Housepets!

Obbl wrote:Actually I don't really have any of those as part of my speech. I've got a pretty standard General American accent

ditto.

RandomGeekNamedBrent wrote:

Obbl wrote:Actually I don't really have any of those as part of my speech. I've got a pretty standard General American accent ;)

ditto.

I know you don't think you do, but someone with a different accent could tell you that you do.

Oh hi, Ebly! *waves downward*

Obbl wrote: Actually I don't really have any of those as part of my speech. I've got a pretty standard General American accent

You are definitely only saying that to tease me. Of course you wouldn't notice it you goof, your ears are trained to your own accent! To use an example, syk was convinced he spoke with a 'general american' accent. I fixed that! In fact see his post just above mine there. Hi syk! *waves upwards*

Psykeout wrote:

RandomGeekNamedBrent wrote:

Obbl wrote:Actually I don't really have any of those as part of my speech. I've got a pretty standard General American accent

ditto.

I know you don't think you do, but someone with a different accent could tell you that you do.

maybe, but I don't think if I do that it could be used by people who don't know me to pinpoint where I was born or raised other than by process of elimination.
especially not by inflection. I speak fairly monotonously.
now, I believe this was about language and not accents? but the question of which English speakers of other languages learned still can be answered.

I believe Midwest American English is our "standard" accent. It's what newscasters tend to use as "nonregional diction" or whatever they call it. That's what I speak with, and since the US has more native English speakers than anywhere else, I can say "I speak without an accent" and I'll be slightly less wrong than just about anyone else who can say that. Presumably when foreigners learn "American" English accents that's what they learn.

Ebly wrote:Russiarules: "in it" = "innit" = "isn't it"!

I think "innit" is more common in the UK and "ain't it" is more common in the US, but I could be wrong.

Also, Southern accents are hot too.

Ebly wrote:

Obbl wrote: Actually I don't really have any of those as part of my speech. I've got a pretty standard General American accent

You are definitely only saying that to tease me. Of course you wouldn't notice it you goof, your ears are trained to your own accent! To use an example, syk was convinced he spoke with a 'general american' accent. I fixed that! In fact see his post just above mine there. Hi syk! *waves upwards*

Every time I find a word written in IPA labeled English - GA, it is exactly how I pronounce it. So ...fairly certain I've got the standard accent.
So, yes, I have a nasal 'æ' but that tends to be the extent of my nasalness. And out of all the southern influence I could have picked up, I only got the "y'all", but without the twange.
As for 80% of the word being a vowel, well I'm not entirely sure where you get that from. I don't have any more vowel to consonant ratio than Australian that I'm aware of, and I also don't see replacing every single vowel with 'a', so...
I am led to believe I do not exhibit any of these traits.

Ebly wrote:
Russiarules: "in it" = "innit" = "isn't it"!

THANK YOU!

I always like to listen to Americans and British people speaking in English, though for very different reasons.

The standard American accent I like because it sounds professional and efficient, especially when it comes to explaining scientific stuff. On the other hand, the general British accent tend to have this very nice intonation and sounds melodic to me.

There is one accent here in Malaysia that has always piqued my interest, the Kelantanese English. Kelantan is a state in Malaysia, and they pretty much has their own version of the Malay language that not many people can understand. Their accent is so strong that it shines even when they speak English.

Here's a clip from a local movie that shows just that. The guy in green is the one who's speaking in Kelantanese English.

sounds a bit Italian if you ask me.

Now that you've mentioned it, they do sound similar.

Ebly wrote:
- replacing every single vowel with a

What sort of A?

Sleet wrote:I think "innit" is more common in the UK and "ain't it" is more common in the US, but I could be wrong.

Depends on where you are. Pretty much nobody I know around here would use "ain't" in a sentence unless they were making a conscious effort to sound southern.

Obbl wrote:Every time I find a word written in IPA labeled English - GA blah blah blah I don't do those things you said are a staple of the American accent

Wait what, you're using phonetic representations specifically for the American accent as being proof you don't have an accent?


Pea:
...There seems to be a mismatch between what you quoted and what you asked? I'm not sure what I'm meant to respond to that with.

