Do Canadians sound like BBC Reporters
Do Canadians sound like BBC Reporters
We have less of an accent; moreover, our diphthongs are also less, well, exaggerated.
What has your underwear got to do with speaking EnglishOriginally Posted by Hootad Binky
We're Canadians; we're understated.
Last edited by Hootad Binky; 08-05-2007 at 09:24 AM.
I always assumed that until I met a few. I was surprised at just how strong (and whiny) their accent was.Originally Posted by Hootad Binky
True, but we were talking about English, not American. Most immigrants into the US were not native English speakers, and even those who were, were generally illiterate.Originally Posted by Hootad Binky
True.Originally Posted by Hootad Binky
Indeed.Originally Posted by Hootad Binky
That's a fact also.Originally Posted by Hootad Binky
But, ignorant forum owners like to think otherwise.Originally Posted by Hootad Binky
Now that I'm here ... and can see first hand for myself. I gotta tell ya Dirty Dog ... yer a fuggin genius starting this thread.
The Thai are much better off hiring Filipinos than white face farangs.
^
That's what's needed!
More LBFM's!
^
Ask the 'Scampster' - he's over in the PI, right?
The problem of non-qualified builders in Thailand is also of concern.....
Many are not (loads of Spanish and others), but most would be considered so. I would say that they are native speakers of American, rather than English. I'm not saying that one is more valid than the other, only that they are different.Originally Posted by "Hootad Binky"
I also agreed that most of the UK are hardly good adverts for native English speakers. I cringe when hearing some of the mangled sounds that are emitted from the mouths of some of my countrymen. Don't they have schools up north?
Last edited by Marmite the Dog; 09-05-2007 at 11:43 AM.
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Know what you mean.
Hate that Aberdeen accent out of the mouths of those lovely lasses up there. Gives me wood just thinking how rough it sounds to the ear!
I'm a TEFLer but am thnking of moving on in 18 months or so to do an MA in an unrelated field. To be sure there are a shit load teachers in Thailand who fit Diaw's stereotypes but a lot don't. I work at a private school and there aren't any foreign teachers over 35, the women outnumber the men 3 to 1 and they all come from a variety of backgrounds... Thai International Univeristy graduates taking a couple of years out... PGCE qualifed teachers travelling the world... Last year someone hired 3 middle-aged "married a whore/I'm a graduate decided on being a pastry chef " types buy they all got sacked.
They champion falsehood, support the butcher against the victim, the oppressor against the innocent child. May God mete them the punishment they deserve
Many parts of Scotland probably speak the best English you'll ever hear (you wouldn't think so listening to MrsQ speak though).Originally Posted by Boon Mee
This kinda feeds into my Wannabe ET thread, but are there many overqualified English teachers doing it more for the activity and satisfaction than the money, or do they all get frustrated and pack it in?
Are you sure about that?Originally Posted by Marmite the Dog
South Efricans, Kiwis, Australians, Indians, and any of the other countries that were colonised all speak British English. Even the Canadians use British spelling.
And here's one for you Marmite; Australian TV presenters seem to have a large representation on the BBC and CNN.
Don't be silly, Lily.Originally Posted by Lily
I know that the presenters they have on the Beeb are terrible. CNN manages to have better English presenters.Originally Posted by Lily
I have said many times that I think Aussie English is probably better in many ways than most other strains (except Gold Coast English of course).
Marmite, no one actually lives on the Gold Coast except retirees from Melbourne.
There is no Gold Coast accent. I think the accent you are thinking of is from the industrial towns of Newcastle and Wollongong or the rural accents of North Queensland.
Don't forget the Kiwis!Originally Posted by Lily
I know.Originally Posted by Lily
Indeed.Originally Posted by Lily
Indians are not native speakers.
The other countries mentioned (including the U.S., by the way) might have started out speaking British English more than a century or more ago but do so no longer; they each have unique accents and idioms, etc. Canadians do use British spelling but the similarity ends there. Also, it's very easy for me, a Canadian, to pass myself off as an Englishman; the accent isn't hard to imitate, just as it isn't hard for an British speaker to imitate an American; but only native speakers can pull that off. Think of that British actor, forget his name, as the main character of "House," that American medical drama; I always think of him as Bertie Wooster! Or Mike Myers as Austin Powers.
However anyone from any native English-speaking country can speak clearly if they try; it's not that difficult! Most English teachers with strong accents know this and adjust their pronunciation accordingly. My math(s) teacher was from Edinburgh and sounded like an Oxford don.
And no, "American" is not considered a different language. Put an Aussie, a Kiwi, a South African, a Scotsman, an Irishman, a Canadian and an American together and they'll be understanding each other just fine very quickly ...because they all speak the same language, essentially.
Further factoid: most speakers of English in the world are not native English speakers. Most English teachers in this world are not native speakers, either.
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