CringeFest: Foreigners trying to hard to talk like natives

beneficii   Fri May 23, 2008 9:08 am GMT
Theo,

>>Also, when I'm chatting online I always see things like "How r u?", "I wanna make new friends", and "I gotta go".<<

None of those 3 phrases would give away someone as a foreigner.
KC   Mon May 26, 2008 9:23 am GMT
Seriously, I have to second the opinion that American kids use 'like', 'so', 'omigod', 'totally' randomly and excessively. In that respect at least, the Brits speak better.
Guest   Mon May 26, 2008 9:33 am GMT
I've heard British kids saying 'like' all the time too.
KC   Mon May 26, 2008 10:35 am GMT
Very true guest. Brit kids have picked up on this habit from Americans, and will very soon, on the other words I mentioned, too. And Brit English is all the worse for it. Note: I'm neither American nor British, so I am being neutral about this.
Jasper   Mon May 26, 2008 6:27 pm GMT
The first time I hear a Brit or a German say,"Aaaaah-some" (open the mouth wide for the strongest effect), I'll know the world has gone to the dogs. ;-)
Curioso   Tue May 27, 2008 4:37 am GMT
I still need to see a British person speaking cheap English the way American youth does.