Speaking with a native American

Would you pay 15 Euros/hour to speak with a native speaker of American English over the phone?

Wouldn't it be a lot easier to just befriend one and talk to him/her for free?

It would all depend on how amused I'd be during that hour. It'd rather get a life though. ;-)

Why would anybody want to speak to a native American? Or is it a native American who is a native speaker of American English?

There's nothing wrong with speaking to a native American - however, this expression refers to the indigenous peoples of America - as they are sometimes called, Indians. Native english speakers in America are just called Americans - and native Americans should be under the title American as well, however, we use "native" American" to refer to the precise group. "American" is a broad term for everyone from the United States.

Anyone I bet you could do that overseas without having to organize this. Just make an overseas call and dial a 900 number (900 numbers are for sex talks)

Anyone = Anyway

I'm paying 7 euros ph for speaking to an American woman (at the language school). Generally, I choose subjects of our conversations but sometimes we go along with things she's brought/prepared. It's a very attractive price in my country (Poland) for an hour of conversation with a native.

Apart from that, she's a cute twenty ;)

And of course it's all one-to-one, face-to-face, not on the phone.

With a possible continuation at a cafe and then a long drive through the midnight town and then...

Andrews, Andrews! Wake up! Wake up!

Ps. Yes, it's posibble, except that long drive...

Even 15 euro/hr is a reasonable rate if the speaker is actually a teacher. If he or she isn't a teacher, I'm not sure that paying anything at all is justified. The going rate at language schools in Paris for instruction with native speakers (American or otherwise) is from 50 to 120 euro per hour, of which the instructor herself receives from 10 to 30 euro (before taxes and other charges).

A native American, by the way, is anyone born in the Americas (particularly, but not necessarily, the United States). People of indigenous ancestry are most accurately called aboriginal Americans, but since most Americans are too illiterate to know what that word means, they often call such people Indians instead (because when Columbus voyaged to the Americas and first met them, he thought he was in India). The term Native American meaning only aboriginal Americans is a excess of political correctness and a deliberate slap in the face of the majority of Americans, most of whom are natives; the term is more popular among Americans of European ancestry with a guilt complex than it is among aboriginal Americans themselves.

In any case, the aboriginal Americans we know today are of indigenous ancestry since time immemorial, but their ancestors were not the first people in the Americas, based on the latest archaeological evidence.

Anyway … Americans from the United States or Canada are usually good models of GAE unless they are from a few areas with marked regional accents (Boston, New York, and particularly the southern U.S. from Texas eastward). GAE is extremely consistent over a very large part of North America, and in fact there are more native speakers of GAE than of any other variety of English.

"A native American, by the way, is anyone born in the Americas (particularly, but not necessarily, the United States). The term Native American meaning only aboriginal Americans is a excess of political correctness and a deliberate slap in the face of the majority of Americans, most of whom are natives; the term is more popular among Americans of European ancestry with a guilt complex than it is among aboriginal Americans themselves."

Whatever your opinion on the matter is, the fact that a native american (when said in America) refers to those indigenous peoples who were here before Christopher Columbus (or a Viking) set foot on American soil will not change. It is accepted terminology here - and I'm sure I don't say it out of some guilt complex. It is just terminology I grew up with. While it may have been something that evolved from guilt (this is speculation to me, I have never seen hard facts on this), it is no longer said from any guilt complex.

About: "the term is more popular among Americans of European ancestry with a guilt complex than it is among aboriginal Americans themselves"

I don't know whether this is true or not. Granted, I have only known one Native American (my boss), but she referred to herself as a native american. Of course, she would also say she was part of the Five Nations if asked further.

Why would someone want to pay money to speak to an American? Just watch some American tv, practice the pronunciation, then talk to a friend who's learning with you. Or you could call me, and pay me 10 euros per hour...

"People of indigenous ancestry are most accurately called aboriginal Americans, but since most Americans are too illiterate to know what that word means, they often call such people Indians instead (because when Columbus voyaged to the Americas and first met them, he thought he was in India)."

Literates and illiterates alike call them American Indians, alongside the other valid names.

"In any case, the aboriginal Americans we know today are of indigenous ancestry since time immemorial, but their ancestors were not the first people in the Americas, based on the latest archaeological evidence."

Their continuous presence has been phenominally longer than that of the European colonizers.

"GAE is extremely consistent over a very large part of North America, and in fact there are more native speakers of GAE than of any other variety of English."

They also happen to be the most isolated in the world.