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Which english do you prefer?
- Thread starter lofight
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I prefer Scottish English.
As others have pointed out, there isn't enough poll options. The Scots, Irish, Welsh and English all have their own versions withinbthe UK.
However, ours is the best.
As others have pointed out, there isn't enough poll options. The Scots, Irish, Welsh and English all have their own versions withinbthe UK.
However, ours is the best.
Americans are adept at butchering a great language in one fell swoop; the opening of the mouth.
Americans often omit words such as "that", "which", and "who", for example; "The language which I study" becomes "The language I study", and to me this is irksome at the best of times.
The lacadaisical culling of vowels is absurd, and often words' origins are obliterated by incorrect pronounciation: "chassis" is to be said sha-see; a word of obvious french origin.
I've also noticed how the intonation and complexity of the average American's sentences is, somewhat poorer than that of which I'd like to hear; "Um"s and "Er"s are, in the most part, thoroughly irritating.
I'm sure there's a lot more that I could mention but I believe it to be wrong that international students should be taught American English; I spend enough time correcting chinese students at college when they mention "sidewalk" or "soccer" as it is, thankyou very much!
Americans often omit words such as "that", "which", and "who", for example; "The language which I study" becomes "The language I study", and to me this is irksome at the best of times.
The lacadaisical culling of vowels is absurd, and often words' origins are obliterated by incorrect pronounciation: "chassis" is to be said sha-see; a word of obvious french origin.
I've also noticed how the intonation and complexity of the average American's sentences is, somewhat poorer than that of which I'd like to hear; "Um"s and "Er"s are, in the most part, thoroughly irritating.
I'm sure there's a lot more that I could mention but I believe it to be wrong that international students should be taught American English; I spend enough time correcting chinese students at college when they mention "sidewalk" or "soccer" as it is, thankyou very much!
Your critical post is, unfortunately, replete with basic errors which rather negate your point. Lackadaisical, pronunciation, French, that of which I'd like to hear, in the most part, Chinese, thankyou. Try a lower horse.
Languages are constantly changing, and when people are isolated their language changes in different directions. Because we do things differently doesn't make it "wrong," "lazy," or "butchering." We realize that there are words that simply aren't needed in sentences, so we take them out. Sounds efficient to me! "Um" and "Er" aren't part of the language. They're sounds people make when they're nervous and thus cannot think straight. I'm so sorry we use different words than you too. How foolish of us.
Ah god no! I had a huge argument with an American guy who swore that American English was a different language and was not a dialect (which it obviously is).
As for which is best, I dunno but I hear American women love English accents. I think I'll head over their and try unleash some of that home county English charm.
I'd just be happy is if American English was classed as international English rather than British English which should just be refered to as English.
There is some truth to the guy saying American English is a different language. More he got fact confused with a theory.
The school of though is if it was not for mass media given another 100 years or so American English and British English would be classified as 2 different laungages.
It was in the 1700's that American English and British English split. American English has other influence on it language that British English did not have. Most of it because American is the melting pot of the world.
Hell even in the US we have a wide range of accents. The British accent to me is a lot easier to understand than lets say a Boston or a New York Accent.
I prefer a variant of the two. I like some British spellings (colour, grey) while i detest others (tyre) and even though spoken British sounds nice, I find myself listening to the accent too much and not what's actually being spoken.
Yes, it's actually quite the panty dropper....erm.....knicker dropper
...As for which is best, I dunno but I hear American women love English accents. I think I'll head over their and try unleash some of that home county English charm
Yes, it's actually quite the panty dropper....erm.....knicker dropper
Whether you disagree with his opinion is one thing. But how was his English bad in that post?
I get frustrated writing on the web/word processing programs, and being told I'm spelling words like colour and centre wrong. I'm sure I have British-English selected. Or as I like to call it: proper-English.
^^,
as previously mentioned he can't spell lackadaisical and pronunciation. also "than that of which I'd like to hear" is not a correct construction.
and word is always right? i find it to be in error more often than not to be honest.
I was under the impression that it was a valid term, although using the phrase "scottish" english would probably make more sense. Scotch means "of Scotland" IIRC.
Yet still correct...
Edit: I am not trying to split hairs, rather just explaining my original word choice, which, given the content of this thread, should be tolerated/accepted.
yes. but i wouldn't use it if you meet anyone scottish as it's considered pejorative.
Being British, I prefer British English (or English-sounding English) because it's my mother tongue.
I find it interesting how, in the last 20 years or so, Americans seem to be changing their vowels, particularly with regard to foreign words, extending the vowels or over emphasising them. For example, I used to hear "Mazda" pronounced "Mehzda" but now it's "Maaaaahzda". Likewise "pasta" was pronounced "peeyasta" (say it quickly!) but now it sounds more like "pos-ta".
