Foreign Accent Syndrome

A new case of the rare Foreign Accent Syndrome has been recorded in New Zealand, where Bronwyn Fox’s Kiwi accent turned into a mix of Welsh, Scottish and North London accents overnight.

A new case of the rare Foreign Accent Syndrome has been recorded in New Zealand, where Bronwyn Fox’s Kiwi accent turned into a mix of Welsh, Scottish and North London accents overnight. Her doctor believes that the change is related to two lesions that an MRI scan has revealed at the back of her brain. The rare syndrome was first recorded in 1907, and there have only been 60 recorded cases between 1941 and 2009. Fox is a third generation New Zealander who has never visited the United Kingdom, and cannot explain her new accent. Earlier this year,  British citizen Sarah Colwill was diagnosed with the same condition. Colwill woke up with a Chinese accent after suffering from an intense migraine, and is currently undergoing speech therapy in the hope of gaining her own voice back.

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Wei Fen Lee