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    British/ American accent: your opinions (2)

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    Re: British/ American accent: your opinions by tiamo, posted on 07-01-2008 at 02:22:32
    The most important thing for native French speakers to remember is that if they have trouble pronouncing "th" then they should, for instance, say "zink" rather than "fink". Note that there are some people (mostly in London) who say "fink" instead of "think" but that's because they is fick. LOL



    Re: British/ American accent: your opinions by phill, posted on 14-01-2008 at 05:01:21

    I prefer the American accent, particularly from L.A.....better sound


    Re: British/ American accent: your opinions by asma25, posted on 14-01-2008 at 22:48:36
    Both of them are good, but about me i study brithish accent but i don't mind if i can speak with americen one.


    Re: British/ American accent: your opinions by amran, posted on 16-01-2008 at 10:53:12
    In my opinion british accent is more easy and more understanding than american langage because i have been studied the both in the same class and i look that there is a big difference in prononciation and writing.


    Re: British/ American accent: your opinions by liattra, posted on 16-01-2008 at 18:33:32
    hi.I am a Algerian and I learn the British English because I guess it's accent is very beautiful than American accent.it's my view point of view

    -------------------
    Modifié par bridg le 30-01-2008 15:47


    Re: British/ American accent: your opinions by shumer, posted on 30-01-2008 at 15:46:01
    Good afternoon!
    Have you ever thought that country of origin of English language is England..And it was spoken there for centuries before America.Even in British - English there are many accents.That's the same in every language.In America different parts of America have different accents.Every accent has own beauty.As it shows culture, education, taste and lots of other things ...
    English language was born in England. Other countries as America started using it and some of them made it own language..
    So!? How could be copied English by Americans from British be more natural than real, natural one?!
    It sounds for me like: van Gogh's paintings are not as genuine as copies..So would you bay copyes of great master or originals?
    ..And : If I don't like something it doesn't mean it is bad.
    "We have really everything in common with America nowadays except, of course, language." OSCAR WILDE
    I would like to ask: Who speaks more natural french..people in Paris or in French speaking foreign countryes?..
    Thank you. It is interesting .



    Re: British/ American accent: your opinions by lianne, posted on 30-01-2008 at 19:39:55
    I am Canadian, so I guess that means that I have an american accent. But I love the brittish accent!! It sounds so sophisticated. I wish I could have one.


    Re: British/ American accent: your opinions by auonline, posted on 02-02-2008 at 02:28:06
    I live in Brisbane, Australia.

    I don't really notice my accent, and I never say words like "G'day mate", and "bloody" etc. But to Ameeeeeeeeericans and Englush people, I probably sound like an aaaussie bloke.




    Re: British/ American accent: your opinions by lam_zh, posted on 02-02-2008 at 06:48:28
    Interesting thread. Nice to meet you guys. This is Lam Chueng from China.
    Personally, I prefer the American English. Actually, I have a right intonation and I'm good at American accent. But I don't mind if I have a good British one, Chinese one and so on. The most important thing I care is how good I can communicate with other people with my English in any accent. We should bear this in mind: Language is an instrument for communication. So I don't care whatever accent I have in English but I do care how practical it is.


    Re: British/ American accent: your opinions by iwona_katarzyna, posted on 02-02-2008 at 23:48:01
    hi,

    I would like to add my opinion too Well, I think that when it comes to dialects, accents we shouldn't evaluate them in terms of which is better. Dialects, accents are what comprises a given language in general, there are no worse versions, they all add to the richness of a given language.

    I would also like to correct a slight mistake, made by TravisKidd, I suppose. British /r/ is not a semi-vowel. /j/ and /w/ are semi-vowels. /r/ is a frictionless continuant (or approximant).

