should learn American or British pronunciation?

[Nas]

Hi there,
Well, to me, I pretty much like the American pronunciation, and I guess it is a lot better, and quite useful.
Yours,
Nas

[Kas55]

Standard British English is wonderful to listen to and easy enough for ESL students to understand, but the UK has so many different accents, that some are really tough even for English speakers from other countries to comprehend.
American English, on the other hand, has a universality about it, which makes it easy to both comprehend and mimic. We hear it on TV and in the movies so often, anyway, and the more pronounced 'r' sound appears easier for ESL students to learn, as they can then speak more phonetically and be understood anywhere in the world.
By the way, I am neither English nor American, but a Canadian citizen who was raised in South Africa and I speak English as my mother tongue! My background has enabled me to comprehend any native English speakers with relative ease, and I am especially fascinated with the way Australians speak!

[Miner49'er]

I vote for American English simply because I understand it better when spoken.
I watch British Television every night and I can follow all programs which are spoken in "International or American English" .
But when some stiff-lipped- rattling- or mumbling English peer is on, i simply can't make words out of what they're saying , then I need the subtitles for the hearing impared.

[curmudgeon]

Originally Posted by Miner49'er

I
But when some stiff-lipped- rattling- or mumbling English peer is on, i simply can't make words out of what they're saying , then I need the subtitles for the hearing impared.

How often does that happen? Your talking about a very small minority.

[Miner49'er]

Hehe.... no offense Curmudgeon

Well....not so often really

[Miner49'er]

By the way, it's the same here in Belgium, even for the native Flemish speaking people.
When dialect is spoken in a program, the subtitling appears.

[alihandra]

Originally Posted by curmudgeon

awa 'n bile yer heed

What is this ?
Please do n't write like this again Or I will jump out of the window , these words makes me feel that I no nothing in English .


it right now Bluebell

[blueabell2go]

Originally Posted by alihandra

What is this ?
Please do n't write like this again Or I will jump up from the window , these words makes me feel that I no nothing in English .

If you mean "I will jump out of the window", please don't. Curmudgeon and I have both written posts in Scots, see

Scots language - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

It's very hard even for other native speakers of English to understand, so don't worry about it.

I have a story about jumping out of windows.

Recently, the Glasgow fire service published a booklet which gave advice on what to do in the event of a house fire. They also published a version in Urdu because many people of Pakistani origin live in the city. The English version said that if you must jump out of a window, try to jump on to a cushion. There was a slight mistake in translation in the Urdu version. It said if you must jump out of a window, try to jump on to a donkey!

[Rincewind]

I discusses this question with an American ESL colleague last week. We both agreed there is no correct answer. You can't choose between British and American pronunciation because there is not such thing. The generalisation is too wide.

For example, listen to a Texan talking and compare with someone form California, or New York. They pronounce words very differently. In Britain the differences are even more extreme. The pronunciation in Essex, north of London is radically different form that of New Castle. When you move into Scotland it gets even more confused since people read and write in Scottish English but talk in Scots; We have not even begun to mention Irish and Welsh English!

I once read a polls asking which accent girls would most like their husbands to speak. The poll showed that Scottish pronunciation comes second only to Irish. So if you want a interesting and sexy accent, then pick from Scottish or Irish - not American or English.

On the other hand. My computer's spell checker always has an American bias. So I think this will make a trend towards American English spelling - although spelling and pronunciation are quite separate matters.

[Miner49'er]

I think the pohl should have had a third pronunciation type in it .."International English"

This is the pronunciation used by most of the newsreaders and other professional speakers like those you hear in documentaries.

Though there is still a little difference between the BE and the AE speakers, they are both perfectly understandable when they talk in international English.