| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
Privateer
Joined: 31 Aug 2005
Location: Easy Street.
|
 Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2008 6:31 am Post subject: Can you do an American accent? |
 |
|
Click the link to see a video of a hollywood actor accent coach trying to teach a Brit how to do an American accent. It's really hard!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/7509572.stm
Sometimes teaching English in this country you need to do one, but it's not easy. |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
sojourner1
Joined: 17 Apr 2007
Location: Where meggi swim and 2 wheeled tractors go sput put chug alugg pug pug
|
| Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2008 6:42 am Post subject: |
|
|
It shouldn't matter what accent a speaker has, because if you know English you can understand and communicate with anyone who speaks. Vocabulary is different in other countries such as Australians calling a car trunk a boot and a shopping cart a trolley, but it's easy to know what they're talking about nor necessary to correct them as their speaking works just fine too.
The American accent does seem plain and less articulated than the English accent heard in many parts of the world. Koreans do fine it harder to understand an American vs. a British accent as so much is slurred, abbreviated, and not clearly spoken. Despite the Koreans saying they prefer an American accent, when I observed Australians and New Zealanders teaching, the students better understood due to articulated speech with precise deep voice inflections. I like the positive energetic attitude they often possess too that you don't see much in Americans though there are exceptions. I haven't known any Brits in Korea yet so I don't know how they're taking it and doing it in Korea. Maybe they are the minority representation of English teachers in Korea?
Sometimes, I don't even know what Americans are saying and need it repeated or clarified. I found it is possible for an American to sound British when he/she lives a couple years or longer abroad where the accent is common place. I came home from spending 3 years in Europe and people thought I was a foreigner. It took a while to sound American again as I knew how I learned English speaking in Europe was correct and made good sense.  I often still produce a varied accent due to many influences.
You'll get the American accent by spending time in America and watching movies. With experience, you can swap accents, vocabulary, and speaking style. I often accidentally do this when speaking to non-Americans as to better relate to them. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
EricaSmile84
Joined: 23 Jan 2008
|
| Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2008 7:20 am Post subject: |
|
|
| It's strange how it's the same language but the accents make it difficult to understand sometimes. Many times I can't understand what non-American English speakers are saying. I find myself rewinding The Office over and over just to understand what the actors are saying. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
skconqueror
Joined: 31 Jul 2005
|
| Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2008 7:43 am Post subject: |
|
|
| sojourner1 wrote: |
Koreans do fine it harder to understand an American vs. a British accent as so much is slurred, abbreviated, and not clearly spoken. Despite the Koreans saying they prefer an American accent, when I observed Australians and New Zealanders teaching, the students better understood due to articulated speech with precise deep voice inflections. I like the positive energetic attitude they often possess too that you don't see much in Americans though there are exceptions. I haven't known any Brits in Korea yet so I don't know how they're taking it and doing it in Korea. Maybe they are the minority representation of English teachers in Korea?
|
Are you drunk? Koreans find N.Americans much easier to understand. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
bizrandom
Joined: 23 Oct 2007
Location: Busan
|
| Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2008 9:35 am Post subject: |
|
|
My "American" accent comes au natural.
... key up... Proud to be an American
... fade out... where at least I know I'm free |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Kimbop
Joined: 31 Mar 2008
|
| Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2008 11:07 am Post subject: |
|
|
| skconqueror wrote: |
| sojourner1 wrote: |
Koreans do fine it harder to understand an American vs. a British accent as so much is slurred, abbreviated, and not clearly spoken. Despite the Koreans saying they prefer an American accent, when I observed Australians and New Zealanders teaching, the students better understood due to articulated speech with precise deep voice inflections. I like the positive energetic attitude they often possess too that you don't see much in Americans though there are exceptions. I haven't known any Brits in Korea yet so I don't know how they're taking it and doing it in Korea. Maybe they are the minority representation of English teachers in Korea?
|
Are you drunk? Koreans find N.Americans much easier to understand. |
I concur. Aussies and Brits have to change their accent in order for Koreans to understand them.
The 'Peter Jennings' and 'Dan Rather' accents are understood throughout the world, while the cockney or kiwi accent is greeted with confused frowns.
