How does English sound for people who don´t understand the language?
Can they identify accent, or is English just English?
Can they identify accent, or is English just English?
how does English sound for strangers?
I've read that to French and Spanish speakers English sounds jerky because it is what is called a "stress-timed" language (- different syllables are spoken at different lenths of time). Other stress-timed languages include Danish, German and Russian. On the other hand, French, Spanish, Italian and Japanese are what are known as "syllable-timed" languages (- all syllables are spoken at pretty much the the same rate of time) which is why they have kind of a monotone or machine gun-like sound to English speakers.
Below is a Wikkipedia article which talks about some of this too:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lexical_stress
Below is a Wikkipedia article which talks about some of this too:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lexical_stress
No, I disagree. I think it sounds like Vietnamese. But my uncle says it sounds like French.
To my ears, English initially sounded gibberish and a kind of language was only spoken by sci-fi people. Now I understand pretty much in the language so it sounded like my native language.I don't feel any difference when I watch an English movie or a movie in my native language. In other words, it has become quite neutral. I don't enjoy the language as much as I used to do when I was a zero beginner.
I have learnt English since I was 7, so it does not sound so strange any longer, but I still remember when I was 5-6 and watched English movies (I also thought it sounded kinda sci-fi-ish)
I still think it sounds weird!
I still think it sounds weird!
I don´t think it sounds french at all!
some words are of french origin, but they don´t pronounce it the same way!
some words are of french origin, but they don´t pronounce it the same way!
Well from a German point of view English sounds very pleasant almost like if they are singing out their sentences. It is quite hard at times when I speak English. Unlike German which we have short sharp sounds (like what an English person pointed out to me it sounded like 'commands') English has this beauiful tune behind their pronuncation of words.
English in my opinion is the most pleasant sounding Germanic Language. Though not due to it's Germanic roots but thanks to the large injection of Noman French.
English in my opinion is the most pleasant sounding Germanic Language. Though not due to it's Germanic roots but thanks to the large injection of Noman French.
Spoken English has so many variables it's difficult to give an adequate answer to this thread's title question. Strangers obviously means non-native English speakers, but believe me "strangers" in other parts of the UK think the local variety sounds weird......in some places, even comical, as in Brummieland (Birmingham). The first impression you get is that they are taking the piss out of you by talking in a false jokey accent...but no, it's for real! But the announcer on New Street train station had a lovely clear and distinct non-specific accent....just as well as it's no good getting on a train you think is going to Holyhead and you end up in Cardiff. So you don't have to be a "foreigner" in the strict sense of the word to give an answer on "how English sounds to you". Bloody strange some of the time. LOL
Where I am now it's exquisite...
Where I am now it's exquisite...
I can hear the difference between UK and US accent but not New york and Californian for example
i can say that English is a very beautiful language and that English pronounciation is very nice especially American one