Obbl wrote:I am led to believe I do not exhibit any of these traits. :|

And you'll never hear it for as long as you live.
But it's there.

CaptainPea wrote:

Sleet wrote:I think "innit" is more common in the UK and "ain't it" is more common in the US, but I could be wrong.

Depends on where you are. Pretty much nobody I know around here would use "ain't" in a sentence unless they were making a conscious effort to sound southern.

You're a bit farther north, though. Around here, "ain't" isn't exceedingly common, but present. I use it if i'm in the mood. And we're not even very far south.

Dissension wrote:I'm pretty darn close to General American Dialect. This is not just my evaluation, but also that of various speech and journalism professors when I was in college. So fwee. My voice & diction professor had me work with exchange students on issues regarding English pronunciation.

Oh cool!
And it seems like there's a lot of linguists here, with all the deep discussions going on.
I did remember something I've been wanting to ask about about pronunciation. How do you actually pronounce 'grotesque'? I heard some go 'grow-tesk', but others go 'grow-too-isk'.
I've always thought it's the former, but many people here pronounce it like the latter. I'm confused.. (@.@)

I've never heard the latter. I'm pretty sure it's "grow-tesk."

Speaking of language, has anyone from America had problems with British accents? I've heard some people say they could hardly understand people from the UK, but I've never had a problem except with the harshest of accents that even British people make fun of.

Hmm, OK. Thanks, Sleet and Dissension! I'll need to tell people to change how they pronounce it.

Psykeout wrote:

CaptainPea wrote:

Sleet wrote:I think "innit" is more common in the UK and "ain't it" is more common in the US, but I could be wrong.

Depends on where you are. Pretty much nobody I know around here would use "ain't" in a sentence unless they were making a conscious effort to sound southern.

You're a bit farther north, though. Around here, "ain't" isn't exceedingly common, but present. I use it if i'm in the mood. And we're not even very far south.

Whereas down here in Texas, we overuse "ain't" and "y'all". Not that I'm complaining; I love saying that.

Uh, is there a way to know that someone is Canadian by the way someone is talking?
Besides those times when they say stuff like: House, Hose, About, etc.

I ask, because people accused me of being Canadian. (LoLwut?)
I LOVE CANADA

Ebly wrote: ...There seems to be a mismatch between what you quoted and what you asked? I'm not sure what I'm meant to respond to that with.

Don't be silly. I would never make such a silly mistake like that, silly.

CaptainPea wrote:

Ebly wrote:
- replacing every single vowel with a

What sort of A?

Russiarules1 wrote:Uh, is there a way to know that someone is Canadian by the way someone is talking?
Besides those times when they say stuff like: House, Hose, About, etc.

I ask, because people accused me of being Canadian. (LoLwut?)
I LOVE CANADA

Americans think Canadians say "aboot", I think Canadians think Americans say "abat". Neither is really quite accurate, but there is a little bit of truth to them.

I'm not sure exactly how to describe Canadian accents, but you can in most cases tell them apart from American ones. If you're not good with accents though, you can probably also tell just by the words and phrases they use; the easiest example for me at the moment is that Canadians say "washroom" where an American would use "bathroom".

I speak English and some Spanish. I also took a year of French and can pick out a few words in some other languages (especially if they're related to the above--that is, Romance languages or Germanic languages).

zeekgenateer wrote:Speaking of language, has anyone from America had problems with British accents? I've heard some people say they could hardly understand people from the UK, but I've never had a problem except with the harshest of accents that even British people make fun of.

It depends on the accent. I can understand most of 'em just fine.

Tha Housefox wrote:Whereas down here in Texas, we overuse "ain't" and "y'all". Not that I'm complaining; I love saying that.

Y'all is perfectly acceptable in my book. "Ain't" is a little less so.

I have a mostly North American accent but sometimes you can feel a touch of the Colombian in me, it's kind of fun. Actually Colombia has a large variety of accents depending on where you grew up, the "Costeños" have a certain accent I will never truly understand and I always ask them to repeat what they tell me. Some simply come under the impression that I don't speak spanish. I can understand the Spanish accent but it's still a little annoying for me since they overuse the "sh" in every word.

