The women who woke up with foreign accents | 60 Minutes Australia
Summary
TLDRThe video script explores the rare and perplexing Foreign Accent Syndrome, where individuals wake up with accents from different countries despite no foreign exposure. It features three women, including Cindy Hastings from Australia, who now speaks with an Eastern European accent after suffering epileptic seizures and medication side effects. The condition has left them misunderstood and isolated, struggling to adapt to their new identities and the impact on their personal and professional lives.
Takeaways
- 😲 Foreign Accent Syndrome is a rare and perplexing medical condition where individuals wake up sounding like they are from a different country.
- 🌍 The condition affects people globally, with cases described from Australia, England, and Iran, despite the individuals having no connection to the accent's country of origin.
- 🗣️ Patients with Foreign Accent Syndrome do not consciously adopt a foreign accent; it is an involuntary change in their speech pattern.
- 🤔 The exact cause of Foreign Accent Syndrome remains a mystery to the medical community, though it is often associated with brain injuries or neurological events like migraines or seizures.
- 💊 In some cases, the syndrome has been reported as a side effect of certain medications, as experienced by Cindy Hastings after suffering epileptic seizures.
- 😢 The condition can lead to significant personal and social challenges, including the loss of employment and strained relationships due to misunderstandings about the individual's speech.
- 🏥 Diagnosis of Foreign Accent Syndrome is not straightforward, and patients often face skepticism and a lack of understanding from others, including medical professionals.
- 🧠 The syndrome is thought to involve changes in the brain's speech processing, possibly affecting the rhythm, intonation, and pronunciation, which can be perceived as a foreign accent by listeners.
- 📉 The impact of the condition can be profound, leading to feelings of isolation, frustration, and a sense of loss of identity for the affected individuals.
- 🌐 There is a small global community of Foreign Accent Syndrome sufferers who share their experiences and seek support from one another.
- 🔬 Dr. Nick Miller from Newcastle University is studying the condition, suggesting that it may not be the patients speaking with a foreign accent, but rather changes in speech that listeners perceive as foreign.
Q & A
What is Foreign Accent Syndrome?
-Foreign Accent Syndrome is a rare medical condition where a person suddenly starts to speak with an accent that is perceived as foreign, often following a brain injury or neurological event.
How many people are estimated to have Foreign Accent Syndrome worldwide?
-It is thought that there are only around 80 cases of Foreign Accent Syndrome worldwide.
What was the initial reaction of people when they first heard about Foreign Accent Syndrome?
-The initial reaction was often disbelief or confusion, with people thinking it was a joke or that the affected person was pretending to have a foreign accent.
What was the cause of Foreign Accent Syndrome in the case of Cindy Hastings?
-Cindy Hastings developed Foreign Accent Syndrome after suffering a series of severe epileptic seizures and being prescribed a new anti-convulsion medication.
How did Foreign Accent Syndrome affect Cindy Hastings' personal and professional life?
-The condition led to Cindy no longer being able to run her career development agency and experiencing difficulties in maintaining some long-term friendships.
What was the impact of Foreign Accent Syndrome on Sarah Colville's speech?
-Sarah Colville's speech was affected to the point where she sounded like she was from Shanghai, which was a significant change from her original accent.
What was the initial cause of Foreign Accent Syndrome in Sarah Colville's case?
-Sarah Colville's Foreign Accent Syndrome was triggered by a severe migraine that was close to a stroke.
How did people in Ke Russell's local community react to her new accent?
-People in her community often asked about her accent and where she was from, and some locals even accepted her as a French person rather than an Englishwoman.
What is the general perception of Foreign Accent Syndrome among those who are not familiar with the condition?
-The general perception among those unfamiliar with the condition is that the affected person might be pretending, acting, or seeking attention, rather than understanding it as a genuine medical condition.
What challenges do people with Foreign Accent Syndrome face in their daily lives?
-They face challenges such as being misunderstood, treated as if they are less intelligent, and experiencing social isolation due to the change in their speech.
What are the emotional impacts of Foreign Accent Syndrome on the affected individuals?
-The emotional impacts include feelings of frustration, loneliness, and a sense of loss for their original identity and the way they used to communicate.
Outlines
🗣️ Foreign Accent Syndrome: A Baffling Condition
This paragraph introduces the rare and perplexing condition known as foreign accent syndrome, where individuals wake up with accents from entirely different countries despite having no connection to those regions. It details the experiences of three women who developed foreign accents overnight, leaving the medical community stumped. Cindy Hastings, an Australian, now speaks with an Eastern European accent; Sarah Colville from England now has a Chinese accent; and another English woman, K Russell, sounds French. The condition has profound effects on their personal and professional lives, causing confusion and sometimes alienation from their communities.
😔 Life Altering Impact of Foreign Accent Syndrome
The second paragraph delves into the significant impact foreign accent syndrome has had on the lives of those affected. Cindy, who previously ran a career development agency, can no longer work due to her accent. Her social life has also been affected, with long-term friendships suffering as a result of her new speech pattern. Sara Colville, who joined the 'foreign accent syndrome club' two years prior, lost her job as an IT specialist after a severe migraine triggered her condition. The paragraph also explores the challenges of being misunderstood and misperceived by others due to the condition, leading to feelings of isolation and frustration.
