Native english speaker or not ???

[EngFan]

Hi Native English Speakers,

Please listen the following two audio clips, do you think he is a native english speaker? If your answer is 'no', could you please point out why you know he is not a native english speaker? If your answer is 'yes', please point out why you think he is a native speaker? Please advise, thanks a lot.

1. Content
I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide
Is a wilde call and a clear call that may not be denied

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2. Content
We believe that the pope, as a citizen of Europe and the leader of a religion with many adherents in the UK, is of course free to enter and tour our country.

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[susiedqq]

I am picking up an accent.

Dah for "the"

Australian?

[EngFan]

Anybody can give me yr answer and comment, he is native english speaker or not ??? Thanks.

[georgemartin22]

yes he is. I think he's British.

[Barb_D]

Not New England. Not from the US at all.

I hear the d sound in "the." Certainly native-speaker proficiency if not a native speaker. Irish?

[accentcoach]

He is most definitely not from the US. He is most likely from the South of England or possibly Wales. The passage sounds like it might be Dylan Thomas, who is Welsch.

[Tdol]

I am not sure that he's a native speaker- there are some strange sounds (call) that do not sound native to me and don't sound like any regional pronunciation I know. I think it might be a non-native speaker who is completely fluent. The pronunciation of some words call and seas is a bit strange to me, but the stress and everything else is perfect.

[robarocamel]

Good at spoken english, but agreed with Tdol, there are some strange sounds, but I don't know how to describe it....

[birdeen's call]

The pronunciation of some words call and seas is a bit strange to me, but the stress and everything else is perfect.

What's wrong with "seas"?

[Tdol]

It's difficult to describe, but the vowel sound is slightly different- as if the mouth were open too wide. Call stands out more.