I met a cracking Swedish (or possibly Danish) lass a while back. English was obviously her second language but she spoke with such an strong American accent I was certain she must have spent a good deal of time in the States.
I asked her how long she'd lived over there for and she told me she'd never been. Growing up in Sweden (or wherever) she had learned English predominately by watching American TV shows like Friends.
It's from this median that she gained the accent and ability to speak our language, I'm sure many other foreigners would be in the same boat or... Friendship! Bad-um tish. I'll show myself out now...
So, people take the time to learn a language that you understand, and this is how you thank them? I'm just happy that your hatred doesn't apply to people to whom English is their third, fourth, or fifth language. Do you wait until you know that it's specifically their second language before the hatred comes? Or is it like a sixth sense?
Also, American accents are easier and more natural because the accent is a lot easier on the throat. English is all tight and restrained, just like my fellow countrymen.
>people take the time to learn a language that you understand, and this is how you thank them?
How ungrateful of him, after they altruistically went so far out of their way to do him personally a favour.
>I'm just happy that your hatred doesn't apply to people to whom English is their third, fourth, or fifth language.
He said "a" second language, not "the" second language. It's pretty obvious it applies no matter how many languages they speak.
>>17115 Just go to any Eastern Europe shithole, you can barely move for all the signs decrying how English people need YOU to learn their langauge, please sign up today so you can relieve them of their burdensome employment prospects!
>How ungrateful of him, after they altruistically went so far out of their way to do him personally a favour.
Well that's pretty much my point. I'm glad you understand and share my opinion.
>He said "a" second language, not "the" second language. It's pretty obvious it applies no matter how many languages they speak.
So, you're proposing that we could have two or more second languages? How many second languages do you speak? I imagine your Grand Prix; Lewis Hamilton coming first and all the other racers coming second, because it's pretty obvious they're all drivers in a race, I mean they all have cars!
Also don't be so bloody wet; it's incredibly obvious that OP meant it to apply to non-native speakers of English, and it's also incredibly obvious that I am being a dick.
Thanks for explaining why this is happening, lads, it really was baffling me. Now that I know why their voices are this way it doesn't irk me at all and I'm actually quite fond of it.
>>17107 Because AE sounds more clearly when spoken in real life, you British cunt. Britts tend to mumble, as if they were trying to eat and speak at the same time. I bet I couldn't make out my own thoughts if I spoke with a British accent. BE isn't as awful as Australian English though.
>>17110 >>17322 It does make sense. I always assumed it was because all the English as a second language teaching material that was available to them was produced by Americans, but domination of the media is more plausible.
>>17706 Well, I'm very sorry for mocking your language, mate, I didn't do that on purpose actually, I'm currently learning English. That's exactly why my opinion is valid in this case, I'm a foreigner to this country, to this language, to me American English sounds way better and intelligible, I'm sure you wouldn't be that mad at me and those folks who prefer to speak with an American accent if you were a foreigner, Am I right? It's never easy to learn something new, especially a totally different from your own language, and try to do your best at speaking it. And how Am I supposed to speak it properly if I can't make out what you wankers mumble all the time? Damn, less than a year ago I barely could say a word in this language, thanks to the internet and telly I somehow managed to improve it. That's all I wanted to say, you buttmad cunts. Have a nice day.
>>17714 >you understand American English more easily than British English
Precisely.
>have learned
No, I haven't, I'm still in the process of learning. Have I made good progress? Definitely, yes. Am I capable of speaking it at least quarter as good as a native speaker? The answer is: no. Don't be misled by the first impression I made, I'm still speaking it like a retard in real life (to be honest on the internet too), taking long pauses to think what to say next, remember some word, expression, etc.
>the predominant nationality of the shows you've been watching
Different ones, but mostly American tv shows, not only tv shows, I've been using movies as a training material as well. And even though it's way easier to catch what Americans say I still find it difficult to understand a lot of stuff. By the way, I watch everything with English subtitles. As I said, it's never easy to learn a foreign language.
I think it wouldn't be such a problem if I spent more time speaking to people in real life instead of using the internet most of the time, I would learn how to understand what the British say, I would get used to the way you guys speak. I sure could learn how to express my thoughts in a better way faster, but social interaction with others has always been one of my serious problems.
>>17715 Have you ever considered that the reason you find American accents easier to understand is because you've been exposed to it more than British accents?
Come on lads. Don't lie to yourselves. American accent (the MidWest one) is very clear and easy to the ear. It is much easier to learn English with that accent than any other English accents.
Yeah, they literally pronounce every syllable, and they largely say things the way they are written without any of the funny business we have in other (better) accents or dialects. What probably also helps is how Americans have a very particular, almost robotic, in my opinion, way of enunciating sentences- Pick any two people from Colorado, and make them read the same sentence, I would bet a tenner their voice goes up and down in exactly the same place.
If you're trying to learn English from anything but the most vanilla of commuter belt middle-class Southerner accents, there's far more to interpret in terms of pitch and tone. Let's not even begin to consider how many dropped sounds there are the further north you get. A thick Yorkshire accent can be difficult to foreigners, let alone Scottish (although I find it inexcusable when a Brit can't understand a Scot, come on).
Thanks to watching Frozen my kids keep saying Onna and Hons instead of Anna and Hans. If they keep this up and start calling pasta 'posta' I may disown them.
>>17944 I have a friend who says mom in text but mam/mum like a normal person when speaking. I have absolutely no idea why she behaves in this way or why I am still trying to engage in physical romance with her.
>>17945 I really enjoy teaching myself to type in different dialects, mostly by intensively reading the works of particular authors and adopting their voices. Sadly I can't seem to retain more than one at a time in any depth.
Americans can also be 'pissy' about people adopting any semblance of a British accent. They treat is as a direct attack on their country for some reason.
'Man, do you hate America so much you choose to speak British? There are plenty of good folks over here, you know, you don't have to try so hard.'
