Help me speak American English?

[pixmedic]

And Alex, I haven't seen Fargo, but I suspect I know what sort of ugly dialect that is. The folks from the eastern parts are often the worst. Their vocabulary isn't so bad, but the way they say the words might be.

Give it a try: Fargo (1996) - IMDb so many American dialects in that movie and a really nice dark story with lots of black humour. One of very few american movies I really like. It is the proof that in the US there is more than brainwashed cheesy Hollywood

As for Oxford English ... I always enjoy the attention I get when talking un-American English in the US

there is nothing sexier than a british girl talking...love that accent. right up there with scottish.

 

[rexbobcat]

If you learn castilian spanish, you can pretty much get by in whatever spanish speaking country you go to. same as if you learn "proper" english. might as well learn it correctly. the biggest differences between countries is their slang term anyway, which you wont learn from a textbook. and even slang varies from region to region like it does in the US from state to state.

Except that if you're going to be spending s lot of time in Mexico it's easier to learn how the Mexicans speak than it is to learn Castilian Spanish and get by.

I disagree with the English thing. There are so many terms that are either in disuse or are used in a different way or to mean something entirely different. And I'm not really referring to slang.

Regardless of the right way, it's much easier if you just learn the brand of whatever language a certain country speaks if you are going to be spending a lot of time there.

Hence is why I was taught Mexican Spanish, because most of what is spoken in my part of the world is not Castilian.

 

[Designer]

honestly, American English is hardly "English" anymore.
learn the Queens English and punt on the slang.

Just like Mexican Spanish isn't necessarily proper Spanish anymore. But if you're going to visit Mexico you wouldn't learn Spain Spanish just because it's "Spanish-er." lol

Isn't it that Mexican Spanish has actually preserved more of traditional Spanish than Spanish in modern Spain? But then again I might be totally wrong here.

I was informed that is approximately the case. Some many years ago, a Spanish king spoke with a lisp, and out of respect or fear all Spaniards adopted the same lisp which has persisted to this day.

 

[pixmedic]

If you learn castilian spanish, you can pretty much get by in whatever spanish speaking country you go to. same as if you learn "proper" english. might as well learn it correctly. the biggest differences between countries is their slang term anyway, which you wont learn from a textbook. and even slang varies from region to region like it does in the US from state to state.

I disagree with the English thing. There are so many terms that are either in disuse or are used in a different way or to mean something entirely different. And I'm not really referring to slang.

Regardless of the right way, it's much easier if you just learn the dialect of wherever you are going to spend most of your time.

im pretty sure that people from england dont have TOO much trouble when they come and visit here. our friends from germany that visit here only every few years manage to do pretty well, dialects aside. as long as you have the base language down, you shouldnt have very much trouble.

 

[Alex_B]

And Alex, I haven't seen Fargo, but I suspect I know what sort of ugly dialect that is. The folks from the eastern parts are often the worst. Their vocabulary isn't so bad, but the way they say the words might be.

Give it a try: Fargo (1996) - IMDb so many American dialects in that movie and a really nice dark story with lots of black humour. One of very few american movies I really like. It is the proof that in the US there is more than brainwashed cheesy Hollywood

As for Oxford English ... I always enjoy the attention I get when talking un-American English in the US

there is nothing sexier than a british girl talking...love that accent. right up there with scottish.

Sorry to burst the bubble... but I am not a girl

JK! Totally agree with what you said

 

[Designer]

FWIW: there are variations in the "British" accent as well.

Anders; I think it is appropriate that you wish to learn American pronunciation. Your GF's friends and family will be impressed! Good luck!

And there is this; American slang seems to be in a constant state of flux, so don't worry about getting the "latest", because it will have changed in a few months anyway. Just roll with it.

 

[thetrue]

The folks from the eastern parts are often the worst. Their vocabulary isn't so bad, but the way they say the words might be.

Hmmm . . . I think I was just insulted! :greenpbl:

I'll have to agree with him on that actually. I'm of the few that actually speak proper English without any sort of accent, but the people in the Philadelphia area are TERRIBLE when it comes to dialect. I says er'thing propa tho

 

[rexbobcat]

im pretty sure that people from england dont have TOO much trouble when they come and visit here. our friends from germany that visit here only every few years manage to do pretty well, dialects aside. as long as you have the base language down, you shouldnt have very much trouble.

All I'm saying is that I'd rather already know what terms mean what from the get-go instead of spending my time deciphering that "boot" means "trunk" and thongs are flip-flops.

 

[pixmedic]

ive been studying swedish myself...

 

[pixmedic]

Compaq, your written english is very good. just WRITE what you want to say, then read it back out loud!

 

[Alex_B]

FWIW: there are variations in the "British" accent as well.

A hell many ... in London alone you get so many different Languages which are all - at least in theory - some sort of English ... also Scotland shows a huge variety of accents and dialects ... when travelling in Scotland from one place to another, I never got things right, because what I learned in one village the day before was wrong in the next village Also some evil people say there is no English spoken in the West Country ... except by university students and retired people from London who moved there

And then their is things like Geordie oop in the North ...

 

[Alex_B]

some funny differences between American and British English

 

[Compaq]

The folks from the eastern parts are often the worst. Their vocabulary isn't so bad, but the way they say the words might be.

Hmmm . . . I think I was just insulted! :greenpbl:

I'll have to agree with him on that actually. I'm of the few that actually speak proper English without any sort of accent, but the people in the Philadelphia area are TERRIBLE when it comes to dialect. I says er'thing propa tho

Slight misunderstanding, here! I was referring to the eastern parts of Norway I just assumed you meant I talked like Scandinavians in the movie.

 

[thetrue]

Oh, very much misunderstood you. I though you meant the eastern part of the US haha

 

[sm4him]

Your girlfriend is going to a University here? Forget learning how to SPEAK American English--as long as you can text, you're golden. I don't think college students actually TALK to each other anymore; they just text back and forth. :lmao:

Just kidding. Kind of.
So, Compaq, in what part of the U.S. is your girlfriend going to be staying? Since your objective is to visit and be able to carry on reasonably decent conversation, it might help to know whether you'll be in the Northeast, or the Deep South or California or the Midwest, or wherever else. So we know whether to teach you to say "ya'll" or "youse guys" or "you'uns." :lmao:

I am born and bred in the south, but most people tell me I don't have that much of a "deep" southern accent. But sometimes, the Scarlett O'Hara in me comes out, usually when I'm talking to someone who mentions my accent.
My ex- was from the West Coast--Oregon mostly. His best friend would call once in a while and try to get my ex- to go out for a visit. One time, I answered the phone. The very first thing he did was essentially make fun of my "accent." Then he had the nerve to ask when we were coming out THERE to visit him. I told him, in my very best Scarlett voice, that it would be a cold day in a very hot place since the way I saw it, "As long as I stay right here, I ain't GOT no accent for anyone to poke fun at."