US English is easier, especially the Californian version. You don't even have to have the CVS. The bad thing about British English: when you go to the UK, you may not be able to understand what they say, because only 4% of them use the pronunciation you learn (RP or BBC English), it's like learning Hochdeutsch only and try to understand how Swiss people talk.
Which English variety to settle on? British or American?
California really doesn't have its own version of US English. I lived there for years and never heard anything unusual about the way they talk.
''California really doesn't have its own version of US English''
this is not true at all:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_English
this is not true at all:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_English
But that article isn't saying that California English is such a distinct dialect that it would hinder any kind of communication, only that there are some pronunciations and terms that are distinctly Californian. If you learn US English you'll understand almost all US English speakers with equal ease. It's not like the situation with British English, where dialects vary so widely that they have mutual intelligibility problems (especially when foreigners try to interpret them).
- Kef
- Kef
I think American English is getting more dominant with the time that British English.
I have a few examples of this. Let's see the word "TISSUE", in Britain, it used to be pronounced as / tisyu:/ that is TISS YOU but now adays with the media and the ideology of America, it's been changed to be TISSUE / tishu:/ that is TISHOO. I think, from my own experience that depending on whom you're using your English with you should decide what to choose. For me, it was pretty hard to be understood by my wife when I used to speak the British Accent<<< SHE IS AMERICAN. She used to go WHAT!!!!!! WHAT!!!!!!! a lot. That doesn't mean that British and Americans can't understand each other but Americans have difficulties understanding British.
My Advice to you is you should try to enhance your American accent if you want to be understood better and you should enhance your Britiish one if you want to sound more sophisticated.
I have a few examples of this. Let's see the word "TISSUE", in Britain, it used to be pronounced as / tisyu:/ that is TISS YOU but now adays with the media and the ideology of America, it's been changed to be TISSUE / tishu:/ that is TISHOO. I think, from my own experience that depending on whom you're using your English with you should decide what to choose. For me, it was pretty hard to be understood by my wife when I used to speak the British Accent<<< SHE IS AMERICAN. She used to go WHAT!!!!!! WHAT!!!!!!! a lot. That doesn't mean that British and Americans can't understand each other but Americans have difficulties understanding British.
My Advice to you is you should try to enhance your American accent if you want to be understood better and you should enhance your Britiish one if you want to sound more sophisticated.
I LOVE CALIFORNIAN English. It's slow and clear. For me it's better than Oklahoma's.
You may want to check on a book (originally) by Charles K. Ogden, "Basic English." His intent was to teach a simple English, which could be understood anywhere. For example, in USA we may say "I liked your dancing." Ogden's method would be to say "I like the way you dance."
The first example turns a noun into a verb (dance), and people (especially in Northern UK and Ireland) may not understand that usage format at all.
He advocates minimizing verb useage by using more nouns so the language is more easily understood.
The first example turns a noun into a verb (dance), and people (especially in Northern UK and Ireland) may not understand that usage format at all.
He advocates minimizing verb useage by using more nouns so the language is more easily understood.
I think this forum has gotten USEAGE (where it started) intermingled with ACCENTS. FYI: This type of confusion is typcial with Americans, somewhat with the English. People who *ACTUALLY LEARN* their language (French, Spanish, etc) don't make these kinds of mistakes.
Another interesting aspect I find of Californians is they create so many "words on the fly" (words derived from feeling or acronyms, etc).
Another interesting aspect I find of Californians is they create so many "words on the fly" (words derived from feeling or acronyms, etc).
"This type of confusion is typcial with Americans, somewhat with the English."
Care to elaborate on that?
Care to elaborate on that?
Hm, I have a sort of different view now, since my last post...
All I've got to do is to listen "an awful" lot, which goes against traditional weird approaches lol, but which would enable me to at least understand TV after a year of part-time study. Then, it's not a question of what I should choose but, rather, to which I would have more exposure to through 1) using learning materials (courses, dictionaries, audiobooks) and 2) watching TV, for example. I must admit that, then, I would be learning more American English..
All I've got to do is to listen "an awful" lot, which goes against traditional weird approaches lol, but which would enable me to at least understand TV after a year of part-time study. Then, it's not a question of what I should choose but, rather, to which I would have more exposure to through 1) using learning materials (courses, dictionaries, audiobooks) and 2) watching TV, for example. I must admit that, then, I would be learning more American English..
I say TISSUE like tisuet, tisuot, tiuel, disu, and tisa but not tishoo.
In B.E caught for court
In A.E. cot for cat in B.E
CAT IS (K EH-AH T) AS IN YEAH OR BEAR.
I don't deal my accent with any of all the English dialects, but English language itself changes according to the country you're residing.
I hate to hear Americans saying pen for pin. Where's the short i sound they're talking about which sounds almost like a short e sound?
I don't say beach for bitch, okay!
In A.E. cot for cat in B.E
CAT IS (K EH-AH T) AS IN YEAH OR BEAR.
I don't deal my accent with any of all the English dialects, but English language itself changes according to the country you're residing.
I hate to hear Americans saying pen for pin. Where's the short i sound they're talking about which sounds almost like a short e sound?
I don't say beach for bitch, okay!