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ELP is offensive to English people | ||
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 Language Learning Forum : Specific Languages | ( Topic Closed) |  |
| languagemanx Newbie United Kingdom Joined 5110 days ago 1 posts - 9 votes | Message 1 of 46 29 November 2010 at 7:28pm | IP Logged | |||||
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"I would go to Canada or the USA, or in an middle or upper class English family
(others have terrible accents)" "The heaviest variations from this "standard English" occur, as always, in backward areas. Rural USA is already something but try Northern England, especially among lower class people to get a real cultural lag." On what basis do you say that 'lower class' English people have "terrible accents"? Or that because an area has not become 'standardised' that communities should be avoided for being "backward" or suffering from "cultural lag". Personally as an English person I would find a non-native English speaker far more interesting to listen to had they learned English from a Geordie or a Scouser. I have also found that other native English speaking people from outside of England find the lesser known English accents to have a real appeal and charm to them. If I had a pound for every time I'd seen an American swoon over Cheryl Coles Geordie accent... And on behalf of people from the US. I would like to say, I find southern, sorry "backward", accents to be wonderful. I'd much rather listen to a 'lower class' person from somewhere like Georgia speak rather than say a more standardised accent I hear on US TV networks. I just think it is hilarious actually. Are you going to tell me next that I shouldn't learn Dutch because it sounds "terrible" to you. Or maybe I shouldn't learn Arabic because countries which use it are "backwards" and suffering from "cultural lag" If you are not English and want to hear an example of the the kind of accents being talked about. Paste this into youtube. Zwx0-oewjsM or XSD9XF6S5BE (WARNING: I am not responsible for the aural assault these "terrible "accents will commit on your ears!) I think your English Language Profile should be altered. Reading instead: "I would go to Canada or the USA, or in an middle or upper class English family if you wish to speak English with a bog standard accent like every other English learner (others regions have wonderfully interesting and unusual accents which reflect the varied historical influences within an area and show how communities have managed to retain their traditional cultural heritage in these modern times of nationalised media influences (thankfully regional accents are now to be heard on English television and radio as a backlash to this)" "The heaviest variations from this "standard English" occur, as always, in areas with fascinating histories of immigration and colourful characters. Rural USA is already something but try Northern England, especially among working class people (who were once the backbone of English industry) to enjoy a real rich, cultural feast." 9 persons have voted this message useful | ||||||
 Iversen Super Polyglot Moderator Denmark berejst.dk Joined 6704 days ago 9078 posts - 16473 votes  Speaks: Danish*, French, English, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, Swedish, Esperanto, Romanian, Catalan Studies: Afrikaans, Greek, Norwegian, Russian, Serbian, Icelandic, Latin, Irish, Lowland Scots, Indonesian, Polish, Croatian Personal Language Map | Message 2 of 46 29 November 2010 at 8:25pm | IP Logged | |||||
Could you reveal your source? 4 persons have voted this message useful | ||||||
| Andy E Triglot Senior Member United Kingdom Joined 7104 days ago 1651 posts - 1939 votes Speaks: English*, Spanish, French | Message 3 of 46 29 November 2010 at 9:09pm | IP Logged | |||||
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Iversen,
It's HTLAL's English Language Profile... English Language Profile 2 persons have voted this message useful | ||||||
| iguanamon Pentaglot Senior Member Virgin Islands Speaks: Ladino Joined 5263 days ago 2241 posts - 6731 votes Speaks: English*, Spanish, Portuguese, Haitian Creole, Creole (French) | Message 4 of 46 29 November 2010 at 10:30pm | IP Logged | |||||
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Well said languagemanx, a-up lad, brill!!! As an American from the Southern Applachians who has lived in Liverpool, Leeds and Cheshire and now in the Caribbean, I love the diversity in the English language. I remember a friend of a friend in Leeds, a born and raised Yorkshire lad, who always spoke using "RP" and it made him sound quite fopish and false. I asked him what happened to his accent and people were laughing like crazy. I had a Polish friend in Leeds who sounded more like a Yorkshireman than that guy and he was from Krakow.
Regions have accents, in almost every country big enough to have regions. In England the accent can change in 10 miles. I've been told that I speak "Caribbean" Spanish. I like that because other Spanish speakers are intrigued as to where I've learnt my Spanish and this opens the door to conversation. My English is interspersed with my native Southern Appalachian accent, Northern English slang, and Virgin Islands Caribbean slang. Yes, one should be aware of and know and use the standard language. Developing a regional accent/usage in a foreign language can make one stand out as unique and intriguing in an interesting way amongst the sea of foreigners who learn that language, once one has progressed to near fluency- just my opinion. I wonder how Parisians would look at a foreigner speaking French with a non-standard French accent and usage. In Madrid, people were fascinated by my Caribbean Spanish. It opened a lot of doors for me there with both Castillians and Latin American immigrants. Edited by iguanamon on 29 November 2010 at 10:35pm 1 person has voted this message useful | ||||||
| Iolanthe Diglot Senior Member Netherlands Joined 5642 days ago 410 posts - 482 votes Speaks: English*, DutchC1 Studies: Turkish, French | Message 5 of 46 29 November 2010 at 11:01pm | IP Logged | |||||
Ouch! That definitely needs to be changed. 1 person has voted this message useful | ||||||
| Gusutafu Senior Member Sweden Joined 5522 days ago 655 posts - 1039 votes Speaks: Swedish* | Message 6 of 46 29 November 2010 at 11:10pm | IP Logged | |||||
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Well, it's easy for you to say that you prefer rural accents. I like them too, in principle, and I like to listen to them, but surely you must understand that a foreigner will most likely want to learn the variant of English that is associated with culture, business and status? Very few people can afford to spend time learning Geordie or other accents you may find quaint. They are busy trying to make a living.
3 persons have voted this message useful | ||||||
| jazzboy.bebop Senior Member Norway norwegianthroughnove Joined 5419 days ago 439 posts - 800 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Norwegian | Message 7 of 46 30 November 2010 at 12:05am | IP Logged | |||||
Absolutely, but there is a difference between advising how to go about learning standard English and completely insulting people of certain regions and backgrounds. 8 persons have voted this message useful | ||||||
| JimC Senior Member United Kingdom tinyurl.com/aberdeen Joined 5548 days ago 199 posts - 317 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Spanish | Message 8 of 46 30 November 2010 at 1:25pm | IP Logged | |||||
The intelligibility of particular accents is one thing, but I think that referring to backward areas and lower class people is unacceptable. Jim 3 persons have voted this message useful |
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