|
 |
US vs UK English for learners | ||
Share with:
| ||
 Language Learning Forum : Specific Languages |  | |
| Javi Senior Member Spain Joined 5982 days ago 419 posts - 548 votes  Speaks: Spanish* | Message 17 of 136 30 April 2009 at 7:30pm | IP Logged | ||||||||
As a home learner, speaking with a particular native accent is a bit beyond my means. That said, I've never got any significant exposure to any kind of American accent, I mean never in my entire live, so I think I can safely cross one of the options out. About the reasons, well, for a start, by the time I worked out that there were different kinds of English I had been studying British English for a while and I decided to stick to it. I mean the kind of learning material that is labelled British, as opposed to American. Later on, I realised it was actually the more sensible option for a Spaniard, and I've found a lot of interesting content, starting with the BBC. I have far more interest in the UK than in the US, so it was a natural choice for me. I can't even remember having think about it that long. Edited by Javi on 30 April 2009 at 7:37pm 1 person has voted this message useful | |||||||||
| Dark_Sunshine Diglot Senior Member United Kingdom Joined 5766 days ago 340 posts - 357 votes Speaks: English*, French | Message 18 of 136 30 April 2009 at 7:52pm | IP Logged | ||||||||
The accent spoken by the Royals and the British upper class is distinct from 'BBC' English, or RP. I'm not sure if there's a proper name for it- but I certainly wouldn't recommend that a foreigner tries to speak this way! The Queen's accent sounds really unpleasant, even comical to the average Brit on the street. The accent of South-Eastern England is the closest to RP out of all British regional accents, but how close to it you are often depends on the class/educational background of the speaker, and also how hard they are trying. For example, I try to speak RP in formal situations, and when speaking to other RP speakers or foreigners. The rest of the time I speak something approximating 'estuary English'- slightly London/cockney, similar vowel sounds to RP, but with some very lazy use of consonants. 'BBC' English is perhaps a misleading term for RP these days, because the BBC today is much more diverse than it used to be, and often hires newseaders and presenters with regional accents (although the dialect used is always standard English). 1 person has voted this message useful | |||||||||
| minus273 Triglot Senior Member France Joined 5766 days ago 288 posts - 346 votes Speaks: Mandarin*, EnglishC2, French Studies: Ancient Greek, Tibetan | Message 19 of 136 02 May 2009 at 12:21am | IP Logged | ||||||||
Doesn't 'estuary' have kinda cockneyish vowels? "die" with retracted tongue root, for example, and diphthong "meet". 1 person has voted this message useful | |||||||||
| Dark_Sunshine Diglot Senior Member United Kingdom Joined 5766 days ago 340 posts - 357 votes Speaks: English*, French | Message 20 of 136 02 May 2009 at 2:33pm | IP Logged | ||||||||
|
Yeah- it can do. But overall, I think the vowel sounds are closer to RP than some other regional accents such as northern English accents. For example, in the words bath/laugh, cup/bus etc. I still wouldn't recommend that foreigners learn to speak 'estuary' though, or anything other than RP. You need to be able to speak 'properly' before you can speak 'improperly'! :-)
1 person has voted this message useful | |||||||||
| Ashiro Groupie United Kingdom learnxlanguage.com/ Joined 5803 days ago 89 posts - 101 votes Studies: Spanish | Message 21 of 136 02 May 2009 at 7:40pm | IP Logged | ||||||||
|
I think dialect is a much bigger concern here than accent. There's actually great swathes of vocabulary that the US and UK don't share.
This is most clearly demonstrated with the question: "Do you know where the lift to the 3rd floor is please?" You'd likely cause some confusion saying it to an American. I think the majority of British people tend to understand American English very well due to the proliferation of American films. However, the same doesn't normally work the opposite way. You'd be better off learning American vocabulary as much as it pains me to say it. 1 person has voted this message useful | |||||||||
| Chung Diglot Senior Member Joined 7157 days ago 4228 posts - 8259 votes 20 sounds Speaks: English*, French Studies: Polish, Slovak, Uzbek, Turkish, Korean, Finnish | Message 22 of 136 02 May 2009 at 8:37pm | IP Logged | ||||||||
I suspect that a Canadian would be just as confused by this question as the American. 1 person has voted this message useful | |||||||||
| Rout Diglot Senior Member United States Joined 5713 days ago 326 posts - 417 votes Speaks: English*, German Studies: Spanish Studies: Hindi | Message 23 of 136 04 May 2009 at 1:41am | IP Logged | ||||||||
If you'd said that with a British accent, I'd have said "It's to the left, cheers." If you'd said it with an American accent I'd have said "It's to the left, adios." In both cases I'd have known exactly what you meant. I think it's a common misconception that just because Americans and Brits have different vocabularies doesn't mean we haven't heard scores of eachother's dialectical differences and understand eachother perfectly. Now if you'd said "Ay! Where's mah oggy? It was right 'ere!" Well, then I'd probably say nothing to you, but that's not standard British English, THAT my friend is a dialect. "Lift" and "elevator" are words in both. Just like if I'd said to a British guy "Yo, check out dis whip! It's like stupid, yo!" he wouldn't get it either. Maybe I've just listened to too much BBC. Point is I think if you chose one or the other or in between then you'd be fine. Unless you're a perfectionist. ;) MY favorite (or favourite if you prefer) accent is one that's inbetween! Like a british guy that's been living in the states for a while or William F. Buckley Jr, something to that effect. It just sounds classy and you're perfectly understood. If you speak "the Queen's English" over here it would be a bit strange. It is half past the hour and you're listening to the BBC! Good luck. =)
If what you're refering to is "General English" or "Nonregional accent" I wouldn't call it synthetic, for that's the accent that I have and I certainly wouldn't call the midwest the epitomy of the American accent. Texas? Wisonsin? Kansas? You are mistaken. I live in Florida, btw, where more than have of the citizens use "Broadcast English" or whatever you want to refer to it as. I would say California and all throughout the west is the epitomy of the general American accent. It transcends just this area, for it is used in a large majority in ALL areas throughout the United States and increasingly more by younger generations. The same can't be said for a midwest accent, a southern accent, a New York accent. Edited by Rout on 04 May 2009 at 1:44am 1 person has voted this message useful | |||||||||
| Olekander Triglot Senior Member United Kingdom Joined 5884 days ago 122 posts - 136 votes Speaks: English*, French, Russian | Message 24 of 136 04 May 2009 at 1:48am | IP Logged | ||||||||
|
I really can't take the american accent seriously though; It's as if they're all completely drunk/full of themselves/retards. Learn the British accent. I'm Swedish accent and even I think the american accent is rediculous lol.
2 persons have voted this message useful |
|  | 
Printable version
|
| Copyright 2024 FX Micheloud - All rights reserved No part of this website may be copied by any means without my written authorization. |
