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 Wed Jun 25, 2008 15:56 pm What 'variant of English' would you learn? |
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| Molly wrote: | As with many Americans:
?*she's aid years old
?*I told you aid times. |
Wrong. That change of /t/ to an alveolar tap is limited to places where it is between two vowels and the vowel before it is stressed.
The example you're showing is not American. |
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Jamie (K)
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Location: Detroit, Michigan, USA
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| Wed Jun 25, 2008 16:48 pm What 'variant of English' would you learn? |
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Whatever, Jamie. The most surprising thing about you posts above is probably this:
| Quote: | | I needed a couple of weeks before I could understand her without a lot of mental effort. |
It's a little hard to believe, that's all. |
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Molly
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| Wed Jun 25, 2008 16:57 pm What 'variant of English' would you learn? |
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| How do you pronounce "eight chairs", when linked, Jamie? |
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Molly
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| Wed Jun 25, 2008 17:05 pm What 'variant of English' would you learn? |
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| Yankee wrote: | Hi Torsten
I suspect that Jamie may have been hinting at the fact that Bettina Lüscher's pronunciation seems to reflect a strong British influence. 
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Do you think her "having" in the opening "Thank you so much for having me, Jack" and her "getting" in "keep on getting attacked" reflect a strong British influence? I'd say she her English a mix of American, British and German influence.
And do you find her hard to understand, Amy? |
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Molly
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| Wed Jun 25, 2008 17:05 pm What 'variant of English' would you learn? |
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| [eittʃɛrz], with a geminate /t/. That's the typical American way of pronouncing that. |
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Jamie (K)
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Joined: 24 Feb 2006
Posts: 4337
Location: Detroit, Michigan, USA
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| Wed Jun 25, 2008 17:12 pm What 'variant of English' would you learn? |
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| Jamie (K) wrote: | | [eittʃɛrz] with a geminate [t], and the [t] somewhat preglottalized. That's the typical American way of pronouncing that. |
Thanks. And "eight years", linked?
Regarding German speakers of English:
Here's a little listening practice if you need it: 
http://accent.gmu.edu/browse_language.php?function=find&language=german |
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Molly
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| Wed Jun 25, 2008 19:37 pm What 'variant of English' would you learn? |
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| Molly wrote: | | Today, I sent the youtube link to all our 57 native English teachers. |
You're amazing, Molly. You send an email out to 57 people, and you make all of them (100%!) reply in a matter of hours! How do you do it?
| Molly wrote: | | In our academy, 54 out of 57 native speakers had no problem with her usage. Here, up to now, it's only you who have found her a problem - but then you found Conrad a problem, if I remember rightly. |
The more I read, the more I'm stunned. You've managed a survey within hours involving 57 (!) people from one (yes, 1!) academy, and everyone has supplied you with acceptable results! That's what I'd call a most practical system! Congratulations!
What's your method?
BTW, do you know The Nigger of the Narcissus?
_________________
Test of English as a Foreign Language
TOEFL Preparation & TOEFL Vocabulary
Learn more: How to Become an English Teacher |
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Ralf
Language Coach
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Location: EU (Ireland and Germany)
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| Wed Jun 25, 2008 20:45 pm What 'variant of English' would you learn? |
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| Molly wrote: | I get the feeling that that's a personal feeling on your behalf.
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"On your part."
MrP |
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MrPedantic
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Location: Southern England
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| Wed Jun 25, 2008 21:09 pm What 'variant of English' would you learn? |
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| Ralf wrote: | The more I read, the more I'm stunned. You've managed a survey within hours involving 57 (!) people from one (yes, 1!) academy, and everyone has supplied you with acceptable results! That's what I'd call a most practical system! Congratulations!
What's your method?
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Moreover, those 57 teachers were able to respond, and M. was able to collate the responses, before 1 o'clock, on the day the link was circulated. 
Were they not teaching all morning, in their 57 classrooms?
And did no one wonder why a certain member of staff was busily posting chat in work time, instead of administering dutifully?
I think we should be told.
MrP |
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MrPedantic
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| Thu Jun 26, 2008 0:17 am What 'variant of English' would you learn? |
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for kicks, check out the movie "Mickey Blue Eyes".
Not only do you get to hear a reasonable facsimile of a New York City accent, but you get to hear Hugh Grant try it... and IMO the results are hilarious. |
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prezbucky
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| Thu Jun 26, 2008 0:41 am What 'variant of English' would you learn? |
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| Quote: | | You're amazing, Molly. You send an email out to 57 people, and you make all of them (100%!) reply in a matter of hours! How do you do it? |
Because, my friend, the link was attached to an email about reports being handed in late, and, I am the administrator.
| Quote: | | What's your method? |
Again, I am the administrator.
Anyway, let's just ask the doubting Thomases whether they found Bettina Lüscher difficult to understand. Did you, Mr P? Ralf? |
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Molly
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| Thu Jun 26, 2008 0:50 am What 'variant of English' would you learn? |
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| Molly wrote: | Because, my friend, the link was attached to an email about reports being handed in late, and, I am the administrator.
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In that case, the link was presumably also sent to the non-native teachers. How did they respond?
MrP |
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MrPedantic
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| Thu Jun 26, 2008 0:56 am What 'variant of English' would you learn? |
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| MrPedantic wrote: | | Molly wrote: | Because, my friend, the link was attached to an email about reports being handed in late, and, I am the administrator.
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In that case, the link was presumably also sent to the non-native teachers. How did they respond?
MrP |
7 of them understood most of what she was saying and 13 found her difficult to understand. Three of the seven are German teachers of English.
A question, now twice-posted, for you, Mr P:
Did you find it difficult to understand her? |
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Molly
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| Thu Jun 26, 2008 1:05 am What 'variant of English' would you learn? |
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So, on a Wednesday morning in Spain, 77 ESL teachers, in a busy and prestigious language academy, responded to an email, sent out that same morning, before 1 o'clock local time; and before they responded, they listened to an online clip.
And the link was attached to an email about reports being handed in late. And at the end of the email, there was a message, e.g. "please listen to this youtube clip and let me know how well you understand it before 1 o'clock today at the latest". (In an email about reports being handed in late.)
And then those 77 varying responses were collated, again before 1 o'clock, by a busy administrator.
That's the story?
MrP |
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MrPedantic
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| Standard spoken English: What is it? | Make my own dictionary |
