To speak her language

[Mikeav8r]

I learned English at such a young age that you'd never guess that I wasn't born in the States. However, when I speak English with foreigners (especially Eastern Europeans), I speak English with a EE accent. I guess it happens subconsciously as I'm under the impression that it makes it easier for them to understand the conversation we're having in English.

Strange, I know.

I have heard a few people do that and have even caught myself doing it.  Maybe we think it will make more sense to them sounding like they do?  Being from Hungary, you probably pull it off much better than I do...I probably sound like someone in one of those old spaghetti westerns 

Oh man, I LOVE spaghetti Westerns. Anyway, I don't know if foreigners actually understand English more easily that way, but I'd really like to hear feedback on it. One thing's for sure, a native Russian speaker would have a harder time understanding a Cajun from Louisiana than they would someone from Washington state who speaks relatively normal English (okay, American).

As do I 

[tzwd72]

Let's see.  "a" as in apple. No probs.  "b" as in baby, doing good!  "C" as in  Sister.... hmmm... what's on the TV right now....?

J

[2tallbill]

Up here they say sumfink. Or summat.

Some people also irritatingly say chimbley instead of chimney.

It can be hard for women to understand the local dialect. Accent doesn't always help, my wife's accent makes working and walking the same word. In her head, she is saying different words; to me they sound the same. Same with shirts and shorts.

Another one is they add an R to a word without an R in it.

example, Princess Dianner

[Larry]

Some people also irritatingly say chimbley instead of chimney.

Wow, the only place I've ever heard the word "chimbley" for the word "chimney" was in rural Tennessee.  But I suppose that can be explained: that area was largely populated long ago by immigrants from various parts of Britain and some of them must have brought the word "chimbley" with them.

I haven't heard "I go by legs" but I used to hear "I go by feet".

If "I go by legs" translates to "I go buy eggs"
what does "I go by feet" mean?

She meant that she walked someplace.

[Manny]

Over here :

SomeTHing becomes SomeFing

Up here they say sumfink. Or summat.

Some people also irritatingly say chimbley instead of chimney.

It can be hard for women to understand the local dialect. Accent doesn't always help, my wife's accent makes working and walking the same word. In her head, she is saying different words; to me they sound the same. Same with shirts and shorts.

Must really throw you for a loop when she is walking to work..

I tease her with this.

"Today, when I was werrrking....."
"Walking or working?"
"Werrrking, I told you already"
"Oh, thats clearer then.........."

But actually, we must give the ladies credit for having to learn a wide range of pronunciation. We have proper English, northern English, northern illiterate English, and American English from TV.

Take a word like bottle. She says it correctly: bot'erl. Many Mancunians pronounce it bo'erl. The ones who didn't go to school say bok'erl. Americans say baad'erl. They must learn four variants of this and many other words here.

[Larry]

But actually, we must give the ladies credit for having to learn a wide range of pronunciation. We have proper English, northern English, northern illiterate English, and American English from TV.

Take a word like bottle. She says it correctly: bot'erl. Many Mancunians pronounce it bo'erl. The ones who didn't go to school say bok'erl. Americans say baad'erl. They must learn four variants of this and many other words here.

I always hear it pronounced this way in the US: http://www.macmillandictionary.com/us/dictionary/american/bottle
ˈbɑt(ə)l

[Manny]

ˈbɑt(ə)l

I did that stuff at school, but I forgot more than I remember. I know more Cyrillic now than I do that stuff.

Apparently, this is American for bottle.



I'm still going with "baadle"

For a Brit, the general way to speak American is to make every "t" in the middle of a word into a "d", slow it down some, extend the vowels and you are golden. 

Some will know this tale: We were in Florida, in a Mexican restaurant, wifey wanted a glass of water. The word "water" got us nowhere. I tried my best American "wadder" and we were no further on.

The waitress asked me if I spoke English. My reply was I *AM* English.

Eventually, my wife read her nametag, decided she was probably Hungarian or Czech, and said "Gavarit pa rooskie?"
"Da" came the reply.
"Ya hachu voda, pazhalsta"

Water duly arrived. 

[Ste]

ˈbɑt(ə)l

I did that stuff at school, but I forgot more than I remember. I know more Cyrillic now than I do that stuff.

Apparently, this is American for bottle.

(Attachment Link)

I'm still going with "baadle"

For a Brit, the general way to speak American is to make every "t" in the middle of a word into a "d", slow it down some, extend the vowels and you are golden. 

When I was Boston, I could not make myself understood when asking for 'Water' or 'Butter'. I had to force myself to say 'Wawdder' or 'Budder'. It's not that much of a leap of faith is it?

Nadia had huge problems ordering cups of tea in Germany (in German obviously), such a simple word, German word practically the same, 'Tee' but none understood her to the extent she got paranoid about it.

Here's a rich Yorkshire accent from a little girl to lighten things up...

[Dogsoldier]

ˈbɑt(ə)l

I did that stuff at school, but I forgot more than I remember. I know more Cyrillic now than I do that stuff.

Apparently, this is American for bottle.

(Attachment Link)

I'm still going with "baadle"

For a Brit, the general way to speak American is to make every "t" in the middle of a word into a "d", slow it down some, extend the vowels and you are golden. 

Some will know this tale: We were in Florida, in a Mexican restaurant, wifey wanted a glass of water. The word "water" got us nowhere. I tried my best American "wadder" and we were no further on.

The waitress asked me if I spoke English. My reply was I *AM* English.

Eventually, my wife read her nametag, decided she was probably Hungarian or Czech, and said "Gavarit pa rooskie?"
"Da" came the reply.
"Ya hachu voda, pazhalsta"

Water duly arrived. 

You can hardly blame the poor girl if you gave her a dose of Mancunian.

[Manny]

Here's a rich Yorkshire accent from a little girl to lighten things up...

Brilliant vid. Just like our dochka, but she isn't as broad. 

[Dogsoldier]

Here's a rich Yorkshire accent from a little girl to lighten things up...

Brilliant vid. Just like our dochka, but she isn't as broad. 

Can't see the link?

[Ste]

Here's a rich Yorkshire accent from a little girl to lighten things up...

Brilliant vid. Just like our dochka, but she isn't as broad. 

Funny how now after living in Yorkshire for 8 years (or 7?) I can pinpoint Yorkshire accents, she sounds like Sheffield/Barnsley/Rotherham, and not Leeds or Bradford, or even Huddersfield....

[Ste]

Here's a rich Yorkshire accent from a little girl to lighten things up...

Brilliant vid. Just like our dochka, but she isn't as broad. 

Can't see the link?

Maybe it's blocked in the South lol!

[Manny]

Here's a rich Yorkshire accent from a little girl to lighten things up...

Brilliant vid. Just like our dochka, but she isn't as broad. 

Can't see the link?

Maybe it's blocked in the South lol!

 

Kent is almost France.

[Manny]

Here's a rich Yorkshire accent from a little girl to lighten things up...

Brilliant vid. Just like our dochka, but she isn't as broad. 

Funny how now after living in Yorkshire for 8 years (or 7?) I can pinpoint Yorkshire accents, she sounds like Sheffield/Barnsley/Rotherham, and not Leeds or Bradford, or even Huddersfield....

Yes, she's closer to this side - Sheffield or Barnsley.

[Mikeav8r]

Let's see.  "a" as in apple. No probs.  "b" as in baby, doing good!  "C" as in  Sister.... hmmm... what's on the TV right now....?
J

[Mikeav8r]

I always say Bottle 

[Mikeav8r]

I tease her with this.

"Today, when I was werrrking....."
"Walking or working?"
"Werrrking, I told you already"
"Oh, thats clearer then.........."

But actually, we must give the ladies credit for having to learn a wide range of pronunciation. We have proper English, northern English, northern illiterate English, and American English from TV.

Take a word like bottle. She says it correctly: bot'erl. Many Mancunians pronounce it bo'erl. The ones who didn't go to school say bok'erl. Americans say baad'erl. They must learn four variants of this and many other words here.

I can picture that conversation..

Without a doubt, they deserve a great deal of credit...they learn far better than I do Russian, that's for sure.

The thing that is getting me at the moment is Tanya is learning proper English....the lessons are distinctly British so my corrections don't go over so well.  The translator said it so it must be right.

I was helping her with her lessons on Skype one evening and she repeated what the translator said...a few seconds later, I said What!?  She had a sad look and said "Moyyyykel...I try.  I said, "No, not you...what did the translator say?"    I honestly could not understand what it said, so we skipped that lesson.

[Dogsoldier]

Here's a rich Yorkshire accent from a little girl to lighten things up...

Brilliant vid. Just like our dochka, but she isn't as broad. 

Can't see the link?

Maybe it's blocked in the South lol!

 

Kent is almost France.

Seeing that I can pick up French FM it might as well be. How's the missus's French coming along btw. That should be an interesting mix of accents. 

[Ste]

I always say Bottle 

In Bolton we'd sat 'Bockle' and we'd jump over 'Puggles' and there was this band in the 60's called 'The Beakles'....

[Mikeav8r]

Here's a rich Yorkshire accent from a little girl to lighten things up...

She's adorable, but in a little over 6 minutes, I got:

No
Dah'dee
Yah
Mun'keah

What else did she say?

Just from a Yanks perspective, sounds a bit like a mix of English, Irish and Scottish.  Stuck in the triangle geographically I can kind of see that I guess.  Of course you folks in the UK would think I am a bit off with that

[Dogsoldier]

Ah aboot t sodding link?

[Ste]

Here's a rich Yorkshire accent from a little girl to lighten things up...

She's adorable, but in a little over 6 minutes, I got:

No
Dah'dee
Yah
Mun'keah

What else did she say?

I think it were 'am (I think it was ham)

'E dunt lahk swimmin' (He doesn't like swimming)

It's funny int it? (It's funny isn't it?)

'E guz tert pawk (he goes to the park); on't swings (on the swings)

[Ste]

Ah aboot t sodding link?

Az thi getten th'ump on lad?

Here's t'link fert t'video....

[Ste]

Here's a rich Yorkshire accent from a little girl to lighten things up...

She's adorable, but in a little over 6 minutes, I got:

No
Dah'dee
Yah
Mun'keah

What else did she say?

Just from a Yanks perspective, sounds a bit like a mix of English, Irish and Scoddish.  Stuck in the triangle geographically I can kind of see that I guess.  Of course you folks in the UK would think I am a bit off with that

FTFY