There have been countless threads already posted on this topic. Do a search. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Ya-ta Boy
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Location: Established in 1994
|
| Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2008 1:37 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Which particular American accent are people refering to? The Down East New England accent? The Brooklyn accent? The soft upper South accent or the deep Southern dripping with honey accent? The Midwestern or possibly the MinneSOta accent? The Valley Girl disaster? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Justin Hale
Joined: 24 Nov 2007
Location: the Straight Talk Express
|
| Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2008 2:35 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Whether a North American accent is the easiest understood depends on the social class, upbringing and aptitude for speech of the speaker. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
blaseblasphemener
Joined: 01 Jun 2006
Location: There's a voice, keeps on calling me, down the road, that's where I'll always be
|
| Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2008 2:53 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Quote: |
| The 'Peter Jennings' and 'Dan Rather' accents are understood throughout the world, |
Peter Jennings had a Canadian accent. It was also not a "common" Canadian accent, but a well-educated/high-class kind, like Christopher Plummer, Alex Trebek, or William Shatner.
For a low-class accent, please look for a youtube clip of Theo Fleury, or Barry Melrose. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
pkang0202
Joined: 09 Mar 2007
|
| Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2008 3:47 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| In my experience, the American (neutral) accent was the most easily understood. Brooklyn was probably the hardest for my students to understand because the speech is so fast. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Fresh Prince
Joined: 05 Dec 2006
Location: The glorious nation of Korea
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
5600
Joined: 07 Apr 2008
Location: At an undisclosed FEMA camp.
|
| Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2008 5:08 pm Post subject: |
|
|
I use the toothless, trailer just got hit by a tornando, Alabama buiscut eating accent.
tater=potato
mater=tomato
samich=sandwich
winder=window
Also it helps to give one syllable words a couple of extra ones. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
JMO
Joined: 18 Jul 2006
Location: Daegu
|
| Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2008 6:11 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Fresh Prince wrote: |
http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=apyL9wBWvIk
Brooklyn accent-very fast |
dis, dat, the other ting! tree instead of three...sounds like an irish accent..must be irish immigrant influence.
edit: i got asked by some irish dude on saturday night whereabouts in the states i was from. I said donegal..lol. So apparently I can do an american accent.
I have a theory that the more harsh your accent is to begin with, the more likely it will change. North americans literally couldn't understand a word i said when i first came here, never mind the students.
I didn't change it on purpose, but gradually my class time slow speak melted into my everyday life. When i go back home i get it back pretty quick..otherwise people just take the piss 24/7. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Privateer
Joined: 31 Aug 2005
Location: Easy Street.
|
| Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2008 6:51 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| sojourner1 wrote: |
It shouldn't matter what accent a speaker has, because if you know English you can understand and communicate with anyone who speaks. Vocabulary is different in other countries such as Australians calling a car trunk a boot and a shopping cart a trolley, but it's easy to know what they're talking about nor necessary to correct them as their speaking works just fine too.
The American accent does seem plain and less articulated than the English accent heard in many parts of the world. Koreans do fine it harder to understand an American vs. a British accent as so much is slurred, abbreviated, and not clearly spoken. Despite the Koreans saying they prefer an American accent, when I observed Australians and New Zealanders teaching, the students better understood due to articulated speech with precise deep voice inflections. I like the positive energetic attitude they often possess too that you don't see much in Americans though there are exceptions. I haven't known any Brits in Korea yet so I don't know how they're taking it and doing it in Korea. Maybe they are the minority representation of English teachers in Korea? |
Everyone thinks they don't have an accent - until they learn better. I don't know where you're from but if the American accent sounds 'plain' to you you're probably North American.
| sojourner1 wrote: |
Sometimes, I don't even know what Americans are saying and need it repeated or clarified. I found it is possible for an American to sound British when he/she lives a couple years or longer abroad where the accent is common place. I came home from spending 3 years in Europe and people thought I was a foreigner. It took a while to sound American again as I knew how I learned English speaking in Europe was correct and made good sense. I often still produce a varied accent due to many influences.
You'll get the American accent by spending time in America and watching movies. With experience, you can swap accents, vocabulary, and speaking style. I often accidentally do this when speaking to non-Americans as to better relate to them. |
I virtually never have any problem understanding an American accent but it's really hard to imitate one. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Privateer
Joined: 31 Aug 2005
Location: Easy Street.
|
| Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2008 6:54 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| EricaSmile84 wrote: |
| It's strange how it's the same language but the accents make it difficult to understand sometimes. Many times I can't understand what non-American English speakers are saying. I find myself rewinding The Office over and over just to understand what the actors are saying. |
It seems like North Americans have a much harder time understanding non-American accents than the other way round. I've always assumed this is due to less exposure. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
