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What do you think of America or the American "accent"???♥♥♥
This discussion is for Duolingo users to say what they like about America, language, accent, or anything to do with this!! And if you're not from America and you're learning the language, do you think it's hard or easy to learn? English practicers welcome!!!
122 Comments
Me 2! It has a beautiful romantic sound to it. American is more, just plain.
I think that's because you're American!!!! To me, English is more 'plain' while American is interesting and cool sounding ...although, I think English has a more romantic sound, so I agree with you there! I've noticed a lot of people much prefer the British accent and don't think much of the American accent, but as a Brit, I LOVE American accents!
That's hilarious Liz! Yeah, American sounds so plain and just boring to me but it's so weird to think that people who have other accents think of Americans as having an accent and it actually sounds nice! LOL!
Well, as I say, I LOVE the American accent!!!! While I like England more, because it's smaller and 'quaint' in places, America would be an interesting place to visit because it's so BIG! Everything is BIGGER on average. And I'd love to hear all the accents. I heard someone with an American accent on Saturday give a whole sermon, and it was so drawly and laidback and relaxing....!!!!!!
Also, I find it interesting to see how many words are different in English and American English. I've included a list below. Correct me if I'm wrong!!!
American English: English: automobile; car faucet; tap trash; rubbish freeway; motorway sidewalk; path trashcan; bin truck; lorry airplane; aeroplane
Don't really know any of those words. Are you saying that's how we Americans talk or what? We don't say automobile; we say cars or vehicles. That's about the only word I know. I mean I can get the other words but I've never used those types before.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9040S0-0PLc
Haha! So true! The way this guy speaks is the way I speak but in a girly voice of course! (Not that slow, the fast way) Does it sound like an accent to you?
sorry this isn't very clear. I'll explain. In the following pairs of words, the first word in each pair is in American English, and the second word in each pair is in English. Of course, none of the words in American English may be familiar to you, but I use an American curriculum, and the words I've put here are from the curriculum I use. (automobile, car) (faucet, tap) (trash, rubbish) (freeway, motorway) (sidewalk, path) (trashcan, bin) (truck, lorry) (airplane, aeroplane) so, do u understand now? of course, even if you understand, it doesn't mean that u use any of the words!!!
I couldn't load the Youtube link!!!! There's a problem with my youtube, that's all. I'll keep u posted tho if I ever can watch the video.
I just don't like the sound of it. I have talked to so many yankies that it is almost normal because I live right next to Pigeon forge and Gatlinburg. There are a hole lot of tourist there.
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I'm American. One of the things I like most about the country is the fantastic diversity of people that have come here. It's great to meet people with origins elsewhere. It's also nice to eat their food :) [especially b/c I'm not that big a fun of some of the more "traditional" American staples] Within just a few minutes drive I can get to a grocery store specializing in Eastern European / Russian, African (specifically Ghanaian I think), Middle Eastern, Indian, or Mexican food, or any of three big ones covering East Asia fairly broadly, and I live in a not-that-big city in the Midwest.
Not that I think this is entirely unique to the U.S. by any means, but my friend from Spain sure seemed to find it different than what he was used to, for example.
That's really interesting to hear!!! Thanks!!! Do you know what your friend thought was different from his home compared to ours? (America)
English was easy enough for me to learn, but the availability of English language media helped a lot. I prefer the British accents though, I especially love the sound of Scottish! My view of America (the country not Americans in general), well... politics. I don't want to get into that. ;) And I don't have any particular view about Americans themselves, they are individuals, some nice, some not, like everywhere. I've never been particularly interested in American culture or history however, not like I am interested in other countries.
Thanks! Yeah, I love the way British accents sound over American and I to LOVE LOVE LOVE Scottish accents!!! And I totally understand about the politics. :)
Which American accent? I grew up around 3 (Southern, Yankee, Tidewater).
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No, you may be thinking of an accent called California upspeak in linguistic circles. It may also be known as Valley girl talk. Tidewater is from the Southeast including some coastal areas.
East coast, Virginia/Maryland. My parents grew up in New York state but my mom was raised around parents who grew up in the south.
My 9th grade English teacher in Maryland actually traced my parent's childhood area back to New York because I say "sneakers" instead of "tennis shoes", as in Converse and Sketchers type of shoes.
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It's a Southern accent from parts of Virgina, outerbanks of North Carolina, and thereabouts.
well, I mean the kind of people that call theme self bull riders, but they can't ride a bull worth anything, and they just do it to try to look cool. At the youth rodeo I work at there are a lot of them.
