Is it true that English learners cannot copy the RP accent?

[realpaoz]

My friend told me that in his experience, he had never seen any non-native English speakers speak English with the RP accent and he had seen lots of English learners easily copy the Standard American accent. he said if English learners want to speak English with the RP accent, All they can do is to speak with the modified RP accent. Is this true?

 

[jutfrank]

What's the 'modified RP accent'? Is your friend a teacher or a linguist?

I've known a few non-native speakers whose natural accent could fool you into thinking they were born and brought up in the UK. It's relatively rare but it is quite achievable, especially if the learner begins at a sufficiently young age.

 

[probus]

No. It's not only untrue, it's implausible on the face of it. I can't imagine a single argument to support such a conjecture.

 

[realpaoz]

What's the 'modified RP accent'? Is your friend a teacher or a linguist?

I've known a few non-native speakers whose natural accent could fool you into thinking they were born and brought up in the UK. It's relatively rare but it is quite achievable, especially if the learner begins at a sufficiently young age.

Received Pronunciation: history and changes | Cambridge English

In celebration of The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, David Crystal explores the history of RP and its place in British society today.

www.cambridge.org

 

[jutfrank]

if English learners want to speak English with the RP accent, All they can do is to speak with the modified RP accent. Is this true?

I don't understand what your friend means. Do you?

Does he mean that it is impossible for learners to speak as if they're from 1930s upper middle class Britain? That's an odd thing to say!

 

[realpaoz]

I don't understand what your friend means. Do you?

Does he mean that it is impossible for learners to speak as if they're from 1930s upper middle class Britain? That's an odd thing to say!

I'm lost. You asked me what the modified RP accent is and I gave you the article containing what the modified RP accent means.

 

[emsr2d2]

I'm lost. You asked me what the modified RP accent is and I gave you the article containing what the modified RP accent means.

To save anyone else having to trawl through the webpage, it mentions "modified RP" as also being known as "General British". It's the first time I've come across either expression.

 

[probus]

As a little sidebar, I reiterate that the posh, very U accent that could be heard on the BBC and in the UK during the first half of the 20th century survives amongst the parsees of Mumbai. Their speech still sounds very plummy indeed.

 

[realpaoz]

The RP accent I was talking about is the modern RP accent.

 

[probus]

The RP accent I was talking about is the modern RP accent.

Whatever.