Non-American Native Engl. Speakers, What Do U Think of Amer. Accents?

[Ro_Laren]

Americans generally love the various accents of native English speakers around the world. For example, we love the various British accents, Scottish accents, Australian accents, etc… But, what do non-American native English speakers think of American accents? If that is you, I would love what people from your country think about our accents. Please answer the following:

What is your native country?

What do people in your native country think of the following American accents?

• New York accent:
• Boston accent:
• Southern accent:
• New Orleans / Cajun accent:
• Minnesota accent (sounds similar to a Canadian accent):
• California accent (aka: stereotypical “surfer accent”):
• General / Standard American (aka, what our newscasters generally sound like… this is the most popular American accent):

Thanks… I look forward to seeing everyone’s responses!

 

[CorporalCaptain]

Re: Non-American Native Engl. Speakers, What Do U Think of Amer. Accen

There are also various further break-downs of these general classifications. For example, Kentucky and North Carolina accents are decidedly distinct from each other, but they are both considered Southern. I'd be curious to know whether non-Americans (or even Americans) can distinguish these, as well.

On the flip side, I'm aware that there are different accents prevalent in England. While I can hear the difference, when speakers appear on TV, I can't name the accents or identify where they are predominantly spoken.

 

[Methos]

Re: Non-American Native Engl. Speakers, What Do U Think of Amer. Accen

ok, i'm English... and i recognise a few different american accents...

I can pretty distinctively recognise Californian, i have family outside of LA lol... Texan pretty easily, southern yes, though i don't know if i'd be able to distinguish between counties or states...

Boston - wouldn't have a clue...
New York - Nope... sorry...

New Orleans... i'd like to say yes, having been there once before, but am having a hard time picturing it in my mind lol

M

 

[Ro_Laren]

Re: Non-American Native Engl. Speakers, What Do U Think of Amer. Accen

There are also various further break-downs of these general classifications. For example, Kentucky and North Carolina accents are decidedly distinct from each other, but they are both considered Southern. I'd be curious to know whether non-Americans (or even Americans) can distinguish these, as well.

On the flip side, I'm aware that there are different accents prevalent in England. While I can hear the difference, when speakers appear on TV, I can't name the accents or identify where they are predominantly spoken.

I know that there are further breakdowns of American accents. For example, my parents are from two different Southern States and they speak with two different Southern accents. However, I'm assuming that it is difficult for most non-native Americans (sometimes even for Americans) to distinguish between. Therefore, I decided to keep the thread more simple.

ok, i'm English... and i recognise a few different american accents...

I can pretty distinctively recognise Californian, i have family outside of LA lol... Texan pretty easily, southern yes, though i don't know if i'd be able to distinguish between counties or states...

Boston - wouldn't have a clue...
New York - Nope... sorry...

New Orleans... i'd like to say yes, having been there once before, but am having a hard time picturing it in my mind lol

M

Yes, but what do you think of the accents that you can recognize? Do you like them? Are you indifferent? I know you were responding to Corporal Captain, but the main thing I wanted to learn in this thread was what you thought about the various accents.

 

[Alidar Jarok]

Re: Non-American Native Engl. Speakers, What Do U Think of Amer. Accen

There's a major category (the Mid-Atlantic accent) that isn't mentioned at all. The area in Philadelphia and Baltimore sounds nothing like New York and nothing like Virginia (and nothing like Pittsburgh, Cleveland, etc.).

Yeah. I can recognize them, I just don't know which is which.

A couple examples for those who want to compare. I'm going down the east coast:

Boston Accet

New York Accent

Philly Accent (a bit exaggerated)

Southern Accent

Certainly, there's the Midwest (Standard) American accent, the Northern Accent (think Fargo), and the California accent among many others. I'm just not going to find youtube videos for them all.

 

[CorporalClegg]

Re: Non-American Native Engl. Speakers, What Do U Think of Amer. Accen

Minnesota accent (sounds similar to a Canadian accent):

Yeah, it's not just an accent. It's a way of life:

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TF3z-j8o39I[/yt]

You know, yeah?