🌐 The Global Struggle with Foreign Accent Syndrome
The final paragraph of the script highlights the global nature of foreign accent syndrome and the unique challenges faced by those who suffer from it. It discusses the case of Kay, a former sales representative for a British paint company, who now speaks with a French accent following a migraine. The paragraph emphasizes the difficulty of adjusting to the new way people perceive and interact with them, often treating them as if they are foreign or less intelligent. It also touches on the emotional toll and the sense of loss experienced by individuals who can no longer engage in their previous professional roles or enjoy aspects of their lives as they once did.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Foreign Accent Syndrome
💡Accent
💡Epileptic Seizures
💡Neurological Events
💡Migraine
💡Speech Disorder
💡Cultural Identity
💡Social Interaction
💡Adaptation
💡Professional Life
💡Identity
Highlights
Introduction to Foreign Accent Syndrome affecting three women who woke up sounding like they were from different countries.
Cindy Hastings, a fourth-generation Australian, now speaks with a thick Eastern European accent despite never having been to Europe.
Sarah Colville from England now has a Chinese accent after suffering a severe migraine bordering on a stroke.
K. Russell, another English woman, developed a French accent following a migraine.
The impact of Foreign Accent Syndrome includes feelings of frustration, shame, and loneliness.
Cindy Hastings' life changed profoundly after suffering epileptic seizures and being prescribed new medication.
The syndrome is rare, with only around 80 known cases worldwide.
Dr. Nick Miller explains that patients don't actually speak with foreign accents but their speech sounds that way to listeners.
Sarah Colville's friends and family initially thought her change in accent was a joke, but later understood its serious implications.
The syndrome affects not only personal identity but also professional life and social relationships.
Cindy Hastings could no longer run her business due to the syndrome.
People often misinterpret the syndrome as arrogance or rudeness, causing misunderstandings.
The syndrome can lead to feelings of isolation as friends and family may distance themselves.
Medical professionals are still unsure about the exact cause and treatment of Foreign Accent Syndrome.
Cindy Hastings has come to terms with her new life, acknowledging the permanence of her changed accent.
The emotional toll of the syndrome is significant, with patients feeling like they have lost a part of themselves.
The documentary aims to raise awareness about the syndrome and the challenges faced by those affected.
Transcripts
imagine waking up one morning and not
sounding like yourself
in fact sounding like someone from an
entirely different country I've just
spent a few fascinating days with three
otherwise normal women who have the
medical world completely stumped one day
I felt sick the next they were jabbering
away with thick foreign accents one can
now pass for Russian another has
developed a French lilt the third sounds
Chinese it's called
foreign accent syndrome and it's a
condition that's as rare as it is
strange on the New South Wales Mid North
Coast the accents are characteristically
Australian but one local sports stands
out
[Music]
Cindy Hastings is fourth-generation
Australian she's never been to Europe
but you'd swear she was born there such
as her thick Eastern European accent
where do you think she is from I'd say
probably it's interesting that you will
perceive it that the way because I'm
actually Iranian oh okay
I'm born Sydney and Australia all my
life oh well Cindy is a victim of the
curious condition known as foreign
accent syndrome it's rare it's causes
vary but all those affected literally
wake up one day sounding exotically
different but but butter butter battery
battery battery charger battery tire
Sarah Colville from Plymouth in England
is a dead set home here now sounds like
she's from Shanghai it wasn't until I
was in ambulance on the way to hospital
Chantilly say oh you're aware of the way
you were speaking and I say oh I sound
like a vassal or I said no you sound
like you can work at a Chinese
restaurant I said yeah
look good working to local China house
or Safi the robber you saying Armenian
and another English woman k Russell
sounds like she's just flown in from
Paris okay to the locals here in your
village accept you as a french person or
as an english they have asked on many
occasion what my accent is and where i
come from and then have expected so
they're unsure as well
Oh dad it's almost possible these three
women share an extraordinary illness
that sounds like a joke but has left
them frustrated ashamed and lonely
imagine one day talking like this and
the next having to explain why your
mother tongue now sounds French let's
just hold on second I started sounding
total de France when I heard my spell
speed and the speech process in my heads
was total difference you'd learn to live
with it you learn to adapt but it's not
easy and it no it never is it's the same
every day for Cindy Hastings life
changed profoundly just over a year ago
she was running a successful career
development agency from her home near
Port Macquarie then one day she suffered
a series of severe epileptic seizures
and was prescribed a new anti convulsion
medication but there was a bizarre side
effect you started noticing a change
change a speech speech slowed down I had
trouble word finding so to choose the
right words to say but when the doctor
said foreign accent syndrome he must
have thought what is that it was it was
a shock to us to hear something like
that first of all yes okay i
speakerphone accent so it makes sense
but fukken mystic what is fun accent
syndrome employment choice is your
business Cindy yeah I started it back in
2004 and it was really based on wanting
to do something for the community in a
local radio interview from three years
ago his Cindy's one and only memory of
