Evvy, I agree with 4, 6, 7 and 8.
<<As for non-Brits trying to adopt any of their accents, please don't. Not only is it pretentious, it instantly identifies the speaker as a poseur and nothing in this world is more detestable than hoity-toity poseurs.>>
Ben, If we're taught British English, then we only have two choices. Never being able to speak native-like English, or adopting a certain British accent. What else would we expect? to end up speaking with a Navajo accent?
<<Alright. I'll keep my mouth shut. But I still maintain that speaking English with an indigeneous accent is perfectly acceptable, even desirable.>>
Hehe, well... for us, non-native speakers, adopting a British accent is the ultimate game of skill. You can't deny that if you have a native-like accent, then you'll be more widely understood and in general regarded as equal by the rest of the people. Some people,on the other hand, feel annoyed when their interlocutor has a foreign accent, sometimes it's like they look down upon people who don't speak English well.
Here in South America, most language schools offer American English. However we still have around 10% of those who teach British English. We get American films, American products, our Peruvian Spanish is influenced by some American English expressions (at least among young people), people try to copy with American lifestyle. In fact, their sweetest dream is: *being able to go to the USA one day*, it's what they call the "American dream".
In such enviroment, British English is an obscure thing, only known by very few people. In fact, if Peruvians hear anyone speaking English, they ask: "Are you American?" (I remember I was with some Scottish friends when this happened, it's very common). Many people wonder what British English really is, how it sounds, is it completely different from American?. The only ones that know, are the ones whose "American dream" has come true and have heard some British bloke speaking; or learnt from the Americans what "The British accent" sounds like. And also the ones that have studied British English themselves.
I am from Peru. And now I speak English with a sort of English accent, similar to some fellow you would find in Brixton or somewhere around South London (sorry, Sahf Lundun). It's brilliant when Europeans say I sound like an English person. Some English people are very confused when they hear me speak, at first they don't know where the hell my accent comes from, some even tend to think I'm English. But then as the conversation goes on they realise I'm not a native-speaker, then they ask me: "Where did you learn your English?".
Those are the reasons why I love my accent, and that's why other people should learn British English. It's been useful to get jobs... getting laid... loads of things.
<<Years ago, as an 'Englishman', I was hitching in New York State. I got a lift, and the driver asked me: "Do they speak English, in England?">>
Well, there are ignorant people anywhere in the world... not only in America.
Pete