Differences between American & British English

Damian, you've caught me! I don't know how do Nauruans speak English. Nauru is the smallest island that is a country and it produces phosphate, but I haven't heard a Polinesian man speaking in English. Nauruans speak another national language, and they have put English as an official language because they were from Australia. But I don't think they speak in an Aussie way. Perhaps in a Hawaiianan accent...

Well to be perfectly honest, I don't see much difference between just south of the river and just north of it. And with new people arriving all the time, many people don't have stereotypical accents.

Ken Livingstone, Michael Caine, Jools Holland, Dennis Jr out of Eastenders - all of these have South London accents. Michael Caine and Jools Holland are more inner South London and Ken and Dennis are more southerly.

But it's true, now I no longer live there (and for some time) I think David Beckham (North London) sounds like Jools Holland.

I just stopped reading at page 28 so I don't know what topics you are dealing with now. As far as to choose an accent to learn English as a second language it really depends on your 'taste' to name it somehow.
I thought that the American variety was easier, but that was simply because I had more access to American films and soup operas rather than to British ones. Afterwards I went to London for some months and I changed my mind. Now then it is not a matter of easiness but a matter of exposure, the more you are in touch with a given accent the more used you become to it and so the more you understand it, ok? :D

david bosch, i am an american and i don't think we pronounce water like waerur. i think it is more like (and also many people will tell you) it's more like wadder. they'll also tell you we pronounce matter like madder. really they'll tell you we make our t's sound like d's.

boy, do you know what those slang terms mean. where are you from.

Inoxi, I agree with you. Being in Japan has opened my mind to all of the different ways of speaking English. Before I came here, I had great confidence in my understanding of English. But now I am not altogether sure what English I understand. American-style English seems to be preferred here, but there are ALTS from all over the world, so students are exposed to lots of different accents and pronunciations. Its been hard for me to strike a balance. When a JTL asks me, "does the period go inside or outside of the quotation mark," all that I can think to say is, "well, it depends.".

(JTL is Japanese Teacher of Language, which is Engish.)

Nauru, Nauru, Nauru...

What do you prefer: Saying "potato crisps" or "potato chips". I think crisps are better with ketchup...

Crisps come out of a packet and are great when you're watching late night tv and feel a wee bit peckish...have whatever flavour you fancy. I love bacon or cheese and onion....yummy. Chips come out of the deep hot oil fryer and are great with anything but not every day if you want to stay slim and toned :-)

Damian: Well, with all the technology in the world I'm sure you will be able to hear my accent.
PS: I rather say chips :p (may be I am more used to hear American English and that's why ''crisps'' sounds funny to me).
PS2: Is the 2ND time I get into a forum and I'm already becoming an adict :P

Che Eugenia!

I heard in my English class that the negative of "used to" was "didn't use to". But then I opened my dictionary and oh surprise! "Didn't used to" and "usedn't to" were also valid. You bet I was astonished!

I dont think anyone says 'potato crisps'- its just 'crisps'...

I prefer ''potato chips''.

I'm an American, and from what I've read, it makes you British people sound like you're better than everyone else. Now to me, your British accent sound incredibly boring to me. We have different accents in America. The most famous are the New York accent and the Chicago accent. We're not boring at all.

And another thing, the southern accent in the US is far more interesting than the British.