- Which accent do you prefer?
- Are any 'terrible', 'annoying' or 'sexy'?
- Do accents matter?
- Are you embarrassed by your Spanish accent or proud of it?
- Is there an accent that you'd like to be able to speak with?
- Are accents as noticeable in Spanish or Catalan?
To find out more about the 'real' woman behind the video, visit her website http://www.AmyWalkerOnline.com or watch her explanatory video.
To learn some differences between American and English slang, watch Hugh Laurie from House (and before that, Jeeves and Wooster) and Ellen Degeneres (well-liked American Chat Show Host).
Hello,
ReplyDeleteI just saw both videos and I have some feedback about them.
About the first video, I thought it was hilarious. It's impressing how she can achieve such good accents, it actually made me wonder where she might really be from!
I didn't like the Dublin or Russian accents very much, but I guess it really depends on the person who speaks them.
My favorite accents were London, California and Seattle, because they're the ones which are more familiar to me and I had the feeling that they were more neutral than the other ones. I would like to have any of these.
About the second video, I had no idea about the words they spoke about, basically because they're slang and you actually have to live in an English-speaking region to get to use them. But it was amusing, anyway.
I don't think accents should matter that much; they're fun to listen to but people shouldn't laugh at them because they're part of people's culture. Even here in Spain, we can find several different accents for Spanish, like Andaluz, Gallego, Castellano... and in Catalan we find Barcelonès, Lleidetà... Language is very diverse, and even some small towns can have their own particular accent.
The accent variety is part of the culture of a country. I totally agree with Andrea that it's pathetic that people laugh at people just because they speak in a slightly different way than them.
ReplyDeleteI found the first video was great, the high capacity to imitate that this woman had, was really impressive. My favourite accent was clearly the cockney one, as it's the one I can identify more easily and probably the nicest and easiest to understand for a non native person.
However, I respect all accents and will never speak badly about any of them.
Mario Romeo
These videos are great. The first one is incredible, it's amazing how she is capable of being so fluid with completely different accents and so quick when switching from one to another.
ReplyDeleteI just loved all the American accents, but my favourite ones were the one from California and, of course, the Scottish, where she talks about the Walkers shortbread butter biscuits which I love.
According to the second video, it's both funny and interesting. I didn't know that slang English (both British and American) could be so complicated. It is impossible to figure out what the words mean unless you know them! I enjoyed hearing the British-American conversation plus I like Hugh Laurie very much.
Both videos are interesting to watch, but I disagree with Andrea: accents DO matter, because they mark where you're from and create a greater identity. I love comparing different accents and trying to speak them. Spanish varies too depending on the zone of Spain, but when travelling to South America you can also experiment very different ways of speaking the same language. I think it's fascinating how much a language can change.
It's very interesting how people's accent change deppending on where they live. It's a fantastic proof of culture diversity and I don't understand why some people laugh at them.
ReplyDeleteI think there are no annoying accents as far as you can understand what people are saying, besides, in my opinion accents enrich languages by creating new vocabulairy and idiomatic expressions. However, for some non-native english speakers it's very difficult to get a apprehensive accent because they are not used to it. Therefore people should practice their pronunciation until they can be well understood. To finish I'd like to speak with a well english accent because I find it very elegant.
Juan Ventosa
I must say that the first video is absolutely amazing, how she is capable of "speaking" 21 languages in such a short period of time, and not only this, she switches so quickly, is just great!
ReplyDeleteMy favourite accent was scottish, I thought it was really well done, and it just made me go back two years ago when I was studying in Scotland.
Languages are the key for communication, and accents as Juan well said, enrich the language, it makes it more special and different. Because we should remember that in the same country you can find several accents, and sometimes is hard to understand even if you speak the same language, just because the accent is different.
I agree with Berta, accents do matter, they are important.
And I love how everyone has one.
The video was amazing. I was blown away by how the woman could immitate so many different accents so easily and so good. Also, i really liked the fact that she did not only copy accents from people who speak english as their native language but she also did others such as german, french or italian who also have their personal way of speaking the language.
ReplyDeletePersonally i don't think you should laugh at anyone's accent though not being used to it might make you giggle a bit when you come accross a rather paculiar one. Overall, i love accents, i think it's amusing how many different pronunciations a word can have.
As for the other video, i also really liked it. The game that they were playing is true in every language. We all have different words, or an informal way of saying things different from other countries that speak the same language. It's interesting and fun to find out these differences as they can be very surprising.
Hi! Both videos are amazing! I really laughed a lot with the Hugh Laurie one, I really like his humour and the american interview type of programmes, I am chuffed to bits! Haha! Moreover, I got to learn expressions both in American and in British, which I'm really interested in as I find it incredibly useful for when you go to those countries! What is more, it makes you look good, and you can "floss" about you're english accent!
ReplyDeleteI thought the video of the 21 accents is incredibly awesome! She switched languages so fast and precisely! The way she did it was excellent! I really loved the accents from other countries where English isn't the official language! Related to the accents and the debate, I'm with Berta, accents matter. You musn't laugh at them, but they're relevant as they are part of where we come from, and they're part of our nationality. They identify us.
