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Which do Chinese prefer, American accent or British accent?
Oct 13, 2008 23:15
guest2861 Despite that India was ever one of Britain’s colonies; American English has come into vogue in India. In the past, only the staff in Call Centers has the American accent in India, but now American English is everywhere. One important reason is that innumerable Indians chased the American Dream. In Late 1990s, outsourcing boomed in India. Indians imitated American accent striving for outsourcing order forms. British English has declined in India since then? 1.5 million Indian immigrants lived in the USA. They chased the American Dream. What about China? Do Chinese people like American English or British English?
Oct 14, 2008 04:00
#1  
GUESTWHIZ Most Chinese are too ignorant to discern the difference; they think every white skin can speak English. I am from Downunder and I can't stand both - the Yanks or the Poms - silly bunch!!
Oct 14, 2008 04:32
#2  
  • DAVEC
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You think Chinese are ignorant and yanks and poms are silly???
And thats coming from a nation of ex convicts.
Oct 14, 2008 13:58
#3  
  • GAFFER
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The question was American or British, I think he felt ignored.
Oct 14, 2008 17:06
#4  
  • MARRIE
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I just understand 50% English with Indian accent, but 100% with Chinese accent.

Britain is old master of India, how come India changed a new master?

As a childe in China, we were taught based on standard London accent, but I still speak Chinglish now.
Oct 14, 2008 21:18
#5  
  • BBQQ
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As a childe in China, we were taught based on standard London accent, but I still speak Chinglish now.

Me too. I don't know what English I am speaking and writing now. I am trying to speak British accent but I spell words in American English when writing.
Oct 14, 2008 22:03
#6  
  • ICEBLUE
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I can't help thinking about my job interview for a position in a call center? The interviewer (the boss of the call center) asked me the same question above: which do you prefer, British accent or American accent? He also asked me about the differences between British English and American English. He asked me the question in Chinese and required me to answer the questions in English. After I answered his questions, he said:" you seem to like British accent' He also said that his major in college was Chinese and he actually can not understand what tallked about ( I guess his English level is bad). He said that even though he could not understand much English, he could judge my language sense. He said he liked American English since it was mellow and full. He wanted to employ the candidates speaking American English for his call center. So I was disqualified. I was discriminated for prefering British English!!!
Oct 15, 2008 03:24
#7  
  • GAFFER
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As in most countries there are many dialects or accents. Even in such a small country as Britain there some regional accents which other British people have difficulty understanding. America is exactly the same with particularly strong accents in parts of New York and the southern states. In parts of New England the American accent is less pronounced and very similar to British English. However, all this becomes irrelevant with the younger generations inventing their own langauges which no one over 30 can understand.
Oct 16, 2008 04:35
#8  
GUEST1076 IMO, Hollywood devotes a lot to the popularity of American English. Viewers around the world are viewing Hollywood movies. Prison Break and The Desperate Housewives received worldwide audience. Viewers model the stars' American accent.
Oct 17, 2008 04:36
#9  
  • JABAROOTOO
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Firstly lets make it clear that English is the language of the English (Great British) and there are so many different dialects of English spoken in England and throughout the Bristish Isles. This includes Scotland, Wales, Ireland and all those smaller islands that few of us would remember the names of. Many of these nations also speak there OWN language which is VERY different to English.

The Queen of England is probably the best example of standard and correctly spoken English.

All other English is like my Native Strine (Australian) and American English. It is derived from a mongrel mix of most of the above mentioned English dialects and languages depending on the majority of immigrants who populated the various regions of our now great nations. It is not too difficult to pick the country and even the state that someone is from by how they speak, especially the vowel pronunciations.

Having grown up on a steady diet of British, American and Australian TV, I personally prefer the standard British accent. Remnants of this can be found in other countries besides England, including India and other former British colonies.

What's the best???

It shouldn't really matter so long as the speakers
diction is clear and well articulated
words well pronounced
with the appropriate use of vocabulary.

Not all English speakers, especially native speakers have perfect command of all the above and it wouldn't matter if one spoke English with an Americal or British accent if one cannot be understood by the majority of listeners.
Oct 22, 2008 04:34
#10  
  • PANADA
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JABAROOTOO said very well. Communication is the ultimate purpose of languages. My spoken English is a mixture of Chinese accent, British accent and American accent. Sometimes, my spoken English is even mixed with my hometown's dialect.
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