    -------------------
    Modifié par iwona_katarzyna le 02-02-2008 23:50


    Re: British/ American accent: your opinions by gaolegaojlu, posted on 04-02-2008 at 10:09:53
    WOW Gold


    Re: British/ American accent: your opinions by angelique74, posted on 04-02-2008 at 18:16:29
    Hello! I'd like to answer to lam_zh. I'm Angélique, and I have learned Chinese since I'm 10. I'm very interested in Chinese culture: I went to Beijing during the last holiday. It was beautiful!:
    Personally, I prefer the British accent, because when I went to Portsmouth, I found that it's a nice accent. But I agree with iwona_katarzyna, about the dialects. For example, the number of dialects there are in China makes all the Chinese culture with its differences, and I think it's very interesting.


    Re: British/ American accent: your opinions by benathy, posted on 04-02-2008 at 19:08:44
    Hi I would to contribute a bit on the above subject matter. I would rather say I do prefer American english due to the fact that it sounds good, comprehensible and more audible. Meanwhile one must not forget that it's better to learn british's because classical i mean it just like speaking french as used in metropolitan france and french as being spoken in the "Outre-Mer"...which one is better?


    Re: British/ American accent: your opinions by hpesoj, posted on 07-02-2008 at 13:35:05
    I think that which accent you learn to use should depend on how you want to use your English speaking skills. If you want to go and live in either England or USA, the answer should be clear . I find it very strange when French people (well, any foreign people for that matter) come to England and speak with an American accent . If you don't plan to use your English for anything in particular, then I guess it's just down to your preference.

    But then again, as williamengland said, there is nothing wrong with speaking English with a French twang, although if you speak with too much of a French accent you are going to be fairly incomprehesible.

    Joe


    Re: British/ American accent: your opinions by cecilelaw, posted on 07-02-2008 at 16:03:36
    Britisher's english is so much rich in pronunciation, but i prefer American's english because it isn't difficult to learn and speak. i would like tell that i love American's english and i want to speak it. yes i want it.


    Re: British/ American accent: your opinions by duude, posted on 08-02-2008 at 09:59:06
    I think I'm gonna be the first supporting this but... I like both !

    My first stay abroad was in the USA, so I speak American english.

    But I recently had the opportunity to visit London and live there for a month. At first I had so much difficulty to understand them, especially people speaking through speakers (like airports), that I thought my english to be dead or something...

    But you just have to get used to it. American english sound more fun, more relaxed, whereas British seems more "polite" and serious, perfect for politic for example.

    It's just a matter of taste, but I must say that Scottish accent is... terrible.
    When I had the "privilege" to have a full conversation with some of them, I just couldn't believe my ears.. It's just incomprehensible. I don't even know how to describe it as it is SO special and unique.

    I love Australian accent too

    Ok anyway, I'm gonna end here because talking about english accents could take years.

    Just enjoy speaking this beautiful language !


    Re: British/ American accent: your opinions by elbachir, posted on 10-02-2008 at 13:34:59
    in some fact i'm not agree with you,because english come from british and it's the only one way that we can learn english very well


    Re: British/ American accent: your opinions by nick27, posted on 10-02-2008 at 16:56:11
    Why would it be the best way to learn English? I have a friend who's studying French in Canada and he's not studying standard French but Canadian French and it doesn't prevent him from being able to speak French and being understood by the people there.

    Anyway generally speaking British people don't have a difficult time understanding Americans and vice versa so it doesn't really matter which accent you have as long as you're studying the one you like the most.


    Re: British/ American accent: your opinions by sheylah, posted on 28-02-2008 at 13:02:12
    hi! in reply to your question i find it's better to listen a French man speaking english than an English or an American guy.I was in Paris two weeks ago to attend a conference and I met some students who come from England and USA but when they discussed between them I cannot understand anything of what they said,I know I start learning English so it may be the reason why!I FIND IT HARD TO LISTEN TO THEM they speak too fast for me!!!!


    Re: British/ American accent: your opinions by TravisKidd, posted on 29-02-2008 at 04:49:24
    In the same way, I find I quite easily understand French spoken by an American.

    But when a French person speaks it, I sometimes wonder if it's even the same language!

    It's as if "school French" and "actual French" are completely different!


