I think American accent is more popular than British in the world. Because there are a large number of Hollywood movies, and most of them use American accent. People are easily to learn American accent around their daily life. Obviously, British accent is weaker than American accent.
Which accent is really more popular in the world?
*I think American accent is more popular than British in the world.* It's easier grasped because of the reasons you've mentioned. However, I can't agree with *British accent is weaker than American accent*. What do you mean by weaker? A lot of Americans told me that they relly like to hear people speaking with British accent.
weaker means that they dont shout at the top of their lungs like Americans.
***A lot of Americans told me that they really like to hear people speaking with British accent***
Which one in particular? Please, please, please don't mention bloody Hugh Grant!!!
Americans may say they "really like to hear people speaking with British accent(s)" but in real life situations on their own home ground (the USA) when confronted with British people speaking in their own (British) accents, it leads to a whole lot of confusion, apparently. It seems that lots of British people over there get pissed off being asked to repeat themselves over and over again even when using very mundane words. Brits resident in America now deliberately "Americanise" their words to avoid all of this sort of frustration - as an example asking a waiter/waitress for "a gless of wah-durrr, please!" instead of the ever so English English "Glaahhsss of waw-tah, please!" They say it makes them feel right muppets having to wilfully change their naive accents just so that they can be understood.
I've never yet heard of any reverse sitiation with American tourists/resident expats over here having to "Anglicise/Briticise (?)" their accent in similar circumstances. I reckon that's because Brits (generally) are so much more familiar with different accents and dialects from all over the place than are those more insular guys over the puddle.
Insular - that's what so many Continentals call us - we are insular in the true sense of the world (literally being islanders) but with so many "foreigners" living amongst /coming to visit us now etc....we can hardly be called "insular" any more. In fact, we aren't really an island anymore, are we?
From 30,000 feet up in the air, crossing the English Channel looks almost like crossing a very wide river - you can clearly look down on the towns, villages and countryside of England and France both at the same time if you wriggle about in your seat, with all those wee boats bobbing about on the blue(ish)/grey(ish) historic waters in between. I always find that very reassuring and very disturbing both at the same time for some reason.
Which one in particular? Please, please, please don't mention bloody Hugh Grant!!!
Americans may say they "really like to hear people speaking with British accent(s)" but in real life situations on their own home ground (the USA) when confronted with British people speaking in their own (British) accents, it leads to a whole lot of confusion, apparently. It seems that lots of British people over there get pissed off being asked to repeat themselves over and over again even when using very mundane words. Brits resident in America now deliberately "Americanise" their words to avoid all of this sort of frustration - as an example asking a waiter/waitress for "a gless of wah-durrr, please!" instead of the ever so English English "Glaahhsss of waw-tah, please!" They say it makes them feel right muppets having to wilfully change their naive accents just so that they can be understood.
I've never yet heard of any reverse sitiation with American tourists/resident expats over here having to "Anglicise/Briticise (?)" their accent in similar circumstances. I reckon that's because Brits (generally) are so much more familiar with different accents and dialects from all over the place than are those more insular guys over the puddle.
Insular - that's what so many Continentals call us - we are insular in the true sense of the world (literally being islanders) but with so many "foreigners" living amongst /coming to visit us now etc....we can hardly be called "insular" any more. In fact, we aren't really an island anymore, are we?
From 30,000 feet up in the air, crossing the English Channel looks almost like crossing a very wide river - you can clearly look down on the towns, villages and countryside of England and France both at the same time if you wriggle about in your seat, with all those wee boats bobbing about on the blue(ish)/grey(ish) historic waters in between. I always find that very reassuring and very disturbing both at the same time for some reason.
As a french man, i prefer the american accent. The english one is funny. The scottish one is nice, the same with the irish one: nice.
Thanks, Teacher.... my rushed typing....proofreader now had the order of the boot.
I think the "English accent" is funny, too - hilarious at times. But which one????? Some of them are as different from each other as cheddar is from chalk. It's that bloke Grant again isn't it?! Now that IS hilarious....
The Scottish accent is nice?......a Frenchman with an ear for quality....
I think the "English accent" is funny, too - hilarious at times. But which one????? Some of them are as different from each other as cheddar is from chalk. It's that bloke Grant again isn't it?! Now that IS hilarious....
The Scottish accent is nice?......a Frenchman with an ear for quality....
<< A lot of Americans told me that they relly like to hear people speaking with British accent. >>
I have no idea why that is. People comment on how the British accent(s) sound so elegant and proper. Obviously they have never heard the lovely squawking of such proper English roses as Jordan, Jodie Marsh and Jade Goody.
I have no idea why that is. People comment on how the British accent(s) sound so elegant and proper. Obviously they have never heard the lovely squawking of such proper English roses as Jordan, Jodie Marsh and Jade Goody.
"A lot of Americans told me that they relly like to hear people speaking with British accent."
Coming from a female perspective I can say that hearing British (as well as those "spin offs" if you will) is sexier because it is different. I love watching BBC partially because the humor is more like my own and the story lines tend to be more original. As for American accents, stale, boring, and quite frankly quite unintelligent.
"It seems that lots of British people over there get pissed off being asked to repeat themselves over and over again even when using very mundane words."
How sad. I personally have worked in a tourist area and never had anyone repeat themselves. Americans just don't listen. They may hear what is being said but they don't Listen.
