"Bill Bonde { No matter what happens, it's caused by global warming )"
wrote in message
news:494D3C11.FE1C4A99@yahoo.co.uk...
>
>
> John Rennie wrote:
>>
>> "Bill Bonde { No matter what happens, it's caused by global warming )"
>> wrote in message
>> news:494D2ECB.57E99546@yahoo.co.uk...
>> >
>> >
>> > Donna Evleth wrote:
>> >>
>> >> > From: "Bill Bonde { No matter what happens, it's caused by global
>> >> > warming )"
>> >> >
>> >> > Organization: Our legacy is not the lives we lived but the lives we
>> >> > leave to
>> >> > those who come after us.
>> >> > Newsgroups:
>> >> > alt.activism.death-penalty,soc.retirement,rec.travel.europe
>> >> > Date: Sat, 20 Dec 2008 09:48:23 +0000
>> >> > Subject: Re: THE WAR IN LYON
>> >> >
>> >> >
>> >> >
>> >> > Donna Evleth wrote:
>> >> >>
>> >> >>> From: "Bill Bonde { No matter what happens, it's caused by global
>> >> >>> warming )"
>> >> >
>> >> >
>> >> >>> If you cannot tell me what the difference in French between an
>> >> >>> American and a British accent is, then their mistake that you are
>> >> >>> British is understandable, especially given the proximity and
>> >> >>> number of English who give it a go at the froggy talk compared to
>> >> >>> the gloopy Amerikanski tourist.
>> >> >>
>> >> >> You have to hear the difference. It is just about impossible to
>> >> >> describe in
>> >> >> writing. I can always hear it in other people. In fact, it is
>> >> >> French
>> >> >> people who have expressed surprise after I have told them I was
>> >> >> American,
>> >> >> not British. "But your accent sounded British to me," they have
>> >> >> then
>> >> >> remarked.
>> >> >>
>> >> > I'm sceptical. Can you hear differences in the accent of Russians
>> >> > and Bulgarians speaking English? Maybe. But those are different
>> >> > languages. What you are saying is that you can hear the difference
>> >> > between people whose language is a specific English dialect. And
>> >> > then divide it between American and British even though American
>> >> > and British might be less different in some cases than American and
>> >> > American or British and British. It's certainly an entertaining
>> >> > thing to discuss.
>> >>
>> >> No, I cannot hear differences in the accents of Russians and
>> >> Bulgarians
>> >> because I do not know either of those languages. It has to be a
>> >> language
>> >> I
>> >> know, and even then it has to be a dialect of that language I am
>> >> particularly familiar with. American English, preferably without a
>> >> regional
>> >> accent such as Southern or Texan, and British English are the only
>> >> ones I
>> >> can do this with.
>> >>
>> > I know you can tell the difference between a British and a General
>> > American accent when someone is speaking English. The question is
>> > when they are speaking some other language. What features betray
>> > them as from North America vs. from the UK or maybe more
>> > specifically from England?
>>
>> I'm intrigued, Bill. How do you expect Donna to convey how she can tell
>> whether an American or a Brit is speaking French? After all it's what
>> they
>> SOUND like.
>>
> We have the IPA. We can discuss characteristics of speech that are
> carried over into the speaking of foreign languages. For example,
> people who are Slavic language speakers often devoice the ends of
> English words incorrectly, at least this is a cliché of their
> speech.
>
>
>
>> How can she convey sounds via this medium? Perhaps you would care to
>> make
>> one or two sounds yourself in your next post?
>>
> This is a text-only affair which is why you have to use the IPA or
> technical terms or descriptions. Someone who uses a different vowel
> in "can" and "can't" might continue to do that in similar positions
> when speaking another language. Canadian raising might continue in
> speaking another language. There is potentially a lot to this
> discussion.
>
Sorry. Couldn't hear a thing. Louder next time please.
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