Spanish people have the worst pronunciation in my view
Why do Dutch and Scandinavians speak English so well?
You are quite right...I didn't have time to examine the second clip in any detail or to read the sales signs in the shop....obviously in Dutch...the double As are a dead giveaway...Maart....Dutch for sale I would guess and with the %s off indicate the store has a sale on. So the blond guy is Dutch after all.....Dutch came to mind first when I realised he was no Bristolian....that's for sure (see the separate thread about this!) as he does "look Dutch"! I'm not sure what the average Dutch guy looks like but on closer inspection I can see it now...I've seen met Dutch guys a plenty for me to be famiar with them. His English is very good (isn't it always so with the Dutch) but his accent isn't all that obvious by a long way, but listening carefully you can tell he isn't British, and the way he pronounced certain words was also a significant factor in that respect.
He said "Bristolian women don't mind to get their feet wet". No Bristolian, and certainly no Brit, would use that particular formation. "...don't mind getting their feet wet" is the usual way with that one.
I'm not sure what nationality the first guy is though....the Dutch are such good speakers of English it's often difficult to believe they're actually Dutch...in fact some could pass for Brits.
So there's a shoe shop in Amsterdam called Bristol. I wonder if there's a similar shop in Bristol called Amsterdam. If so I doubt very much indeed that the staff there speak any kind of Dutch...unless of course they're actually Dutch, which wouldn't surprise me.
I've told you before that the Dutch and the Brits share a similar sense of humour which is why we all get on with each other so well. ;-)
It's comforting to know that here in Edinburgh we're only 85 minutes away from each other...hardly to belt up as the Forth estuary recedes into the mists, unbelt, have a coffee and a couple of jammy dodgers before it's time to belt up again as Schipol hoves into view.
He said "Bristolian women don't mind to get their feet wet". No Bristolian, and certainly no Brit, would use that particular formation. "...don't mind getting their feet wet" is the usual way with that one.
I'm not sure what nationality the first guy is though....the Dutch are such good speakers of English it's often difficult to believe they're actually Dutch...in fact some could pass for Brits.
So there's a shoe shop in Amsterdam called Bristol. I wonder if there's a similar shop in Bristol called Amsterdam. If so I doubt very much indeed that the staff there speak any kind of Dutch...unless of course they're actually Dutch, which wouldn't surprise me.
I've told you before that the Dutch and the Brits share a similar sense of humour which is why we all get on with each other so well. ;-)
It's comforting to know that here in Edinburgh we're only 85 minutes away from each other...hardly to belt up as the Forth estuary recedes into the mists, unbelt, have a coffee and a couple of jammy dodgers before it's time to belt up again as Schipol hoves into view.
Maybe they go over the top? Maybe the are obsessive... Most people realise that unless you live in an English speaking country you don't need to actually SPEAK English. Understanding basic spoken English and normal written English is enough. Being able to compose normal texts without too many errors just follows naturally from the two, as does being able to communicate verbally. I learnt English well and if it were not for the Internet it would have been an utter waste of time. The only place English has ever come in useful on a regular basis is the Internet, and you don't need to be able to speak properly to use the internet, just read, and not even very well, because dictionaries and grammars are only a click of a mouse away, so you don't even have to memorise as many words anymore!
Thus, I think these countries should tone down their English programs and focus on more useful subjects like mathematics and the sciences. Or at least turn the focus of their English programs away from literature type things to effective scientific language. Why not be competitive in this area at HOME, instead of learning English and then packing off to the USA or the UK to do science.
Thus, I think these countries should tone down their English programs and focus on more useful subjects like mathematics and the sciences. Or at least turn the focus of their English programs away from literature type things to effective scientific language. Why not be competitive in this area at HOME, instead of learning English and then packing off to the USA or the UK to do science.
"You don't need to speak english properly, you just need to be understood by foreigners who don't speak your language and whose english is not their mother tongue. So who cares if you don't speak well."
If they come to an Spanish speaking country they should try to speak Spanish, i wouldn't go to an English speaking country expecting them to speak Spanish right?
If they come to an Spanish speaking country they should try to speak Spanish, i wouldn't go to an English speaking country expecting them to speak Spanish right?
If they come to an Spanish speaking country they should try to speak Spanish, i wouldn't go to an English speaking country expecting them to speak Spanish right?
Normally the English speakers do the opposite. They go to everywhere expecting that people speak in English to them. I personally can't stand that so when they address me in English without asking at least if I can speak English, I just ignore them.
Normally the English speakers do the opposite. They go to everywhere expecting that people speak in English to them. I personally can't stand that so when they address me in English without asking at least if I can speak English, I just ignore them.
Normally the English speakers do the opposite. They go to everywhere expecting that people speak in English to them. I personally can't stand that so when they address me in English without asking at least if I can speak English, I just ignore them.
I live in France but when foreigners (generally from UK) speak with me, they always try to say some words in french like "parlez vous anglais ?" avec l'accent. ;) but when they are from an other european country or asian country they directly speak in english with me.
I live in France but when foreigners (generally from UK) speak with me, they always try to say some words in french like "parlez vous anglais ?" avec l'accent. ;) but when they are from an other european country or asian country they directly speak in english with me.