Sometimes I really hate my accent in English, but it's mainly because I'm not sure how to pronounce words in English, and also because there are so many accents and ways in which you can say words.
In spanish and catalan there are many accents, not only from different regions and counties, but also from different cities. The catalan from Barcelona is different from the one in Vic, Sabadell, Lleida and other places!
I found very interesting the videos, but maybe next time it would be better if there were only one video per post!
Both videos are absolutely astonishing! I was amazed when I saw Amy, one person only, interpreting 21 different accents!
ReplyDeleteI think accents are a very good sign of culture and its wonderful there are so many around the world. It makes you feel different when you are in somewhere where people talk in an absolutely different way! Diversity! I am totally in agreement with Juan, I don't understand why people laugh at the several different accents! They are in a way, laughing at themselves because they have also got accent...
Thankyou!
I found extremely amazing the first video. What most amused me was the fact that she could speak in 21 different accents, although I think that what most fascinated me was how easy and simple it is for her to interpret the great variety of accents.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, the one accent I liked best was the Irish accent. Actually, I have tried to imitate it over and over again, but it is very difficult for me to do it.
I agree with Santi's opinion about the accents, it is wonderful that we can share and listen other culture's ways of speaking. Also, I think it is extremely great that we are able to recognize people's nationalities or hometowns just by listening to their accent.
To conclude, I believe my Spanish or Catalan accents are not present in my speaking. Although I have to admit that sometimes, when I visit my family in Madrid, people tell me I have a very marked catalan accent.
I've just seen Amy's video and personaly I think it is a little bit wierd. But also I would like to add that is curious to see how many diferent types of english accent exist. (It's the first time i comment because i didn't had time sorry)
ReplyDeleteHahaha I like a lot the video of Dr. House the awesome word BA-DONKA-DONK extremely covesious lady behinde jajajaja.
ReplyDeletePeople often ask me which accent someone is speaking with and I find it really hard to say - so I believe that accents matter less for me than for some people. That said, I do recognise that they can be a barrier to easy communication when they are very pronounced, even if I personally share the opinion expressed by many of you: that accents enrich our lives, increasing cultural diversity and adding personality and identity to our speech. One thing that I have noticed is that, if I am speaking with an American, Australian, etc, I start 'picking up' or copying some of his speech patterns, intonation, accent, etc. The same must happen if I am speaking with a non-native, I imagine. Does this happen to anyone else? Andrea D - in Scotland?
ReplyDeletePS. Pajaro-loco-porta... You need to select 'name' when you 'post as' and put your first name, otherwise I won't know who you are.
PPS. Kylian... check your spelling!!
PPPS. Laura... I'll bear the one video point in mind!
PPPPS. Berta... I went to Scotland this summer and brought back shortbread; had I known...
I had a lot of fun watching both videos. I got shocked by the first one and by her ability for switching accents so quickly and speaking them so accurately. I've watched it twice and it's amazing! I personally also agree with Berta (and with you) when she says that accents enrich the english culture, or any other one, giving more personality to what you say.
ReplyDeleteAs a personal anecdote, I am watching Lost Online. I've watched it both in Spanish and in Original Version, and I must say it is infinitely better watching it in English than in Spanish. Not just because of the 'jokes' they make which are funnier in original version, but also because I love the crash of accents in the series. It adds to it and makes the story lifelike. Like Claire's Australian accent, which I totally identified in Amy Walker's video.
I found the second video interesting too, because it has shown me that two different accents of the same language have totally different slang, which can not be guessed by the other. I mean, it is obvious and understandable that languages change and take different accents in different places, but what I didn't imagine was that such different and personal words could be formed.
I really enjoyed this post! (Partly because I love Hugh Laurie!)
Carlota Guilera
FINALLY I MADE IT! I GOT TO POST ON YOUR BLOG!
ReplyDeleteCarlota Guilera
I've seen the videos.The first one is amazing seeing how this women is capable to imitate 21 diferents accents when I even can't.But as Andrea says every language is divided into diferent accents like spanish which is divided into andaluz,castellano or catalan divided into lleidata
ReplyDeletejordi soldevila
as i saw both videos i was going to comment on the second one, but o think that the first one has more to talk about. i persoonally like the way she entonates those accents that amazing i particularly like the canadian and the rusian as i find both of them amazing even though i would have liked to hear a spanish accent if it were ther it would be hilarious.
ReplyDeleteLong time ago i was coming back from a party with jack, he was called by his mom he started to talk in english thats when a man came asking for fire in english and he sad: escus me ? tienes un lighter?? i laughed and i told him that i wasn´t english that my friend was.
I think my english accent is good as i use nearly everyday even when i go on a holiday i try to speak it . Catalan and spanish accents are both capable of being recognised, for example a catalan talking spanish can be quickly recognised because they mix words and some of them they invent them but a spanish speaker when speaking catalan also makes the same mistakes. accents in spanish for example i wouldn´t distinguish between argentinien an urugayan even though my whole family speaks argentinien i am still not capable of distinguishing both accents.
Maxi Pfeiffer mr latham i wrote half an hour or so ago in the halloween link and i forgot to write my name on the comment it is only for you to notice