Which accent is really more popular in the world?

Ian   Mon Nov 05, 2007 5:46 pm GMT
"Between British accent and American accent, which one do you think sounds more pleasing? Which one is more popular the world over?"

To answer the original question:
Both in British Isles and in America there are accents that are pleasant, and some that are not.

I can't say of the whole world, but what I've observed:

In Indonesia: American is the cooler version of English. It is also omnipresent through the media.

In Germany: British English is just as popular as American. At school British English is still taught more.
Oscar   Fri Nov 09, 2007 5:59 pm GMT
I'm not a native speaker. I speak with an American accent, probably because I've seen too many Hollywood movies. But I must admit I'd love to speak with a British accent. I once had a conversation with an Englishman and when he asked me what I studied, I replied "aeronaudddical engineering"-- "I'm sorry?", he said.
Lo   Fri Nov 09, 2007 6:20 pm GMT
<<Midwesterners, and Northeasterners, themselves, refer to Northeasterners as Yankees>>
I'm Northeasterner and I refer to people from New England as Yankees.
Damian in Perth   Fri Nov 09, 2007 8:42 pm GMT
***I once had a conversation with an Englishman and when he asked me what I studied, I replied "aeronaudddical engineering"-- "I'm sorry?", he said***

If that Englishman had any sense of discretion he would have said: "Huh? Whaddya mean?" :-) Only joking!........ I'm only glad that he didn't say: "I beg your pardon?" What he actually said, though, is the most usual form when you don't quite understand what someone has said. The term "I beg your pardon" is now almost always used to express indignation or anger.
Afai   Sat Nov 10, 2007 6:43 am GMT
I also observed that there are some areas where Ameracan accent is more preferred than English -but this suits for lands where american influenced much more on the culture -for example in Japan. The other countries -Germany, Italy -mostly European schools taught British variant as a classic.
Guest   Sat Nov 10, 2007 12:05 pm GMT
Everyone should learn Queen's English. It is so wonderful.
Damian in Perth   Sun Nov 11, 2007 2:53 pm GMT
The Queen's English is just a general term which refers to the "Language of the United Kingdom" as a whole and does not actually mean any specific kind of English spoken here, or to any particular accent or dialect. It certainly doesn't mean the English as spoken by the Queen herself (which has radically changed a great deal since her early years anyway - thanks be to the Almighty for that!), or to the much vaunted RP, posh or semi posh English English RP generally assumed to be the more neutral accent pravalent in many parts of England, especially in the south and south east.

The Queen's English refers to ALL the "Englishes" spoken in the UK. Old Will Shakespeare himself originally coined the phrase "the Queen's English" in "The Merry Wives of Windsor". The English spoken in the England of his day was very different from what we know today c.450 years later. Today Will the Bard of Avon would sound like some old rustic who have had a hell of a time making himself understood by today's society in his native Warwickshire. Both both forms of English would be classified as the Queen's English. When Queen Liz snuffs it sometime in the future Charlie boy will ascend the throne in the normal course of events (as King George VII apparently, God only knows why) and the title will automatically revert to the King's English and we'll all have to remember to sing God Save the King.
Uriel   Sun Nov 11, 2007 4:10 pm GMT
Good lord, Damian, what are you doing in Perth?
Damian in Perth SCOTLAND   Sun Nov 11, 2007 11:59 pm GMT
Och Uriel - silly lassie that you are! :-) Surely you didnae think I was down in Aussieland did you? I'm in the original Perth as I said - the real genuine Perth ....the Scottish one that was a city long before anyone knew Australia even existed! :-)

Actually I've been a dutiful grandson this weekend and have stayed with my gran as my grand-dad died earlier this year and as I've been working in London for so long I haven't seen her since the funeral. It's 45 miles from Edinburgh so I will get up early in the morning and drive to work from here...it won't take long as long. Her brother was killed in WW2 so I took her to the Remembrance Day parade today.....always very moving. We now have to take Iraq and Afghanistan into account - Perth has lost two of its sons in those crappy wastelands.

This is where I am...the real Perth and not an Australian copy. Anyway, why did all you colonies (and ex-colonies in your case, American lady!) steal all our place names???? Couldn't you think up any new ones of your own?

:-)

http://www.perthshire-scotland.co.uk/perth2.htm

www.perfectperth.com
Dude from Devonshire in C   Mon Nov 12, 2007 12:16 am GMT
<<Anyway, why did all you colonies (and ex-colonies in your case, American lady!) steal all our place names???? Couldn't you think up any new ones of your own?>>

I guess it's to remind us where our heart truly belongs. LOL.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chatsworth,_Los_Angeles,_California
Dude from Devonshire   Mon Nov 12, 2007 12:20 am GMT
Drats! My screen name got cut off.

Dude from Devonshire in Chatsworth
Jasper   Mon Nov 12, 2007 6:24 pm GMT
Damian:

The UK is our Mother Country..
Larissa   Mon Nov 12, 2007 7:17 pm GMT
Well I personally love Americans, the USA and American accent. I have nothing against British accent but American sounds much better and nicer, for me at least!!!
Thank you
Guest   Mon Nov 12, 2007 7:20 pm GMT
Are you joking? The Americans sound as if they had a potato in their mouths.
Guest   Mon Nov 12, 2007 10:01 pm GMT
<<Are you joking? The Americans sound as if they had a potato in their mouths.>>

Nah. The British are the ones who sound like they've got potatoes in their mouths:

http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/bobjude/audio/gasses.wav
http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/bobjude/audio/luw.wav