. I'm sure when they go back to the USA, everyone there comments on how Australian they sound, but believe me, they don't. You got it in one when you asked "Or would he just look like a poser his entire life?"! Meryl Streep is a truly great character actress and is known for her accents and ability to assume different characters. She apparently worked for months on her 'Australian' accent for her part in 'Evil Angels' and still failed dismally. Every Australian who hears it is either embarrassed for her or rolls around laughing.

I think it's hard for an american to pick-up the aussie accent... Even if you get a copy of the original MAD MAX (road warrior ) movie.... if you listen to Mel Gibson... he has a *new york Lilt* ... something I never really paid attention to for a long while.. but now it's so bloody obvious, remembering Mel only came to Au when he was 15... because his parents wanted their kids to avoid the draft.

Unfortunately even if you learned to speak with an australian accent (which particular aussie accent were you going to try for?) you'll still sound like a poser. You'll be better off learning to speak with a Kiwi accent, then you'll sound secksy and not look too much like a poser. Although, if you ended up with a Perth accent rather than a Sydney or NT accent then you can minimize the damage.

You would have a hard time of it, and although you might get close, you'll never get it exact. Aussie (and kiwi accents for that matter) accents are generally quite hard to imitate. Some people do come close, but still lack that extra something that makes it so unique. If anything, I suggest that if someone were to move to Australia, don't try to copy the accent - it'll just make people cringe and make it obvious you're trying to imitate it. Just talk the way you always have, and maybe, the longer you live there and mix with Australians, the accent might creep into your talk without you noticing it. :)

Not really. If you do try to bung it on you will just sound like a toss and nobody will take you seriously. People from China won't develop an Australian accent either. The only Chinese people I have come across that sound Australian are those who were born here. The Asian twang will always be there if that person has migrated, even if they can speak perfect english.

Why not, if the Yanks could get Flipper to talk surely an Aussie can get a lower form of Intelligence to learn how to say,,, G'day.

i was talking to my dad the other day about thisattually haha, his friend was from the USA and lived here for a while, when he went back or a holiday to see his family in america they all though he had a real strong accent, where when he was here his accent was really strong. I guess you can but its hard (;

There's nothing special with the Aussie accent - this goes for all the accents in the world: it depends entirely on your age. you pick up any accent while you're young, while some time in the early 20s the human brain gets too old to do it.

lol i have no idea, im guessing. and hoping to.....its sexayy (: