Regional Accents of English Speakers
Unfortunately this course is nearing its end. Many of you are close to getting your well-deserved EOI Certificate in English.
Now I'd like you to remember what we've said so many times: learning a language is a lifelong task. Just an example: sooner or later you'll come across regional accents of English that deviate a lot from the standard British English model you're most familiar with. Don't be disappointed if sometimes you can't understand a word of what someone's saying, especially in the UK: the British Isles show a huge variation in regional accents.
The good news is that most accents can be understood with some practice. The best is yet to come! Learning to distinguish accents is not only very useful, but also fun, and helps you to respect and appreciate the diversity within a culture.
Just to get used to what may lie ahead of you, listen to this tour of accents of the British Isles (England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland). The background imagery will help you to identify and associate places with typical accents.
Now I'd like you to remember what we've said so many times: learning a language is a lifelong task. Just an example: sooner or later you'll come across regional accents of English that deviate a lot from the standard British English model you're most familiar with. Don't be disappointed if sometimes you can't understand a word of what someone's saying, especially in the UK: the British Isles show a huge variation in regional accents.
The good news is that most accents can be understood with some practice. The best is yet to come! Learning to distinguish accents is not only very useful, but also fun, and helps you to respect and appreciate the diversity within a culture.
Just to get used to what may lie ahead of you, listen to this tour of accents of the British Isles (England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland). The background imagery will help you to identify and associate places with typical accents.
NB: Buckle up! The tour starts with a rendition of some Scottish accents...
If you're interested in learning more about accents, and in listening to real samples, you can check the following links:
Wikipedia: Regional accents of English speakers
The speech accent archive (contains also foreign accents of English, and recordings of other languages)
BBC: The Voices recordings
British Library: Sounds familiar? Accents and Dialects of the UK
Authentic American Pronunciation
ESL Pronunciation Work Page: American Accents
Have fun with lifelong learning!!!
9 comments:
Wow, Edinburgh, Lerwick, Portsoy, Glasgow... too much! Does a native engish person has problems to understand people from these mentioned areas?
Cheers
Hi Anna!
Thank you for your contribution.
Yes, lots of different accents thrown in, and yes, native speakers from certain areas have big difficulties in understanding certain accents. For example, people from the Midlands might find some Scottish, Geordie (from Newcastle, up north) or Cockney (from London) speakers - among others - very difficult to understand.
The same holds true for Americans trying to understand many British regional accents, or British speakers trying to understand some American accents from the deep south of the USA.
Sometimes it's not just the accents, but also the regional words and expressions!
You have good examples in many films (English films are in this respect much more faithful to reality than Spanish films), like 'The Full Monty' (Sheffield accent), 'Snatch' (Cockney) or 'Trainspotting' (Scottish).
Cheers!
I guess, it´s so difficult for them to understand certain accents as it is for me to understand my neighbour from a Seville´s village. Oh my God! At the beginning, I had to put all my senses in order to catch something.
Now, it´s all under control and I must say she is really funny. Finally, I can laugh with her jokes.
Have a nice day!
Good point, Maria! Just imagine how difficult it can be for foreign learners of Spanish to understand your neighbour.
I remember an anecdote, some American friends that were learning Spanish went to Malaga for a few days, and as they came back they asked me what language was spoken down there. They told me about a sentence they had often heard which they could only interpret after much effort and a long conversation: "¿Zoidelohehtaounío?"
Not only for learners is it difficult to understand different accents, regional words and expressions.
When I was just arrived in Spain I had to modify at least 10% of my vocabulary, not talking about my pronunciation or my accent.
At the greengrocer's for instance, when I asked for "duraznos" he said "I don't have" when I was seing the melocotones in front of me. The same thing with
"frutillas = fresas"
"zapallo = calabaza"
"zapallitos = calabacines"
and so on...
For me it was not difficult but I had to pay extra attention to understand because of the difference of speed when talking.
I made an effort to blend into the country and I succeded. I'm making a much bigger effort with the english language but I don't feel I'm succeeding.
If only I could go to the UK or to the USA and stay two or three months...Anyway, I'm not giving up hope but, if any of you have the chance of doing it don't miss the opportunity.
Enjoy your weekend! I'm going to spend mine in study and meditation.
Hi Susana!
Your case is vey illustrative. Well, I did know about 'durazno' and 'frutilla', but 'zapallo' would have sounded like a kind of shoe to me. I can also imagine that your first contacts with the Catalan language might have complicated the whole picture, at least that was the case with my English-speaking friends.
Personally I remember how long it took me to get used to the accent in films like 'El hijo de la novia' before I could make out what was being said! And my first problems trying to understand Glaswegian and Geordie!
Talking about English accents, don't be disappointed. You've made it really far and you can do a lot by for example watching films. Fortunately, most English films are true-to-life in this respect.
Remember that the variation (and hence the degree of difficulty) is far greater in English than it is in dialects of Spanish or Catalan. I'd recommend that you check any of these for a nice tour of the British Isles:
The Full Monty / Kes / Brassed Off (Sheffield / Yorkshire accent)
Trainspotting / Gregory's Girl/ Ratcatcher / Sweet Sixteen / Local Hero (Scottish)
24 Hour Party People / Naked (Manchester)
Get Carter (1971) (Geordie)
Twin Town (Welsh)
Dead Man's Shoes (Midlands)
Sexy Beast / Mona Lisa / Nil By Mouth / Snatch (Cockney / London)
The Snapper / The Commitments / Michael Collins (Irish)
Bloody Sunday (Northern Irish)
You'll be favourably surprised by how much you can understand (in most films). If not, just turn on the subtitles!
Moreover you can also check the links in this posting and listen to the recordings (just choose the area and click on the map).
Have a great weekend in spite of study and meditation, and good luck next week!
Hi Ferran!
Thank you for your encouraging words and for your advices. I'll try English films this summer.
The Catalan was not a problem at all. Remember that I manage quite well (with?) (in?) French.
I must say that I'm able to speak on the phone with a customer of ours from Limavadi (north of Northern Ireland), with a very broad accent.
About spending the weekend studying and meditating I was joking and thank you for your good wishes for next week but...
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