EPT
So did I haha
[Q] What does English sound like to foreigners? - Page 4
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nataziel
Australia1455 Posts
So did I haha | ||
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Megalisk
United States6095 Posts
On January 01 2009 07:26 Tadzio00 wrote: This is an epic video, I would hang out with people who talk like this just for my amusement. | ||
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Lamentations
Australia211 Posts
On January 01 2009 06:24 PanoRaMa wrote: always wondered what british and australians thought about the various american accents, if they're as funny to them as their respective accents are to us  Not funny, mostly just irritating, sorry :x British accents sound kind of odd on TV shows (unless it's a documentary) just because I am used to American or Australian accents there, but in person they are pleasant enough. kiwi and saffa accents are pretty distinctive and easy to recognise to all of us in the southern hemisphere but it seems many Europeans or North Americans have trouble distinguishing them. Also, those accents sounds more British in comparison to an Aussie accent to us whereas ours to them probably seems slightly more American than British - not exactly like those accents of course, they are their own, but some pronunciations might make it sound that way. I can pick up scottish and irish accents most of the time and understand them quite well, and dutch as compared to other western european english-speakers, too. I have trouble with asian and indian accents lots of the time For me, Plexa's accent is kind of annoying xD Not trying to make fun but it is just most kiwi accents seem amusing or a little annoying to us. I imagine it is the same for them with our accent. When traveling around Europe with a mate I was never mistaken for a brit (I imagine they have more exposure to people from Britain and Ireland) but occasionally American. Most Europeans said our Australian accents were by far the easiest to understand out of all of the English speakers (I guess that is not comparing south africans and new zealanders, as there are not many there) even when we were talking quite fast and slurring words. I often wonder, too, what impact the kind of English learned has on a student - as from what I understand mostly American English is used and even in fluent non-native English speakers they can end up a little confused with some pronunciations (slang, of course, affects this more). | ||
Bockit
Sydney2287 Posts
On January 01 2009 08:52 skyglow1 wrote: We always make fun of strong british accents and strong southern USA accents, but when I listen to the USA guys casting VODs and stuff, nothing really stands out. Strong British accents make the person sound incredibly stuck up and pansy, while strong american accents just sound plain retarded lol. A strong australian accent is also pretty funny to us. Everyone says they love plexa's accent but I don't see what's so distinctive about it haha. The New Zealand accent was developed way back when ppl from britain and stuff started colonising the country, and apparently the mix of Irish + British + French + native Maori children at schools was where the accent came out from, so it's kinda mix of everything and doesn't have anything too distinctive. Interestingly South Island has a much more Irish accent because of the history of gold mines and stuff. It's also a tad "backwards" like southern USA  You say fush instead of fish and chups instead of chips and you say we have a funny accent? Edit: http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdVHZwI8pcA | ||
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Energies
Australia3225 Posts
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OmgIRok
Taiwan2699 Posts
+ Show Spoiler + 那一個 sped up | ||
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Energies
Australia3225 Posts
On January 01 2009 16:36 OmgIRok wrote: kinda off topic, but "what chinese sounds like to english speaking african americans: nigga nigga nigga nigga nigga" Russell Peters strikes again! | ||
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BlackCafe
Vietnam69 Posts
I dont know for European but for most Asian, we all think that American accent is the natural accent for English. It takes a long time for me until I can appreciate the UK accent， but sometime it still sounds funny to me. Also for people that English is not the first language, I think American accent is easier to understand since the UK people tend to speak faster and sometime they make is sounds like the later word want to run pass the former word. | ||
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liger13
United States1060 Posts
On January 01 2009 16:36 OmgIRok wrote: kinda off topic, but "what chinese sounds like to english speaking african americans: nigga nigga nigga nigga nigga" + Show Spoiler + 那一個 sped up ?... | ||
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OmgIRok
Taiwan2699 Posts
I kinda found out about it before i knew russell peters though... its cuz i can spaek both english and chinese >:D | ||
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skyglow1
New Zealand3962 Posts
