Korean Job Discussion Forums

[jkelly80]

I find those two to be the easiest to understand (Mexico and Peru). Who cares about Castellano? The New World is where it's at.

[ESL Milk "Everyday]

Actually, there is no 'pure' English. The reason why nobody speaks like Beowulf anymore is because language is fluid, and always changing... and there are no superior forms.

But if there's one place I'm going to be proved wrong, it's definitely this thread.

[jinks]

I speak a British variety of English, but since I've been in Korea I have adopted a few N. American usages. It's easier on the students, and I kind of like the sound of it. I haven't changed my accent or anything, I'm just speaking in a way that is more easily understood by most people here. The OP is obviously a troll; no one language variety (or language, even) is inherently better or worse than any other. It's ok to have a preference, but that's all it is - personal taste. I kind of like the way North Americans find the very ordinary British English use of 'fortnight' quaint and unusual.

[GreenlightmeansGO]

I speak the purest English.

'Nuff said.

[santafly]

wrong, wrong, wrong!

On the subject of English: I did some counting - about 340 million Gringos (Kanucks included) vs. about 140 million Brits, Scots, Irish, South Afrikanz, Aussies, and Kiwis. With adjustments for people who don't speak English as a first language in these countries, North American English outnumbers all other accents at the very least 2 to 1, perhaps 3 to 1. Not to mention that everyone around the world is learning American English do to wide exposure to American media. So, the real english is American English, plain and simple!

Of course, if this were meant to be intelligent discourse, I would point out that their seems (to me) to be a direct relationship between education and accent: more education = less accent, regardless of place of origin. George Dubya would be a good example here: lack of education (actual, not imaginary) + low intelligence = complete inability to speak English.

When it comes to Spanish, it is widely known that Andean Spanish is the most clear, intelligible, and light on slang (like the Eglish of educated Americans and people from B.C.). It is this Spanish that is taught worldwide (with the exception of Europe evidently). Mexican Spanish is perhaps the most distant from Spain as it is full of Nahuatl (Aztec) words and is mainly slang. Once again, educated people from the Americas (excluding Argentines, who speak some other language bien mariconada, and Chileans, Chile just sucks) all sound pretty similar.

That said, Columbian Spanish is by far the most beautiful.

[bogey666]

[bogey666]

[Suza]

[bundangbabo]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peruvian_Coast_Spanish

Here is a decent wikipedia link about Peruvian Spanish and why academics tend to agree that it is the clearest Spanish to learn. I'm not denying Colombian Spanish isn't of a decent standard - and I would be of the persuasion that the barrio chicos in Bogota or Medellin will not be using any kind of classical Spanish either!

I like to listen to Argentine Spanish but it is very Italianized - as are the hand gestures and body language of the Argentinians - they are far more animated than the Peruvians! They are the Italians of South America!

[i4NI]

Americans made your language famous and understandable to the world. You're welcome.

[cj1976]

Like someone said, there is no single British accent. Americans and Canadians all have a similar sounding accent, without as much variations between them.
England is a small place but the accents are so diverse that I have problems understanding what people are saying sometimes.
I'm from the Southeast and I find it difficult to understand some northern accents - especially the Northeast.

[kiknkorea]

[M-su]

Ok, BrE is better than AmE cuz the OP says so.
My accent is pure gold, I've been told on numerous occasions, it's North American. Damn! I better move to the UK and acquire RP, man I'd be a huuuge hit over there.

[ManintheMiddle]

For an insightful and hilariously raunchy linguistic rebuttal to the OP, I urge all viewers to go to this link:

http://hk.youtube.com/watch?v=4dhl6t4XYlU

Indian American-Canadian comedian Russell Peters says it all.

[bobbyhanlon]