clairemarie70

hi all, i have been in Saskachewan just over a week..and anyone that is thinking of coming to Canada beware that you will still have a problem with the language..yes we both speak English but the Canadians still have a problem understanding us..and i can have problems understanding them on the phone... the Canadians seem to speak faster down the phone (or is it just me)...just to make u aware that it can still be very frustrating.:curse:

manghams

Wait til you get a French Canadian on the phone! The last one I got told me I was talking too fast and too deep now what can I do about that! In the end we both gave up and I re-dailed!

Biiiiink

I find the phone line clarity absolutely appalling here which doesn't help with accent problems And it's not my phone.

manghams

I have a bigger problem than that with my phone; I gave it a wash in my jeans pocket. OOoops, must have been a blonde moment; the reception on it now is terrible; cant hear anything.

GavinR

You just have to speak more slowly and use as many Canadian phrases and terminology as possible. This is why people who don't try and speak the language (Annie3-4!) find it difficult and frustrating. As with any new country you move to, you should try and learn the language that the country uses, not try and impose your own version onto the locals. It's ok for a short while but if you're still using 'petrol' or opening the 'bonnet' after a length of time then most will just think you're arrogant.

annie3-4

I dont find it difficult and frustrating, just annoying when Brits adopt a pretendy false Canadian twang which sounds completely ridiculous

catherinelouise

I know what it is like. I lived in the UK for a a couple years and went through the same thing ( I am Canadain). Everyone always giggled when I referred to my trousers as "pants" and one of the first times I was out in the evening and a girl asked meto join her to the loo I thought it was a different bar we were going to ha ha..........

Have fun with it though. It is definatley all part of the experience and always a good convo starter!!!!!

Howard1944

Coronation Street irritates me, I cannot understand 90% of what they say.

Jingle

the mind boggles at why she wanted you to join her there!!!

J

annie3-4

Dont watch it then Howard.

Atlantic Xpat

Simply adopt the well tried English principle of Speaking loudly and slowly. "Do. You. Understand me. Johnny. Canuck. I would to purchase some petrol. And. Fags. Could. You. also. Carry. the. shopping. to. the. boot. of. my car. as. I. don't. want. to. get. my.trousers.dirty.Bloody colonials"

CANADIANS DON'T SPEAK LIKE ENGLISH. Headline. Shock horror. Who'dve thunk it!

Piff Poff

My daughter Bless her! She is being Canadianised, she is trying to fit in. Yep we knew it would happen, we knew she would end up with a Canadian accent but at the moment it is in between and I can't bl@%dy understand her half the time. She has got the mumble off to a T but some of the words, well For nearly 2 weeks in the UK, I had a daughter that spoke as we speak and now she has reverted to her strange Canadianisms. She only speaks that way so her buddies can understand her, but she brings it home too and that's where it gets scary!

We have found that your vocab' just starts to change and yes you do start becomming a little Canadianised yourself, we find though that it generally happens when speaking to other Canadians, otherwise your forever explaining yourself and getting blank looks, which gets super frustrating.

Steve_P

Haven't we been through this before.

http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=502885

Give it up already.

clynnog

Never have truer words been said. You can use petrol, bonnet, wireless, GIRO, P-45 etc etc when in the company of fellow Brits, but to most people it sounds pompous and arrogant.

Edna Bucket

There are alternatives to giro and P-45 ?