On January 01 2009 16:15 Bockit wrote: You say fush instead of fish and chups instead of chips and you say we have a funny accent? Edit: http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdVHZwI8pcA Oh man the first time I saw that video I was dieing from laughter. I'M BEACHED AS BRO. The only kiwis that have that kind of accent are the hardcore maori, but it sure as hell is funny when you hear it. I find extreme australian accents annoying insetad of comical like "fush and chups" because it sounds like almost whiny and it sounds like they have a blocked nose haha, but hardly any australians are that bad. | ||
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haduken
Australia8267 Posts
1. American English sounds perfectly alright to me and i don't really have any trouble or feel annoyed by it. But that's really just stuff shown on T.V and few Americans I've met. 1 thing i have noticed tho is that Americans tend to give better speeches compare to say an Aussie (only exception is GW bush), i feel really annoyed by Aussies who is say doing an interview and have like an umm in every sentence. Aussies i feel talk slower as well but some one from country areas or really really true Aussie say things incredibly fast and introduce insane number of slangs that till this day i am still having trouble with them. I think it is because Australia is such a multiculture nation that the real aussies simplified or standardized their day to day speech to communicate with us immigrants lol. 2. British and Irish speaking used to sound like an eastern European language to me until i watched British films with subtitles. Now i generally don't have a problem but an Irish guy at work used very oxford (standard) English in order to communicate with a few of the team members. I find the biggest difference is the style and choice of words but generally the pace and dictation is the same as Australian. American is more flowing to me. 3. Not enough experience with SA and kiwis, they sound just like aussie to me >.< 4. Indians are completely gibberish to me because they have their own ways of pronouncing common words and have a different style of reaction / response. But if i really really really try hard enough, i can make out that they are speaking English but not much more. 5. Malaysians, Singaporeans and other south eastern Asians sounds okay with me but i did have the same trouble with them as with the Indians. It's easier to understand SEAs because it is very easy for me to reproduce their accent and learn from it. | ||
Empyrean
17046 Posts
Also my physics recitation professor last semester was from NZ...he sounded like Jemaine from Flight of the Conchords. "oh-mih-guh". "oy-DEEN-tih-foyh". I love NZ accents. | ||
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skyglow1
New Zealand3962 Posts
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singlish It doesn't really count as english because it's a hybrid between different languages, but the different tones when speaking it are distinct and unique so that's the kinda accent part of it. | ||
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Empyrean
17046 Posts
...hell, my roommate from Texas switches to a Texan accent when talking on the phone to his friends back home. It's disconcerting. | ||
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skyglow1
New Zealand3962 Posts
* Dis country weather very hot one. – In this country, the weather is very warm. * Dat person there cannot trust. – That person over there is not trustworthy. * Tomorrow dun need bring camera. – You don't need to bring a camera tomorrow. * He play soccer also very good one leh. – He's very good at playing soccer too. That's pretty much spot on for how my singlish is too lol. You stick to a set of modified grammar rules so other singlish speaking people can understand. [Edit] Omg these are like totally spot on haha: * Not good one lah. – This isn't good. * Cannot anihow go liddat one leh. – You/it can't go just like that. * How come never show up? – Why didn't you/he/it show up? (See the use of never in place of didn't under the "Past tense" section.) * I li badminton, dat's why I every weekend go play. – I like badminton, so I play it every weekend. * He not feel well, so he stay home sleep lor. – He's not feeling well, so he decided to stay home and sleep! Some other gems: *He kena jackpot. (huge winnings from playing the slot machine) (Although I think the word sounds more like "kana" than "kena" sometimes..so I didn't realise what the article was talking about for a while) kena sai: literally "hit by shit"; be harmed by an unpleasant event or object Later den say. - We'll discuss this later | ||
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ambit!ous1
United States3662 Posts
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riotjune
United States3394 Posts
On January 01 2009 16:36 OmgIRok wrote: kinda off topic, but "what chinese sounds like to english speaking african americans: nigga nigga nigga nigga nigga" + Show Spoiler + 那一個 sped up isn't that just rap in general =P | ||
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Loverman
Romania266 Posts
On January 01 2009 06:07 Nitrogen wrote: here's a girl that doesn't speak any english at all. mhm french jailbait, I like. | ||
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HamerD
United Kingdom1922 Posts
Awesome, I want to see more non-speakers do it ^^. Also, the hardest English speakers to understand (who speak it natively) for me are definitely proper glasgow scottish and jamaican | ||
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