how she used to sound and a life now
lost that's very very different is that
I could say what I wanted at a speed
that didn't sound like I wasn't make
sense well you sound like a normal
intelligent Australian woman I do it's
very distressing to hear that because
from what we've been told is that is
very unlikely I ever very turned to that
invested to me return thank you really
nice emotion what's it been like living
through all this the impact has been far
greater than you might expect for Cindy
and her husband David she could no
longer run her business and some
long-term friendships have suffered you
can see just the Wonder in their faces
is this the same lady as David got a new
girlfriend perhaps or they just try and
make their own mind up on the situation
to the very thing you are taking the
mickey over I often do I think at the
beginning but when you when you tell
them it's a medical condition that's a
result of the wrong medication and in
the brain condition they tend to take
that serious they'll have some
intelligence that the Brazil is working
on in there still going is just it just
just doesn't connect with this bit this
bit seems to have mind over some stuff
what's been the worst part of all this I
think the worst part was me how it
affected me and nobody really
understands what it's like to to go from
being accepted in your local area you
know and all of a sudden everybody wants
to treat you like you're deaf or your
brain damaged or your foreign I Sophie
to see you again there you want to take
a seat just here it's two years since
Sara Colville joined this rare foreign
accent syndrome Club thought to number
only 80 around the world let's try some
sounds can you say for me pee pee pee
pee pee pee pee over and over again as
fast as you can pppp pppp Sara was an IT
specialist until a severe migraine
bordering on a stroke brought the
syndrome on and can you try dee-do
dee-do dee-do dee-do dee-do dee-do
dee-do trash kasia crash karachi crushed
car showed up okay let's try reading dr.
Nick Miller from England's Newcastle
University says his patients don't
actually speak with foreign accents it
just sounds that way you wish it to know
all about am a grandfather the listener
hears a foreign accent so because for
instance you might add earth to
everything I want to poverty
please and couple that with changes to
the to the rhythm in your speech it
might ruin all that sounds Italian to me
or you can't pronounce the word or the
sound work anymore so instead of water
you say water or vice the fart of us on
in the glass or something like that and
so a or hmm sounds a bit bit German to
me you're saying these people have a
speech disorder which happens to sound
in the year of the listener like a
foreign accent yeah I think you've hit
the nail on the head have all your
friends and family stuck by him friends
no family
yeah yeah why have you lost friends
I think particularly in the early days I
didn't like to see what Thai to become
because maybe it was too upsetting for
them I don't know I they're not around
for me to ask you know but so they think
you are different just from your voice
yeah yeah pretty much
I'm a good romantic OLS they will
say oh you said this around Sarah's
husband Patrick has stuck by her but he
can see why people might be put off
thinking she's arrogant or rude she used
to say to me like you did you do say can
you can you make me a cup of coffee
please I have to learn to say can you do
you coffee so now I look like a rude
order yeah all the time
the oldest bridge in her little village
in Gloucestershire english-born ke
Russell
sounds like she belongs in Provence and
okay foreign accent syndrome was also
caused by a migraine but its onset was
especially frightening for her and
downright weird she recorded herself in
those inarticulate first few days we got
the idea kay was once a sales rep for a
British paint company and made a TV ad
using her married name and I would like
to welcome you to the premier products
insight video highlighting one of our
selected products it can be found it's a
huge difference isn't it
you can't blame people though can you
for saying okay you've been watching too
many Inspector Clouseau news if only
they would sure if you've been through
this or go through this you know jolly
well there's no way of fighting it it's
impossible but sometimes you seem to
actually say a word in French you just
did impossible I say the words in the
way that I can speak it from our brain
through the speech process method your
intonation tongue movement etc if that
sound French to you then that sound
French to you I can see that the despair
on the face is a lot and this
something's happened to me and it's
caused me to do this I'm not putting
this on it's not something I'm doing to
get attention it's something that's
happened to me please tell me what
what's happened to me why why is this
happen there we go
I'm good thank you it's I've been in so
speak to yours
being a new sufferer and the only one in
Australia it's good for Cindy to know
that she's not on her own I don't know
what it's like for you but you you get
spoken to like you stupid or you know
people play really slow death speech to
speak so you have to yeah you have a lot
to get used to other people how they
treat you so many times if I had the
money for every time someone said to me
when you're born I'd be millionaire by
now it's incredible it's taken more than
a year for Cindy to come to terms with
her new life a life that seems to be
changed forever because doctors tell
Cindy her familiar Australian accent and
the woman she once was almost certainly
won't come back I would love to to still
be able to do the things that I loved
doing in my professional life you don't
think you'll ever get back there so that
T is really like losing a part of you if
there's a big chunk of me gone yes it's
almost an entirely different person
isn't it mmm it is but I still the same
person is type I still here I just am
very different No
hello I'm Tara brown thanks for watching
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