The worst I heard was Bree van de Kamp on Desperate Housewives saying "ree-ZOE-toe" for "risotto". All the vowels in that word are traditionally short and I'd never heard it pronounced like that by an American before. Is America undergoing a vowel shift of some kind?
However, I LOVE the way Americans play with language, and often are more concise because of it.
The one thing I could never understand was when American friends would say "When you get back, write me." And I'd wait a few seconds for them to finish the sentence. When they asked me to respond, I'd ask them, "Write you what?" In the UK, you'd say, "Write me a letter sometime."
The thing, though, that makes me laugh is the American expression "horseback riding". Where else do you ride a horse FFS?!
I find it interesting how, in the last 20 years or so, Americans seem to be changing their vowels, particularly with regard to foreign words, extending the vowels or over emphasising them. For example, I used to hear "Mazda" pronounced "Mehzda" but now it's "Maaaaahzda". Likewise "pasta" was pronounced "peeyasta" (say it quickly!) but now it sounds more like "pos-ta".
The worst I heard was Bree van de Kamp on Desperate Housewives saying "ree-ZOE-toe" for "risotto". All the vowels in that word are traditionally short and I'd never heard it pronounced like that by an American before. Is America undergoing a vowel shift of some kind?
However, I LOVE the way Americans play with language, and often are more concise because of it.
The one thing I could never understand was when American friends would say "When you get back, write me." And I'd wait a few seconds for them to finish the sentence. When they asked me to respond, I'd ask them, "Write you what?" In the UK, you'd say, "Write me a letter sometime."
The thing, though, that makes me laugh is the American expression "horseback riding". Where else do you ride a horse FFS?!
useless!
Another useless poll. Perhaps MacRumors could give a short course in polls or something? Moronic.
To my sensibilities Irish English is the most agreeable and expansive. What I don't like is the media driven push to have all English a hotch-potch of mainly American derived words that are pounced on by those wanting to be considered cool and up to date resulting in only a universal indicator of morons . I like 'strine kiwi septic and all the other variations of English, keep them all I say just don't try for a homogenised world English.
I'm American, but I love the English pronunciation. It just seems more expressive to me.
For instance, to hear an American say "You bas*ard" (or from New York, where I'm from, "Yoo Bastid") just sounds kind of course. But to hear someone English say "Yew Bahhhstard!" sounds impressive.
I also like the sound of Scottish English. Does anyone remember a movie from Scotland that came out around 5-6 years ago about a 16 year old kid who wanted to buy a mobile home for his mother to live in with him and started dealing drugs? The Scots accent was so strong in that movie that it was subtitled (at least here in the U.S.) But I loved listening without looking and trying to understand them.
For instance, to hear an American say "You bas*ard" (or from New York, where I'm from, "Yoo Bastid") just sounds kind of course. But to hear someone English say "Yew Bahhhstard!" sounds impressive.
I also like the sound of Scottish English. Does anyone remember a movie from Scotland that came out around 5-6 years ago about a 16 year old kid who wanted to buy a mobile home for his mother to live in with him and started dealing drugs? The Scots accent was so strong in that movie that it was subtitled (at least here in the U.S.) But I loved listening without looking and trying to understand them.
Agreed.
However, if I had one wish in regards the English language it would be that people stop referring to English as "British English" or even "International English." It makes it sound like a variant or a dialect when it isn't.
English is English. It has rules and a structure and it has bodies authorised with documenting and maintaining that structure.
"American English" *is* a variant/dialect and changes much more frequently. Pronunciation rules either don't exist or are highly variable. Then after a few years of pronouncing a given word incorrectly, the spelling is altered to reflect the "new" pronunciation.
I blame 100 years of that stupid "sound it out" instruction that teachers give kids in North America.
They might as well purposely teach kids to pronounce things incorrectly. Oh, wait ... they are!
Although generally speaking American English has changed much less than English many American variations were the common usage in 18th century England but are now archaic there.
Were do the Brits get "Leftanant" from "Lieutenant"?
If it's "shedule" then it's "shool" instead of "skool"...
Why do people call us "Americans"? Except for the Caribbeans, EVERYONE in this hemisphere is an "American" (North, Central, South).
I just saw "Atonement" - great movie, but couldn't understand what they were saying sometimes, accents too thick and didn't know the idioms...
Where do accents come from anyways?
If it's "shedule" then it's "shool" instead of "skool"...
Why do people call us "Americans"? Except for the Caribbeans, EVERYONE in this hemisphere is an "American" (North, Central, South).
I just saw "Atonement" - great movie, but couldn't understand what they were saying sometimes, accents too thick and didn't know the idioms...
Where do accents come from anyways?