Glasgow accent, Help!

Angela   Tue May 23, 2006 2:12 pm GMT
I'm from a non-English speaking country. Although I have learned English for many years and quite proud of it, I'm totally depressed when I came to Glasgow.

I feel it so hard to understand what people are saying. Can anyone give me some advice about how to improve it?

I download the comsit 'chewin the fat'. It is difficult to get to know what people are saying by myself. Is there anyone have the scripts or can help me understand it?

Thanks very much for whatever your help!
j   Tue May 23, 2006 4:20 pm GMT
Download "The full monty' (with subtitles) where the main character played by Robert Carlyle has a thick Glasgow accent. Enjoy the movie
µ   Tue May 23, 2006 6:25 pm GMT
µ   Tue May 23, 2006 6:28 pm GMT
Also, if you don't mind my asking, why did you choose Glasgow out of all the places in the world?
Angela   Wed May 24, 2006 10:27 am GMT
Thanks for all the help :) The resources you provided are very useful.

It's not me, but my husband's choice. He now study here for a PHD degree. So, however reluctant, I should be here.

What lucky is, Glaswegian are always very kind and patient. They don't mind my "sorry" or "pardon". So I think, there will be improvement.

Bless me
Damian in Edinburgh   Fri May 26, 2006 1:57 pm GMT
Angela: bless you, hen! :-)

Good luck with your Glaswegian.....for all my pisstaking (I'm frae Edinburgh, it's rival city) of Glasgow and Glaswegians, it's a really great city. A European City of Culture cannae be too bad can it? Great nightlife too.

For funky music Scottish style try this link (real player, follow the click links) and listen to the voice (and accent as you're from distant parts!) of the cool Chris Rasdale as presenter.....he's a great fave here in Scotland.

http://www.internetradio.co.uk/celtic.html

Cheers!
Guest   Wed Jun 28, 2006 5:43 am GMT
Is the Glasgow accent the one from the Australian "Goggomobil" commercial? The one where the Scot says "go go ... Gee Or, Gee Gee Or ... Not the dart".
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Damian in Edinburgh   Fri Jun 30, 2006 6:37 am GMT
Before most call centres here in the UK we transferred to the Indian Sub Continent, many of them were based in Glasgow.

That caused more aggravation resulting from inability to comprehend the accent for people elsewhere in the UK - mostly in England, of course - than happens now. It seems that most English people at least find it easier to understand the Asian accent than the Glasgow one.

I cannot judge really, as I am used to the Glasgow accent, and in any case the organisations concerned did not select people with very strong Glasgow accents or who spoke dialectically.

It would have been easier to have had the call centres here in Edinburgh where the accent is less harsh and much easier for the poor wee Sassenachs to understand, but at the time of setting up the call centres there was a need for jobs in Glasgow which is not so much the case today.
Damian   Fri Jun 30, 2006 6:39 am GMT
**Before most call centres here in the UK we transferred**

we = were
Willy   Fri Jun 30, 2006 6:47 am GMT
I guess Angela is not deeply trained to speak correct English. Beware of English dialects. When someone learn a kind of English, it's a bit hard to understand listening other dialects. Make an effort on searching other accents. This will help you speak English as your second language.
Rene   Mon Jul 03, 2006 3:11 pm GMT
<...resulting from an inability to understand the accent>

It takes me like three minutes to get used to any accent outside the US and then after that I'm fine. Its a really cool feeling whats you get to understand it... like understand a second language without having spent the time to learn it. LOL.