What language do they speak,it aint English
Sep 19th 2008, 9:47 pm
#16
Fluffy Dippindoodle
Joined: Dec 2007
Location: Newfoundland at last!
Posts: 908
Re: What language do they speak,it aint English
Although I guess my accent is a little screwed up I've had a few people ask me where I'm from and this is the town I grew up in
We were home for a visit recently and I found that everybody sounded really Scottish - bizarre!
Just sounded a bit strange on the ears - how have you found it? I suppose I am just used to the Newfoundland accent now.
Sep 19th 2008, 9:51 pm
#17
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Sep 2007
Location: NI (back from Toronto)
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Re: What language do they speak,it aint English
Exactly so what if they use different terms. When I moved to Canada at first I used let these thing annoy me, now I'm a lot more relaxed about it especially with a little boy who has spend his first 5 years of life in Canada I'm not going to correct him if he calls a bin a garbage can or pronounces tomato the "north American way".
Sep 19th 2008, 9:54 pm
#18
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Re: What language do they speak,it aint English
I find the accents sound a lot stronger and I'm kinda hoping my little boy keeps his Canadian accent but he's only 5 so that's unlikely.
Sep 19th 2008, 10:10 pm
#19
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Joined: Sep 2008
Location: Edgware, Middlesex
Posts: 85
Re: What language do they speak,it aint English
Been here a year now and am still amaized and sometimes confused at some of the terms and expretions i hear..have you heard some strange things ???
And as to the grammer they use
Kitty corner
my boss said that to me whilst giving dirrections.. " its kitty corner the parking lot " 
It means diagonaly across from some where.
You will never hear a North American say " Susan and i went shopping"
it will allways be "Me and Susan " this from the President and Prime Minister down...the uncouth yobs
And as to the grammer they use
Kitty corner
my boss said that to me whilst giving dirrections.. " its kitty corner the parking lot " It means diagonaly across from some where.
You will never hear a North American say " Susan and i went shopping"
it will allways be "Me and Susan "
this from the President and Prime Minister down...the uncouth yobsYou don't hear English people saying that either. Very few people speak grammatically correct English. Why should they?
Sep 19th 2008, 10:15 pm
#20
MODERATOR
Joined: Apr 2008
Location: Province of Vicenza
Posts: 19,036
Re: What language do they speak,it aint English
I was corrected more than once by my Yorkshire mother for saying "me n' Gemma and especially for what she considered to be slang like "shut door without a 'the'
Sep 19th 2008, 10:17 pm
#21
Banned
Joined: Dec 2006
Location: Beautiful BC
Posts: 1,106
Re: What language do they speak,it aint English
Been here a year now and am still amaized and sometimes confused at some of the terms and expretions i hear..have you heard some strange things ???
And as to the grammer they use
Kitty corner my boss said that to me whilst giving dirrections.. " its kitty corner the parking lot "
It means diagonaly across from some where.
You will never hear a North American say " Susan and i went shopping"
it will allways be "Me and Susan " this from the President and Prime Minister down...the uncouth yobs
And as to the grammer they use
Kitty corner
my boss said that to me whilst giving dirrections.. " its kitty corner the parking lot " It means diagonaly across from some where.
You will never hear a North American say " Susan and i went shopping"
it will allways be "Me and Susan "
this from the President and Prime Minister down...the uncouth yobsThis is Canada, not the UK.
You know what really gets me? When people from the UK use the term "could of" instead of "could have" etc.
And your spelling is the pits.
Sep 19th 2008, 10:17 pm
#22
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Joined: Mar 2005
Location: Milton, Ontario
Posts: 1,215
Re: What language do they speak,it aint English
I'm not really a nasty old bitch but I am terrible and I cannot ignore a post about English when the English in the post itself is not correct.
I won't say anything more as I know we all type very quickly and with mistakes, especially when we are annoyed - but at the risk of sounding condescending I agree with what you say and personally hate a lot of mistakes that now seem to be the norm.
My personal pet hate is ...... I would of - I could of ..... instead of HAVE !!!!
I won't say anything more as I know we all type very quickly and with mistakes, especially when we are annoyed - but at the risk of sounding condescending I agree with what you say and personally hate a lot of mistakes that now seem to be the norm.
My personal pet hate is ...... I would of - I could of ..... instead of HAVE !!!!
Gah...this used to drive me nuts in my GCSE English classes. My brothers and I all came top of our years in English in England, which made us (the Canadian implants) laugh hysterically. I couldn't comprehend the fact that the teachers never corrected this mistake, despite the fact that it would actually make me cringe. Got worse when they decided before my A-levels that txt speak was allowed, and spelling and grammar no longer mattered.
Sep 19th 2008, 10:19 pm
#23
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Joined: Mar 2005
Location: Milton, Ontario
Posts: 1,215
Re: What language do they speak,it aint English
Actually...EVERY North American I have contact with (family, colleagues, friends) say it correctly...whereas nearly EVERY person I knew in England (family, friends, colleagues) said it incorrectly. Are generalisations wonderful?
Sep 19th 2008, 10:24 pm
#24
Forum Regular
Joined: Sep 2008
Location: Edgware, Middlesex
Posts: 85
Re: What language do they speak,it aint English
Yes -it should be taught properly; and when the Queen comes to stay, it can be dusted off and used. But for everyday conversation with your friends you just need to talk how they talk. It is only necessary to know how to speak properly.
Sep 19th 2008, 10:26 pm
#25
MODERATOR
Joined: Apr 2008
Location: Province of Vicenza
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Re: What language do they speak,it aint English
see post *3
My personal pet hate is ...... I would of - I could of ..... instead of HAVE !!!!
Sep 19th 2008, 10:30 pm
#26
MODERATOR
Joined: Apr 2008
Location: Province of Vicenza
Posts: 19,036
Re: What language do they speak,it aint English
so we should all speak like the people in Catherine Tate videos and Borat and suchlike and East - friggin - Eastenders where nobody uses an actual TH anymore but only an 'F' or a 'V''
I really like yous Bradley but I don't Fink we sould be togeVer !
I really like yous Bradley but I don't Fink we sould be togeVer !
Sep 19th 2008, 10:36 pm
#27
Forum Regular
Joined: Sep 2008
Location: Edgware, Middlesex
Posts: 85
Re: What language do they speak,it aint English
Well, yes. If that's what your friends sound like, then speak as they do. I had a broad Liverpudlian accent when I first came to London and I lost it fairly quickly when I got a job and I mixed with Londoners.
Sep 19th 2008, 10:51 pm
#28
Born again atheist
Joined: Jul 2005
Location: Europe (to be specified).
Posts: 30,259
Re: What language do they speak,it aint English
You know, the pedant in me should really be getting some pleasure from this thread. But somehow it's not working.
Sep 19th 2008, 11:46 pm
#30
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Joined: Nov 2004
Location: Looe, Cornwall
Posts: 674
Re: What language do they speak,it aint English
Been here a year now and am still amaized and sometimes confused at some of the terms and expretions i hear..have you heard some strange things ???
And as to the grammer they use
Kitty corner my boss said that to me whilst giving dirrections.. " its kitty corner the parking lot "
It means diagonaly across from some where.
You will never hear a North American say " Susan and i went shopping"
it will allways be "Me and Susan " this from the President and Prime Minister down...the uncouth yobs
And as to the grammer they use
Kitty corner
my boss said that to me whilst giving dirrections.. " its kitty corner the parking lot " It means diagonaly across from some where.
You will never hear a North American say " Susan and i went shopping"
it will allways be "Me and Susan "
this from the President and Prime Minister down...the uncouth yobs