CaptainPea wrote:the easiest example for me at the moment is that Canadians say "washroom" where an American would use "bathroom".

What if I say "toilet" instead? What would that make me?

CaptainPea wrote:If you're not good with accents though, you can probably also tell just by the words and phrases they use; the easiest example for me at the moment is that Canadians say "washroom" where an American would use "bathroom".

I prefer saying restroom when I'm being formal, like at a restaurant or some other public place.

Ebly wrote:

Obbl wrote:Every time I find a word written in IPA labeled English - GA blah blah blah I don't do those things you said are a staple of the American accent

Wait what, you're using phonetic representations specifically for the American accent as being proof you don't have an accent?

No, I'm saying I have a General American accent.
However, I still don't notice any of the traits you described. Perhaps your description merely does not convey what it is you are thinking well enough for me to understand what to listen for.
It's not like I deny I have an accent. I'm just fairly certain I don't:
- [replace] every single vowel with a
- [make up] 80% of the word ... [with] vowel[s.]
- [do] the weird regional 'oi' thing (joisey stereotype) (not from Jersey)
- [do] that nasally, pitch-alternating melody (california stereotype) (not from California or any other area prone to heavy nasalization)
- [talk like the] deep south (needs no more explanation, this is just death) (not from the deep south)
Unless further description of what you mean by these statements makes it clear that you are speaking of something which I do do.

Psykeout wrote:

Obbl wrote:I am led to believe I do not exhibit any of these traits.

And you'll never hear it for as long as you live.
But it's there.

Considering I love phonology and study it in my spare time (not that that gives me any huge credentials) this comes off as rather insulting. I know I have an accent. It is called the General American accent. I am not aware it exhibits any of the traits mentioned by Ebly. If you would care to enlighten me, I may see what he is talking about and agree.
Edit: Having reread the above statement 20 mins later, I still agree with what I have said, but would like to add:
I do hear my accent (when I try). It's not impossible (a bit difficult) and actually helps me to understand how other accents work. You're statement appears to say I am blithely ignorant of my own ethnocentrism, when I in fact do make attempts to understand my own differences as seen by an outsider. This is something I take some pride in, and the statement attacks that pride. Thus it has the feeling of a direct insult.

I speak russian (I can barely understand English)

Does anyone happen to know italian? if so would you mind checking translations for me in the stories i plan to write?

(please no rude ridicule) :3

There's Valerio,_Stu_ and Andrea on the forum (that I remember off the top of my head) that are Italian so they would be able to help.

I have learned that if you go some place (like Israel), you should not speak the native language there because you probably won't understand their slang, just speak the next best language (which in Israel, would be English) and you should be fine.

yehoshua wrote:I have learned that if you go some place (like Israel), you should not speak the native language there because you probably won't understand their slang, just speak the next best language (which in Israel, would be English) and you should be fine.

That's going to be the case anywhere, actually. Slang is such a big part of culture, you're never going to be able to pick up on it immediately. It's still recommended to speak their language if you're learning it, though, because you're never going to get better otherwise.

Plus it's amusing when you try to use outdated foreign slang.

Totally radical, amigo!

Rekfuby wrote:I speak russian (I can barely understand English)

Really?
I'm in russian 101 right now.

I speak english(duh)
Profanity
A bit of german I picked up over 3 years in high school(and I do mean a bit)
Currently taking russian.

Seth wrote:Currently taking russian.

You're learning russian too?
I'm an english speaker, who is interested in learning Russian, german, japanese, chinese, latin, french, italian, spanish, and whatever else you can think of.

Leafolawl wrote:

Seth wrote:Currently taking russian.

You're learning russian too?
I'm an english speaker, who is interested in learning Russian, german, japanese, chinese, latin, french, italian, spanish, and whatever else you can think of.

I'm required to take two years of a language for my major
So I figured that russian would be cool.
good luck with all those........

It's good to know that I am not the only one taking Russian.
Good!

I'm learning Russian 'cause its fun.

I just think it's more fun than english, simply because its harder to pronouce than engish.

It also feels prettier than english when I speak it.