The real bull riders are most the time more, humble, stronger, they don't talk so loud and enthusiastic, they get there when they need to, do what they need to do, and they don't talk so dramatically.
As most of the people, I think the british accent is hotter (xD). And what do I think of America? Well, I wouldn't live there. I probably would go there for a week as a holiday, but any thing beyond that, no thank you.
I am not from the US, but I have acquired the "average" American accent from watching too much American TV shows and Youtube channels. I didn't mean to, but I guess I just picked it up subconsciously. Also, I find the Southern accent endearing. I think it has a lot of character and it's very fun to imitate.
Hey!!! Yeah; I'm not Southern but I think it sounds sorta cool! It has such a back then drawl to it if you know what I mean. Agreed!
well. what I like about it is that it is my first language so I don't have to learn it.
one thing about a southern accent is that it's hard sometimes to tell what northern yankies are saying. I guess it's harder for them to tell what we'er saying.
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A friend of mine's dad (from Illinois I think) had an interview in Atlanta. The interviewer had a strong southern accent. My friend's dad understood him to ask if he "had any witnesses"? Stymied by the unusual question, I think he might have referred to the references on his resume or some such. The intended question had been if he had any... weaknesses. Perhaps unsurprisingly, he wasn't offered the position ;)
True! Thay seem to have a cool twang to their speech! I like it and it makes me smile! (I don't have a southern accent)
I'm from the USA.
I always feel like my yankee accent is so boring. Brits have that accent, scots do as well, southerners have weird words too.
Half my family is southern (Virginia, Carolina, Florida) and some of their slang rubbed off on me, some words I say with their accent. (Y'all, "country mile", (verb)in', those -> them)
America is a great country, but there's a whole lot of corruption (politics, taxes, GWEN towers)
It makes me want to move someday, maybe to Switzerland. But I do really like the States. I have no idea about where I'll live in the future, but most likely USA.
Okay, so American English is not the nicest sounding language to me, to say the least. But what everyone else has said about this does not need to be repeated. Everyone has very nice comments. :D
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We got Benjamin Franklin, who was probably the biggest G in history. I like that a lot.
he was pretty awesome! but God... he made Benjamin Franklin. Gotcha beat, lol:) Thomas Edison was awesome too(-:
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Hahahaha okay, and yeah Edison was alright, a little crazy and also I hate him, but he was alright.
And why, may i ask, do you think he was crazy? and why in the world would you hate him?
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Running a smear campaign against Nikola Tesla, setting technology back decades by belittling Tesla's work, electrocuting elephants to death to prove a point, failing 3000 times and pretending to be the better inventor. Plus, I heard he smelled like farts.
well, all that ^ may quite possibly be true... but, without Thomas Edison, we wouldnt have light. or photos. so, i still think hes pretty fantastic! despite his flaws, he was an inspiring man.
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Can't reply to other comment for some reason, but yeah, Thomas Edison did some neat stuff too.
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Fun tour of different American accents: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NriDTxseog
Having an opinion of someone else's accent is fine. However, if we base our opinion of someone based only on their accent or where they are from, it can be very divisive. If I'm posh, and you're not... If I'm from one country or region and you are from another...
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B/c people have been saying they like "the British accent," I ask ye, which one? :) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pZ-Ny8q22o
Love them all! I didn't find the soft "normal" British accent that's my favorite but the sound of Pevonis is really cool and so is Scouse. Didn't watch the whole thing though but thanks for the link!
Uh, I think you can only do it if you're on a computer. You push alt. and then while holding that down you push three and then lift your fingers of both keys off at the same time. It's really easy. Hope it works for you!!!
♥T♥H♥A♥N♥K♥♥♥Y♥O♥U♥!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ ............I'm on laptop.
it is very weird for me...I speak Spanish but english is very hard with their accents.
Really! That's really interesting! Is it hard for you to understand Americans and their accents? Where are you from?
Ok! Good for you! We're both learning Spanish! I hope to be able to use it someday and speak it fluently! And you?
Yup..but on my old account it was further ahead. I am re-doing again so I can write english better
I'm not from America, but i know American (not well as some people though). I like it, though sorry to say it's not one of my favourite languages.
You don't have to be sorry; I understand! It's not really anything exciting, but yeah! What IS your favorite language?
I don't really know, i like a lot of languages! I like English the most I think, but i also love others.