«So there's a shoe shop in Amsterdam called Bristol. I wonder if there's a similar shop in Bristol called Amsterdam. If so I doubt very much indeed that the staff there speak any kind of Dutch...unless of course they're actually Dutch, which wouldn't surprise me. »
Bristol shops are everywhere in this country. It's a cheap, low quality shoe store. I don't like to go there for several reasons. The smell is very bad, shoes are bad and some other reasons..
Sale = uitverkoop
25% off = 25% korting
Their website: http://www.bristol-online.nl/Default.aspx?tabid=11038
And erm about the first guy in that movie, he seems to be Daan van Stiphout, which is a Dutch name, but perhaps he has a British mother. I wasn't sure about that guy as well.
Just too bad I can't speak English properly because of hearing problems, that's why my tonation is off a lot of times, and sometimes I don't hear consonants, so I won't be saying them if I don't hear them..
Bristol shops are everywhere in this country. It's a cheap, low quality shoe store. I don't like to go there for several reasons. The smell is very bad, shoes are bad and some other reasons..
Sale = uitverkoop
25% off = 25% korting
Their website: http://www.bristol-online.nl/Default.aspx?tabid=11038
And erm about the first guy in that movie, he seems to be Daan van Stiphout, which is a Dutch name, but perhaps he has a British mother. I wasn't sure about that guy as well.
Just too bad I can't speak English properly because of hearing problems, that's why my tonation is off a lot of times, and sometimes I don't hear consonants, so I won't be saying them if I don't hear them..
<<I personally can't stand that so when they address me in English without asking at least if I can speak English, I just ignore them.
>>
That is so ARROGANT
>>
That is so ARROGANT
«whiz Mon Mar 23, 2009 9:05 pm GMT
a lot of blahblah»
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Programme_for_International_Student_Assessment#2006_survey
Where are the UK and USA?
We, the Netherlands still score kinda high.
I think the Finnish have a big plus at their language being phonetic when it comes to reading?
a lot of blahblah»
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Programme_for_International_Student_Assessment#2006_survey
Where are the UK and USA?
We, the Netherlands still score kinda high.
I think the Finnish have a big plus at their language being phonetic when it comes to reading?
Hmm, the USA might not have participated that assessment.
But compared to UK we seem to win everything if it comes to schooling. All these results, but also sexual courses if I take a look at the teenage pregnancy rate in the UK compared to what it is here..
5 times more teenage pregnancies in the UK than here.. While we're neighbours!!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teenage_pregnancy
But compared to UK we seem to win everything if it comes to schooling. All these results, but also sexual courses if I take a look at the teenage pregnancy rate in the UK compared to what it is here..
5 times more teenage pregnancies in the UK than here.. While we're neighbours!!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teenage_pregnancy
The problem we have in the UK right now, 12345, is that hets here haven't yet discovered buy me and stop ones, but that's their problem. No - wait a minute! - that's not really true - we gay guys pay exorbitant taxes as well so I reckon we share the problem! ;-(
«Damian in Edinburgh Tue Mar 24, 2009 8:35 pm GMT
The problem we have in the UK right now, 12345, is that hets here haven't yet discovered buy me and stop ones, but that's their problem. No - wait a minute! - that's not really true - we gay guys pay exorbitant taxes as well so I reckon we share the problem! ;-( »
LOL, and I think the chavs maybe don't have the money for the contraconception. I mean, a condom costs £0.30_! And their pants are worth that amount of money. And I think most of the teenage pregnancy people are chavs. And of course they're hets or they're gays in the closet.
The problem we have in the UK right now, 12345, is that hets here haven't yet discovered buy me and stop ones, but that's their problem. No - wait a minute! - that's not really true - we gay guys pay exorbitant taxes as well so I reckon we share the problem! ;-( »
LOL, and I think the chavs maybe don't have the money for the contraconception. I mean, a condom costs £0.30_! And their pants are worth that amount of money. And I think most of the teenage pregnancy people are chavs. And of course they're hets or they're gays in the closet.
Countries like Holland and Sweden have always been small trading nations and have developed a culture of learning the more widely-spoken European languages.
Some people have claimed that most German people speak good English but I wouldn't go that far. While English is rapidly being absorbed by the younger generation, the fluency levels tail off rapidly as you get past the age of 35 and, particularly, travel eastwards. There are several million people in the old East Germany who have virtually no knowledge of English. I should know, one of them is my father in law.
Some people have claimed that most German people speak good English but I wouldn't go that far. While English is rapidly being absorbed by the younger generation, the fluency levels tail off rapidly as you get past the age of 35 and, particularly, travel eastwards. There are several million people in the old East Germany who have virtually no knowledge of English. I should know, one of them is my father in law.
<<Some people have claimed that most German people speak good English >>
The English of Germans/Austrians has never been particularly good nor has it had that reputation.
Amongst the people in the germanic linguistic family, they speak the worst english, and have the thickest accents...
The English of Germans/Austrians has never been particularly good nor has it had that reputation.
Amongst the people in the germanic linguistic family, they speak the worst english, and have the thickest accents...