"As a french man, i prefer the american accent. The english one is funny. The scottish one is nice, the same with the irish one: nice. " Nico
I have to agree completely with that statement. Course I would listen to French anyday of the week too. :) I am also a unique American in that when I get imported movies I actually listen to them in the original language. I happen to be on a Japanese anime kick right now and love hearing the original language (it also makes it easier to get the jokes since quite a lot does not translate correctly).
Getting back to my original statement I think British accents are more lyrical than American and it is what is enjoyable about listening to them. Americans are sloppy with their speech which creates a lack of cadence and music to the language.
Coming from a female perspective I can say that hearing British (as well as those "spin offs" if you will) is sexier because it is different. I love watching BBC partially because the humor is more like my own and the story lines tend to be more original. As for American accents, stale, boring, and quite frankly quite unintelligent.
"It seems that lots of British people over there get pissed off being asked to repeat themselves over and over again even when using very mundane words."
How sad. I personally have worked in a tourist area and never had anyone repeat themselves. Americans just don't listen. They may hear what is being said but they don't Listen.
"As a french man, i prefer the american accent. The english one is funny. The scottish one is nice, the same with the irish one: nice. " Nico
I have to agree completely with that statement. Course I would listen to French anyday of the week too. :) I am also a unique American in that when I get imported movies I actually listen to them in the original language. I happen to be on a Japanese anime kick right now and love hearing the original language (it also makes it easier to get the jokes since quite a lot does not translate correctly).
Getting back to my original statement I think British accents are more lyrical than American and it is what is enjoyable about listening to them. Americans are sloppy with their speech which creates a lack of cadence and music to the language.
My favourite accent is Queen Elizabeth's one. Well, I don't consider her English has accent, it's the only proper English.
Damian- I'm going to defend American ignorance which isn't something I do often, but I feel a sudden urge. I think that a lot of the problem as far as misunderstandings between tourists/ natives has to do with the variety of British accents. As you say: what British accent? In America, we have regional differences, but they are fairly small. In Britain, there may be two people sitting in the same pub who don't say a single word alike. There is a lot of familiarizing for us to do and it's not everyday that we run across someone from the East End of London, someone from Manchester, and then someone from Liverpool. So, its a bit harsh to expect us to be familiar with all of their different accents and more. (On a personal note- I'm all for variety. I think its great that there are so many regional accents across the pond instead of one watered down version of several like we have and I would like to understand the majority of them.)
As for Hugh Grant- he's one of the few English actors ever promoted in a big way, so of course we think of him as representative of the English as a whole (even if that is completely and totally unfair). If the media had promoted a Scouser in that way, we would probably think that all people from England spoke with a Scouse accent. (Another personal aside- The way that Hugh Grant speaks really bugs me. I don't like the super posh, stuttering, pronounce every syllable at least three times to make sure you get it right at least once thing. I was watching CSI: New York the other night with my family and we all decided that Claire Forlani speaks too posh too. We all thought that someone with a thick Cockney accent would have been much more fun to listen to, but I guess they wanted to juxtapose her by-the-book super correct speech with that of the native New Yorkers on the show. What a pity.)
O.K. wierd and unusual (for me) patriotic moment over.
As for Hugh Grant- he's one of the few English actors ever promoted in a big way, so of course we think of him as representative of the English as a whole (even if that is completely and totally unfair). If the media had promoted a Scouser in that way, we would probably think that all people from England spoke with a Scouse accent. (Another personal aside- The way that Hugh Grant speaks really bugs me. I don't like the super posh, stuttering, pronounce every syllable at least three times to make sure you get it right at least once thing. I was watching CSI: New York the other night with my family and we all decided that Claire Forlani speaks too posh too. We all thought that someone with a thick Cockney accent would have been much more fun to listen to, but I guess they wanted to juxtapose her by-the-book super correct speech with that of the native New Yorkers on the show. What a pity.)
O.K. wierd and unusual (for me) patriotic moment over.
Hugh Grant appears as a confused guy in his movies due to his accent or he has a tendency to play those roles in which he comes across as a confused guy.
"In America, we have regional differences, but they are fairly small." Rene
I hate to disagree but that is not completely correct. Go to upper Minnesota, North Dakota, "Ooper Mitchigan" and compair to New York. They are almost completely different languages. These northern areas are heavily influenced by Scandinavian languages and hence have that sound and speech patterns. Compair that to Tucson, Arizona and you have a huge gap in dialects. Can we understand each other, to a point. There are New Yorkers whose accent is so thick it is hard to make out what they are saying even for me who worked international tech support for a computer company. I work with a gentleman from Texas and the midwesterners who have never lived anywhere but here had a hard time deciphering what he is saying at times.
I hate to disagree but that is not completely correct. Go to upper Minnesota, North Dakota, "Ooper Mitchigan" and compair to New York. They are almost completely different languages. These northern areas are heavily influenced by Scandinavian languages and hence have that sound and speech patterns. Compair that to Tucson, Arizona and you have a huge gap in dialects. Can we understand each other, to a point. There are New Yorkers whose accent is so thick it is hard to make out what they are saying even for me who worked international tech support for a computer company. I work with a gentleman from Texas and the midwesterners who have never lived anywhere but here had a hard time deciphering what he is saying at times.
I wouldn't say they are like completely different languages; they certainly do not differ as much from other North American English dialects as many English English dialects differ from each other. For instance, the dialect here in Milwaukee (which is similar to those you speak of) seems to be quite intelligible to most other English-speaking North Americans (despite the occasional thing that sometimes trips listeners up), even though I have run into non-native English speakers who have had problems with it (but not other NAE dialects).