    Re: British/ American accent: your opinions by lyrio, posted on 29-02-2008 at 11:47:04
    Interesting debate !

    Personally, I do prefer the musicality of the British accent, although I admit that I understand better the Americans (too much of American TV shows, maybe ? )


    Re: British/ American accent: your opinions by jean14, posted on 29-02-2008 at 12:46:57
    Hello everybody!
    According to me I think that it's easier for a french listener to understand a speaker with american accent than the British one;what always happens to me.Whereas I prefer better the British accent because I consider that it's more natural.


    Re: British/ American accent: your opinions by leaha, posted on 19-03-2008 at 16:25:57
    You have to admit the we all prefer a certain accent. Myself I'm american and I have no preference. Though, what I do find "important" is what you learn when you're in English class. I've noticed, in french schools, that they're learning british english -with only few american expressions-but the one spoken today!
    they are learning english spoken during Shakespeare's time. Not the english they will need when they go to foreign countries. And then they wonder why children can't, when there's a trip made with the school to another country, speak, ask the correct questions or answer some themselves.
    I understand the accent can sometimes be a problem when it comes to trying to understand it, but I think it's like writing, you just need to practise. Though, when it comes to kids, it seems to me that even if they have the same accent as you, you don't always understand them. But I think that if mothers do, it may mean that you just have to get used to it.
    Hoping this answered a bit your question.


    Re: British/ American accent: your opinions by youstralia, posted on 02-04-2008 at 11:58:52
    hello everybody,i'm algerian and i've been stufying american english.i think its pronounciation is easier than the british one,because the britsh enlish has got lots of stresses and you may not make any mitske on them.but another thing is that american spoken english is hard to understand comparing to the british which is much clear.
    for me since i've studied american english and i'm practicing it in my daily life i find it the easiest.


    Re: British/ American accent: your opinions by tin_amzi_man, posted on 13-04-2008 at 20:17:33
    well that's a good question to ask i personally use both I like the easiness of Am. English But the accademic side of the Br. English i had a problem with my students about the pronunciation of the final -s. Take the word door,for instance, in Br. English the R is not pronounced, But Americans dopronounce it what shall i and my students choose? I told them we study Br. English though I sometimes use An American accent (pronunciation) of a given word to make easier for you to understand.What shall we do in case like that? I accept the two.What do you think?



    Re: British/ American accent: your opinions by vani, posted on 17-04-2008 at 19:11:44
    Moust of the people learn British English but I think that the American is easier to anderstand and to speak.It doesn't matter it's important to learn the both.


    Re: British/ American accent: your opinions by jaug, posted on 26-04-2008 at 19:35:37
    In my opinion I think that American English is more beautiful and easier, even though the American English is from the British English.


    Re: British/ American accent: your opinions by tililaroze, posted on 28-04-2008 at 17:39:46
    hello
    i personally prefere the american accent,because it sounds nicer when you use it,and it's easier to understand.


    Re: British/ American accent: your opinions by whisper, posted on 30-04-2008 at 10:37:18
    for me, british accent is clearer and easier than american's "maybe as a learner" what I've noticed that british people pronounce every single letter explicitly and individually so that's give me a big chance to get the spelling and how to pronounce that word properly..but the american accent takes big effort of me in order to get the right spelling,pronunciation and sometimes the word itself even if I know it...
    hence I favor the british accent


    Re: British/ American accent: your opinions by tidus, posted on 06-05-2008 at 13:23:06
    Hello everyone,

    I agree with you "whisper" when you say the British accent is easier to understand because every single letter is pronounced.
    For example: Where did she go? What did you say?... In American English "did" is usually pronounced /d/ Where'd she go? Wha dyou say?

    Most of you think (and so do I) the British accent should be regarded as the standard one because the English language comes from England.
    However most British singers sing with an American accent.
    Is it to please American people?
    What's more,all Japanese anime are dubbed with American accents for the British and American audience.
    Is it normal? I don't think so.





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