I love the British accent too! Even more; Scottish!!!!! I literally could listen to Scottish accents all day!!! (Although I'm sure at some point I'd want to turn off the volume;)
Yes: See yonder A wee lad. This is Scottish for: 'See there a small child'
Haha! Got a smile out of me!! They don't seem to say their t's so they pronounce Scotish like "sco-ish."
Ok, that's cool. Dae ye talk Scots? (If so you'd say "Aye, a wee bit!"
Here's a link of some really fun common Scu-ish phrases!
American English is the foreign language I am exposed to the most, so it sounds pretty neutral to me. I watch more TV series in English than in Swedish, my native language. The selection is much larger :)
Compared to German and Italian, English grammar is easier. English spelling is on the other hand harder.
English Spelling is harder? I get that! Thanks for your input! Nice Streak BTW!
Words are not exactly written as they are spoken :) Italian is admirably in this respect. I don't know much about Spanish, but I believe the spelling is pretty regular there as well.
Thanks! You have also proved that you can keep up a streak. You will go far :)
Thanks, Jan-Eric! Yeah, especially in the English language words are pronounced differently than they are written. And I appreciate your encouraging words; thank you!!!
I'll give you a comment to make it 100 comments. I like English more than American, but i also like American sometimes.
Ok, well that's cool! And so far (without me getting back to you) there are only 90 comments, not 100. I agree that English accents do sound more romantic and beautiful than American, but everyone has preferences!!! Thanks for yours!!!
i like america because its where i come from, but i also love british! i got a killer good brit accent;)
And I would LOVE to hear it Liberty! Next time we're on the phone we should try to do our best British Accents!!! :)
yes! ill definitely call you. i learned from a friend who was british, and he would talk to me, and i started talking to him in the same accent... and just seeing ElizabethBell02's comments, i was imagining her accent, and i could hear her talking! it was so much fun!
yea, i love it! it's so much fun! i grew up talking with a brit accent whenever i could, and i'm sure a lot of americans thought i was strange, but i didnt/dont really care:)
I'd like to hear yours and Nora's English accents! I have an American accent, but not sure how authentic it is.
yes! I wish we could somehow do a group phone call... but im not sure how it would even be possible... with you living in the UK and Nora and i in the US :-\
I know! I got to hear what at an auction down the road and they're amazing! I can hardly follow them they're so incredibly fast!!! I'm not sure about listening to them all day but at least for a little. (It'd get on my nerves I must admit.)
Yeah, I can understand them pretty well because i have been practicing auctioneering.
Ok, sorry about that. But can I ask you a question,(not in a bad way at all) how did you find this? I mean it's so far down in the discussion list that the only way I find it is by someone replying to my commit.
Hey, I have another question :) When a discussion gets downvoted off the list, can moderators not see it? because I was talking to Woof about a discussion that was not following the guidelines at all, so I kept saying it would be deleted, but so far not even one commit has been deleted. .https://www.duolingo.com/comment/24594962$comment_id=24624606 This discussion has some negative commits, so just expect it. Thanks :)
Moderators can also see posts that have been downvoted. However, moderators are not always online and hence can sometimes miss posts that don't meet the guidelines.
If you come across a post that doesn't meet the guidelines simply downvote it and move on.
Hi El2theK, I had another question. Lately I've been experimenting some bugs in the system since they did that Duo update on Oct 3rd. So anyhow, I was talking to another user about being able to post comment allot further over but I didn't know if this is a bug or if it was a hidden feature.
This is what I mean. It will go all the way up to the right hand margin, but then it just gets the words squished up into a line. also, the comment I am replying to right now is the furthest it used to go. Anyhow, thanks :)
Wow; seriously! You good at it? Keep it up; I really wish I could hear you! :)
No, I wish I were. I can listen to them a lot lot better than I can do it.
Yeah listening to things is easier than doing it! ): Keep at it though and yeah! You should put "Be an auctioneer at an auction" on your bucket list! :)
Me? I didn't call you an idiot! Would you please mind explaining what you mean? And a bucket list is something where you have a list of things you want to do. Like for me in my bucket list is going to Saint Thomas Island, learning Beauty and the Beast on my ukulele, go on an all day bike ride etc. Get it? ♥♥♥
Sorry!!! I didn't mean that at all. I meant don't call me an idiot for asking what a bucket list was.
I was being sarcastic about you calling me an idiot. Anyhow, thanks for telling me what a bucket list was, I wasn't being sarcastic about not knowing what that was.
No you're fine; I should've tried understanding you better. And thanks for the lingots; you shouldn't have!!!