 

[1001001]

Re: Non-American Native Engl. Speakers, What Do U Think of Amer. Accen

When I lived in Australia for a year, and my fellow students tried to imitate me, they all sounded like John Wayne.



Very slow. Very hard on the "r" sounds....

 

[Ro_Laren]

Re: Non-American Native Engl. Speakers, What Do U Think of Amer. Accen

My thread has been hijacked!!

I really just wanted to know:

What is your native country?

What do people in your native country think of the following American accents?

• New York accent:
• Boston accent:
• Southern accent:
• New Orleans / Cajun accent:
• Minnesota accent (sounds similar to a Canadian accent):
• California accent (aka: stereotypical “surfer accent”):
• General / Standard American (aka, what our newscasters generally sound like… this is the most popular American accent):

 

[Alidar Jarok]

Re: Non-American Native Engl. Speakers, What Do U Think of Amer. Accen

But I'm American, so I can't help. I thought, by giving examples of accents, people may be able to give thoughts. I couldn't find a good Minnesota accent on youtube (preferably one that was slightly exaggerated, but not overwhelmingly).

ETA: Northern Vowel Shift Accent (e.g., Minnesota)

 

[Shaytan]

Re: Non-American Native Engl. Speakers, What Do U Think of Amer. Accen

What is your native country?

Somewhere awesome.

What do people in your native country think of the following American accents?

• New York accent:
• Boston accent:
• Southern accent:
• New Orleans / Cajun accent:
• Minnesota accent (sounds similar to a Canadian accent):
• California accent (aka: stereotypical “surfer accent”):
• General / Standard American (aka, what our newscasters generally sound like… this is the most popular American accent):

Thanks… I look forward to seeing everyone’s responses!

I can't hear the difference. For me there are the accents I can understand and those I can't, nothing more.

 

[scotpens]

Re: Non-American Native Engl. Speakers, What Do U Think of Amer. Accen

When I lived in Australia for a year, and my fellow students tried to imitate me, they all sounded like John Wayne.



Very slow. Very hard on the "r" sounds....

That's the mistake a lot of British actors make when they attempt an American accent. They overdo the "R" sound and end up sounding like they're from Devon or Cornwall.

As for what U.S. English sounds like to non-American anglophones, I can't say. However, the Mexican-born actor Ricardo Montalban once said that to him, American English sounded like dogs barking.

 

[propita]

Re: Non-American Native Engl. Speakers, What Do U Think of Amer. Accen

I was born in LA (literally, in Hollywood). Newscasters sound, for the most part, like LA. That "surfer talk"? That's like, you know, Valley Girl-speak. The LA-accent is more a non-accent.

When I went back to school in Fresno (middle of California) my speech teacher noted, after everyone introduced themselves, that two of us were NOT from Fresno, but from the LA area--the other girl was from Long Beach (LA's port). No broad A sound or something. I said, "Heck no! I'm no Okie!" A lot of refugees from the Oklahoma Dust Storms f the 1930s came to California's Central Valley, bringing their accent with them.

 

[Nerys Myk]

Re: Non-American Native Engl. Speakers, What Do U Think of Amer. Accen

I know that there are further breakdowns of American accents. For example, my parents are from two different Southern States and they speak with two different Southern accents. However, I'm assuming that it is difficult for most non-native Americans (sometimes even for Americans) to distinguish between. Therefore, I decided to keep the thread more simple.

My parents are from the same Southern city and they have different accents!

I've lived in California most of my life and have only heard the "Surfer" and "valley girl" accents on TV or in films.

When I first moved to California as a child some kids asked me if I was an Okie, so I must of had a Southern accent back then. I just looked at them like they were crazy and said, "Hell no, I'm from Texas!".

