What do you think of Dalai Lama's spoken English?

Shuimo   Sat Dec 06, 2008 1:39 pm GMT
Johnny Sat Dec 06, 2008 11:51 am GMT
Are you interested in his spoken English or are you just interested in trolling? You don't seem to be interested in discussing English at all, so I just wanted to remind you this is a forum for the English language, you douchebag.
--------------
You r????
Shuimo   Sat Dec 06, 2008 1:42 pm GMT
Didn't my thread tell you clear enough?
Dalai Lama's SPOKEN ENGLISH
I faild to understand why an English forum in your eyes cannot discuss Dalai Lama in realtion to English, and why you so easily libel others as trolling.
K. T.   Sun Dec 07, 2008 4:58 am GMT
Because the Dalai Lama is a religious figure, people are bound to have strong opinions. I listened to several videos, but not the link, I think.
I noticed that he is able to communicate through humour in a way that many probably find charming.

Generally speaking, I could understand him, but sometimes I was not tuned in exactly to his accent. In other videos (later ones, perhaps), he seemed to have a clearer way of speaking.

I think that he understands more than he can speak (as is the case for many people.)
Carmen Polo   Sun Dec 07, 2008 5:38 am GMT
Dalai Lama is a saint.
Andy Moon   Sun Dec 07, 2008 4:32 pm GMT
K.T.
I meant his "spoken English" was charming. Yes his personality and the way he uses humor when asked a sensitive question (and otherwise) are also charming but I quite like the way he speaks and never had trouble understanding him.
K. T.   Sun Dec 07, 2008 5:51 pm GMT
Whether or not someone is understandable to a particular person depends on many things.

a. Whether or not the listener DESIRES to understand because of interest.
b. How much non-verbal communication helps to bridge the gap.
c. How much experience a person has with a particular type of accent.

I think most people who are interested in the Dalai Lama want to hear what he has to say (whether or not they agree with his beliefs), and they
TRY to understand him and of course he also TRIES to communicate with them.

Compare that with a Chinese student overseas who may speak the language well, but whose formal speech and intonation identify him as a foreigner. He goes into the store, uses perfectly acceptable language, but the clerk can't be bothered to tune in to the new accent. Of course, all people are not so unfriendly, but some are. Ask an exchange student.

Heck, I've known professionals in the medical and healthcare professions who spoke English much, much better than the Dalai Lama, but people don't want to be bothered with sorting out an accent.

That's why I say that unless you are very famous, or have some great talent or skill, it's a good idea to try to speak as well as you can and with the best accent that you can in English or your target language.
Andy Moon   Sun Dec 07, 2008 6:48 pm GMT
"unless you are very famous, or have some great talent or skill, it's a good idea to try to speak as well as you can and with the best accent that you can"

I agree completely.
ozonogono   Sun Dec 07, 2008 8:59 pm GMT
His accent is a lot easier to understand than the accent over on the Scottish thread.
Li   Sun Dec 07, 2008 10:15 pm GMT
Dalai Lama is a terrorist!
Guest   Sun Dec 07, 2008 10:33 pm GMT
The Chinese Government is the terrorist and killed many disidents.
Shuimo   Mon Dec 08, 2008 12:20 am GMT
Guest Sun Dec 07, 2008 10:33 pm GMT
The Chinese Government is the terrorist and killed many disidents.
------------------------------
Shut up yr polluted mouth!
Shuimo   Mon Dec 08, 2008 12:23 am GMT
K. T. Sun Dec 07, 2008 4:58 am GMT
Because the Dalai Lama is a religious figure, people are bound to have strong opinions. I listened to several videos, but not the link, I think.
I noticed that he is able to communicate through humour in a way that many probably find charming.

Generally speaking, I could understand him, but sometimes I was not tuned in exactly to his accent. In other videos (later ones, perhaps), he seemed to have a clearer way of speaking.

I think that he understands more than he can speak (as is the case for many people.)
--------------
Oh finaly we hvae someone who can give relatively objective judegment of Dalai Lama's spoken English.
I agree roughly!
Shuimo   Mon Dec 08, 2008 12:25 am GMT
Carmen Polo Sun Dec 07, 2008 5:38 am GMT
Dalai Lama is a saint.
---------------
He is a aseparatist of China in a pseudo-saint cloak.
John Cowan   Sun Jan 04, 2009 1:19 pm GMT
The term "Chinese" in English is ambiguous between the country and the Han nationality. In the former sense, the Dalai Lama is of Chinese origin; in the latter sense, he is of course not Chinese at all. Technically he is a Chinese citizen; de facto he is stateless; ethnically he is a Tibetan. He speaks at least Tibetan, English, and Chinese.