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gregory999
Joined: 29 Jul 2015
Posts: 372
Location: 999
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grahamb
Joined: 30 Apr 2003
Posts: 1945
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 Posted: Sat Feb 20, 2016 10:36 pm Post subject: |
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| Some went there for postgraduate study and struggled for the first term. |
If your students had little or no exposure to Scottish English before visiting Edinburgh, it's hardly surprising that they initially found it difficult to understand the locals. As I said earlier, I had the same experience when I first arrived in Spain. Unlike you, I didn't blame the local people.
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| While upper-class and well educated Edinburghers speak a very understandable English, much of the population - including many in service positions - can be quite difficult to understand. |
Yes, let's add a bit of class snobbery to the discussion.
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| I'd go for somewhere with a more neutral local accent in this case if it were an option. |
I suggest the factory where HAL 9000 was assembled. |
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Dedicated
Joined: 18 May 2007
Posts: 972
Location: UK
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| Posted: Sun Feb 21, 2016 9:53 am Post subject: |
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| Unlike you, I didn't blame the local people |
Where did I ever say I blamed the locals?
According to the sociolinguistic research into phonology in Scottish English first conducted by A.J. Aitken (1981) and later by Romaine (1982) and Scobbie et al( 1999)
' Generally there is a shift in Scottish English in formal situations or with individuals of a higher social status. The speech of the middle classes in Scotland tends to conform to the grammatical norms of the written standard, particularly in formal situations'. |
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grahamb
Joined: 30 Apr 2003
Posts: 1945
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| Posted: Sun Feb 21, 2016 4:01 pm Post subject: Locals |
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| Where did I ever say I blamed the locals? |
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| I spent a year living in Edinburgh and for the first 6 weeks or so I totally struggled to follow the local accent. |
Perhaps you weren't trying hard enough to understand them.
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| The speech of the middle classes in Scotland tends to conform to the grammatical norms of the written standard, particularly in formal situations' |
As does that of the middle classes in England. Doubtless in other English speaking countries as well. |
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AGoodStory
Joined: 26 Feb 2010
Posts: 738
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| Posted: Sun Feb 21, 2016 4:22 pm Post subject: Re: Locals |
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| grahamb wrote: |
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| I spent a year living in Edinburgh and for the first 6 weeks or so I totally struggled to follow the local accent. |
Perhaps you weren't trying hard enough to understand them.
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How does that make any sense? She's said she spent the first 6 weeks struggling with it! How does that equate to not trying hard enough to understand?  |
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grahamb
Joined: 30 Apr 2003
Posts: 1945
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| Posted: Mon Feb 22, 2016 1:22 pm Post subject: Sense and Sensibility |
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Sarcasm, dear boy.
It takes time to get used to new accents and vocabulary. According to Dedicated, Edinburgh is a particularly tough nut to crack. I disagree, but there's no arguing with wilful ignorance. |
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Dedicated
Joined: 18 May 2007
Posts: 972
Location: UK
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| Posted: Mon Feb 22, 2016 11:21 pm Post subject: |
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| ...there's no arguing with wilful ignorance |
Who exactly are you addressing ? |
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grahamb
Joined: 30 Apr 2003
Posts: 1945
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| Posted: Wed Feb 24, 2016 2:36 pm Post subject: Address |
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| Who exactly are you addressing ? |
You, exactly.
I'll try one more time: language learners with no previous exposure to a particular accent need time to become accustomed to it. Sending students to York, Exeter, Brighton, Chester, Bournemouth or Liverpool instead of Edinburgh will make no difference if they (the students) have had no exposure to the accents of those areas. |
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