 

[1001001]

Re: Non-American Native Engl. Speakers, What Do U Think of Amer. Accen

I was born in LA (literally, in Hollywood). Newscasters sound, for the most part, like LA. That "surfer talk"? That's like, you know, Valley Girl-speak. The LA-accent is more a non-accent.

However, we do say "The 405" instead of just "405".



That was pointed out to me a lot when I first moved to Northern California.

 

[Locutus of Bored]

Re: Non-American Native Engl. Speakers, What Do U Think of Amer. Accen

I was born in LA (literally, in Hollywood). Newscasters sound, for the most part, like LA. That "surfer talk"? That's like, you know, Valley Girl-speak.

Yes, thank you. As a Californian who lives by the beach and has occasionally surfed and bodyboarded (badly) in his youth, I had to defend our honor and point out that we sound more like Stu Nahan (the reporter, who is a native Los Angelino) in the clip below than Jeff Spicoli. That's a very small subset of speakers in SoCal.

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKrpl-KBTzQ[/yt]

 

[Bob Karo]

Re: Non-American Native Engl. Speakers, What Do U Think of Amer. Accen

Cajun and New Orleans accents are completely different. If anything, a native New Orleans accent is closer to a New York accent than Cajun. For example:

"Yat"

[yt]watch?v=tpFDNTo4DNg&feature=related[/yt]


Cajun English (heavy, but right on for older Cajuns from rural areas)

[yt]watch?v=Eb9bsy0DOR0[/yt]


And younger Cajuns

[yt]watch?v=BmUJ2zVqfLI[/yt]

 

[scotpens]

Re: Non-American Native Engl. Speakers, What Do U Think of Amer. Accen

I was born in LA (literally, in Hollywood). Newscasters sound, for the most part, like LA. That "surfer talk"? That's like, you know, Valley Girl-speak.

It's the other way around. The "Valley-speak" made famous by Moon Zappa began with suburban L.A. teens trying to talk like surfers. Words like "gnarly," "rad," "tubular" and "grody" came from surfing lingo.

And the kids were using the word "bitchin'" when I was in junior high school -- in the 1960s.

 

[SmoothieX]

Re: Non-American Native Engl. Speakers, What Do U Think of Amer. Accen

Me rove you rong time.

i know it's supposed to be an Asian hooker, but it looks like Scooby Doo when you write it down.

 

[Timewalker]

Re: Non-American Native Engl. Speakers, What Do U Think of Amer. Accen

But I'm American, so I can't help. I thought, by giving examples of accents, people may be able to give thoughts. I couldn't find a good Minnesota accent on youtube (preferably one that was slightly exaggerated, but not overwhelmingly).

ETA: Northern Vowel Shift Accent (e.g., Minnesota)

I was born, raised, and still live in, Red Deer, Alberta, Canada. And NOBODY around here talks like the woman in that video.

There are regional Canadian accents, too, btw. I can tell a Newfoundland accent from a New Brunswick accent, but a lot of people can't. Ontario has an accent all its own. Of course, no other people on the planet talk like those with a French-Canadian accent (Celine Dion may be able to sing, but when speaking English, she sounds like a belligerent, thuggish fishwife who grunts her way through interviews).

The "Canadian 'eh'" tends to be a regional thing - we don't all say it. Personally, I can't stand it. It makes the speaker sound like an uneducated redneck. And at least around here, "a boot" is what people wear on their feet. Or it means to kick/kickstart something. There is no other meaning.

To answer the OP:

I find New York and Boston accents incredibly ugly to listen to. Southern accents (of whatever variety) drive me up the wall, because most of the time it sounds like mush-mumble-mush, chew-with-your-mouth-open-while-speaking, with an occasional real word thrown in.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

Re: Non-American Native Engl. Speakers, What Do U Think of Amer. Accen

Southern accents (of whatever variety) drive me up the wall, because most of the time it sounds like mush-mumble-mush, chew-with-your-mouth-open-while-speaking, with an occasional real word thrown in.

*chomp* *chomp*