which accent do you prefer British or American?

Portuguese   Fri Aug 03, 2007 9:28 pm GMT
In Portugal, english is teached as British English but usually people have more American accent; Maybe it's because it is not so "strange" and we read wat is written in fact (not like british that to say "Hello" they say kind of "Hellæy" or "L.A." And I think the Australian and British are kind of weard too because they say words as "Other" like "Oda" and "Here" as "Heah". Americans speaks better English than Englishes themselves
Uriel   Sat Aug 04, 2007 8:18 pm GMT
<<not like british that to say "Hello" they say kind of "Hellæy" or "L.A.">>

They DO torment that O, don't they? ;)
Vanessa   Wed Aug 08, 2007 5:22 pm GMT
I am American and I love the British accent. Actually, I have a fondness for most accents that are different than my own. I like the Austrailan accent too. Anyhow, just thought I'd share! :)
Britt-g   Tue Nov 13, 2007 10:55 pm GMT
I prefer listening to Memphis accent. Propably because of Elvis :-)
I love to listen to him talking.
Ian   Tue Nov 13, 2007 11:12 pm GMT
I don't prefer one more than the other.
John   Wed Nov 14, 2007 1:26 am GMT
It's not that the British speak "strange" relative to what you learned, it's just that *many* if not *most* British probably don't speak English the way you "learned" it in Portugal. Most likely you perceive American English to be closer to the written language is because your exposure to American English is mostly through the media. I am going to go out on a bit of a limb here, but in general American accents are not as diversified as those in the UK. To most Europeans there are only 3 American accents: Southern, New York and "General (North) American".

Regional differences in North America are not as severe (i.e diverse) as they are in the UK. I have never seen subtitles on television in the US when someone speaks with a heavy regional accent but I have seen it quite often in the UK and Ireland.

I think many non-native English speakers are often jarred by the different types of accents and usage that exist in the UK because it doesn't fit in with what they perceive as proper British English. They seem to think that everyone there should speak like a BBC reporter and follow the same strict grammar rules that they learned in school.

When I was in Germany I was often "informed" that what they learned "British English" and was I spoke as my native language in the US was a "slang" even though in reality many BE speakers slaughter the language just as badly if not worse than many Americans.
John   Wed Nov 14, 2007 1:29 am GMT
Sorry the last paragraph should have been:

When I was in Germany I was often "informed" that what they learned was "British English" and what I spoke as my native language in the US was a "slang" even though in reality many BE speakers slaughter the language just as badly if not worse than many Americans.
Uriel   Fri Nov 16, 2007 3:37 am GMT
<<in reality many BE speakers slaughter the language just as badly if not worse than many Americans>>

And that is the damn truth, John! It cracks me up to hear non-English-speakers pooh-pooh American English as a bastardization when in fact every common grammatical mistake and dialectical oddness that you hear American speakers commit was first invented -- and still used -- in the UK.
Sammy   Mon Dec 10, 2007 10:43 pm GMT
I am an American and I think the Americans tend to assume that all Brits speak like the queen. They certainly all don't. London accents are the best. You get the the very cockney style ones which can be too much and then the Sienna Miller accent which is luscious. Aaarrrggghhhh, those south east girls have very sexy accents. In some places it can be rather too common sounding but the Sienna Miller style, Minnie Driver etc sound divine and you will find people speaking like them in the south east. Most English people will admit that they don't like American accents. Neither do the Australians. They only like the New York accent but who doesn't?
Mikey   Mon Dec 10, 2007 10:55 pm GMT
I agree with Sammy. Many perceive the British to either speak like the queen or with a cockney accent. I have been to England and the southern accents are the best. Sorry to the rest of you. A Scottish accent is nice because it's different. But the london accents are totally the best. Australian accents are nice but whilst in England I noticed the people from Australia who have moved to London - like Kylie Minogue try and mingle there accent with an English one. Is that just me, or has anyone else noticed?
Damian in Edinburgh   Tue Dec 11, 2007 4:06 pm GMT
Lawyurrr or Lawyah? teachurr or Teachah?

Two perfectly respectable every day English words causing so much trans-Atlantic hilarity.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxFSXao4jCg&feature=related

It's a shame that that English guy's English English accent is probably perceived as the standard British accent by many people in much of the rest of the world. My own accent is every bit as validly British as that guy's. So is Stephen Gerrard's for that matter. :-) Neither of us pronounce those two words as does that guy in the YT clip.
Guest   Wed Dec 12, 2007 8:36 pm GMT
British