QUOTE(Delta's_no1_fan @ Sep 10 2008, 11:44 PM)

I can put on a slightly decent American accent

For an Aussie
Have you noticed that British can seem to be able to pull of any accent? Such as Australian or American? And they ROCK at it?
Whereas Americans SUCK at doing Australian and vis versa.
um.... most non-americans' attempts at doing an american accent are pretty bad actually, from what i've seen... at least in movies and such. if you actually live in the country for a decent length of time and are immersed in it then its easier to pick up the local accent, but if you're just trying to imitate what you've seen on tv... *glares at rpattz* nah actually he's pretty decent from what i've seen in trailers and such.
I *will* agree with what you said about Americans trying to do an Aussie accent though - if I'm there, and hearing it around me, I'm pretty good at it... but once I'm back in USA I don't bother usually because within a couple weeks I can hear how horribly fake it is starting to sound - and don't even get me started on when my American friends & family try to imitate my already-faded-and-fakey Aus accent.

Fresh out of my study-abroad it was easier, because I had certain "trigger phrases" as I called them - words or phrases which I had almost never heard spoken with an American accent, so could recall them best with a perfect Aussie accent. Then my friend Shanae figured out what they were and started trying to imitate me.... and they lost their effectiveness. *glares*
I haven't really heard any British people attempting Aussie accents - at least not that I've noticed - but then, I usually don't try to determine what accent someone is *trying* for, when I'm listening to accents. Unless they say they're from someplace - sydney, perhaps - and then say something in completely the WRONG accent, then I'll notice. And I usually tend to identify where the actor is from more often than where their character is from if there's a difference. Also.... on this note, I'll say that both USA & Aus were originally founded as British colonies, and our language is descended from theirs, so that could be why you percieve they have an easier time of imitating us... although I'd think it would be the other way around really.
And of course there are so *many* American accents if you know what to listen for - there's the generic west-coast/hollywood one that everyone hears on tv and is what the world at large considers your basic American accent, then on top of that there's regional accents for pretty much every area of the country... I won't go into that now though.