Accents and dialects. Do they pose a communication problem?

[WickedPerdition]

Not that I wish to appear to be divisive, BUT, do any particular accents OR dialects leave you completely dumbfounded?
I do find that some dialects used in chatrooms are aimed at promoting a 'nationalistic' identity, which in itself is quite endearing, but on the whole can be an obstacle to effective communication.
Accents, on the other hand, are another matter because they are impossible to detect in the chat rooms.
I would welcome any comments on this subject without resorting to a 'survey'.
Thank you.

 

[MrFaustian]

Not that I wish to appear to be divisive, BUT, do any particular accents OR dialects leave you completely dumbfounded?
I do find that some dialects used in chatrooms are aimed at promoting a 'nationalistic' identity, which in itself is quite endearing, but on the whole can be an obstacle to effective communication.
Accents, on the other hand, are another matter because they are impossible to detect in the chat rooms.
I would welcome any comments on this subject without resorting to a 'survey'.
Thank you.

I can tell northerners from southerners and west country welsh etc generally on the chat from words they use

Most non English people actually speak proper textbook English as the method of language taught is more rigid and formal and does not take into consideration local dialect or slang or ironic or sarcastic meanings of words.

Not sure how using slang or local dialects which is unique to a set region of the country is promoting nationalistic identity it just becomes natural and instinctive to those set peoples even those of foreign blood adapt to local speech codes if they integrate and socialise often with native or local peoples.

 

[jenarator202]

Not that I wish to appear to be divisive, BUT, do any particular accents OR dialects leave you completely dumbfounded?
I do find that some dialects used in chatrooms are aimed at promoting a 'nationalistic' identity, which in itself is quite endearing, but on the whole can be an obstacle to effective communication.
Accents, on the other hand, are another matter because they are impossible to detect in the chat rooms.
I would welcome any comments on this subject without resorting to a 'survey'.
Thank you.

Yes, sometimes I find it difficult to understand but it helps being an admin something. But there are certain words that are very local like 'nowt' aka nothing or 'diaper' aka nappy, which is used by Americans and the Scottish. I love the English language with all it short cuts and colloquialism, believe that possibly it is the most interesting and inventive language possible and what is amazing about it grows, so much that other languages use our version of a descriptive word interspersed with our interpretation.

 

[jenarator202]

I can tell northerners from southerners and west country welsh etc generally on the chat from words they use

Most non English people actually speak proper textbook English as the method of language taught is more rigid and formal and does not take into consideration local dialect or slang or ironic or sarcastic meanings of words.

Not sure how using slang or local dialects which is unique to a set region of the country is promoting nationalistic identity it just becomes natural and instinctive to those set peoples even those of foreign blood adapt to local speech codes if they integrate and socialise often with native or local peoples.

I always try and use textbook English because of my ex-job, because if I resort to slang it will show when I get a new job. The practise of initialling phrases is something I particularly dislike, like BAU, 'Business as Usual'. Apparently I got told it was okay to use slang, to me it was tantamount to laziness. So wherever possible, will always use the longer version! But that is my opinion!

 

[BasildonBond]

I always try and use textbook English because of my ex-job, because if I resort to slang it will show when I get a new job. The practise of initialling phrases is something I particularly dislike, like BAU, 'Business as Usual'. Apparently I got told it was okay to use slang, to me it was tantamount to laziness. So wherever possible, will always use the longer version! But that is my opinion!

I always find it amusing that foreign footballers when they come and play in this country often have a better command of the English language than do the native players. Even funnier though are the examples of a few foreigners, notably Danes like Jan Molby, latterly of Liverpool FC, who actually pick up the local dialect while playing for the team. It was SO funny to hear a Dane speaking English with a scouse dialect! And as for initialising phrases, I do SO hate TLAs myself (Three Letter Acronyms for the uninitiated). Long-windedness rules in my book.

 

[BasildonBond]

As for dialects/ accents generally, I do think with increasing social mobility, they ARE declining over time in the UK. It seems to me that the number of people speaking with a strong regional dialect is perhaps decreasing, and maybe the strength of the dialect too. My grandad had a very strong Potteries accent. In fact, in years gone by, I remember a book on the said dialect being published by a local author in an effort to assist non-Stokies visiting the ceramic city to understand our dialogue. From memory, it was called "Arfur Towcrate in Staffysher" (loosely translated, "How to talk properly in Staffordshire"). I remember laughing at some of the translations. Most non-locals wouldn't have a clue what someone with a broad Potteries accent was saying in the olden days. Even I would struggle sometimes with my grandfather.

 

[breakwake_]

I find it hard understanding some Cornish people as towns have different accents and dialects. Some of them scat you abroad.

 

[Poco_Loco]

Learning English was hard and you are all crazy ,

You have abbreviations and shortened words and words that are spelt different but mean the same., words that are spelt the same and mean different things ,

See i confused myself ,

And i still have no Edit

 

[LadyOnArooftop]

People who speak with a strong accents may be looked down upon by others, but they're often speaking perfect English. For example if you asked a Yorkshireman "Will you be at the game tonight"? he might reply " I'll sithee" which translates to " yes, I will see you there". Accents are just a way of speeding language up.

 

[breakwake_]

People who speak with a strong accents may be looked down upon by others, but they're often speaking perfect English. For example if you asked a Yorkshireman "Will you be at the game tonight"? he might reply " I'll sithee" which translates to " yes, I will see you there". Accents are just a way of speeding language up.

Gisson wi' ee

 

[WickedPerdition]

People who speak with a strong accents may be looked down upon by others, but they're often speaking perfect English. For example if you asked a Yorkshireman "Will you be at the game tonight"? he might reply " I'll sithee" which translates to " yes, I will see you there". Accents are just a way of speeding language up.

By heck,lass, tha knows a bit of broad Yorkshire, dunt tha?
Actually, if a Yorkshireman say "al sithee", it's often as a form of a valediction (aka "I will see you"). Mind you, I have yet to come across one speaking like that in the 21st century. One of the best examples of the Yorkshire dialect I've seen, and you may well have read or heard about is, "t'int int tin". Which of course means, it isn't in the tin.
I agree with you that we English are very lazy in our use of language because, well speaking for the male contingent myself, we are quite a laconic lot.
Using dialect in speech is normal for a particular demographic and I don't doubt that many of us tend to lapse into it when we are in the company of people we know or identify with. This in itself is an interesting topic: the self-identification process, be it subconsciously or otherwise.
I wanted to just quickly touch on jargon, acronyms and abbreviations. These also complicate communication. It is funny that many people seem to think that we all understand the abbreviations used in chatrooms. I disapprove of the use of 'pmsl' and 'ikr', for instance, because one isn't correctly abbreviated and the other lacks basic sense and punctuation. I'm sure there are countless others but this was not the main tenet of the discussion.

 

[hell2bwith76]

By heck,lass, tha knows a bit of broad Yorkshire, dunt tha?
Actually, if a Yorkshireman say "al sithee", it's often as a form of a valediction (aka "I will see you"). Mind you, I have yet to come across one speaking like that in the 21st century. One of the best examples of the Yorkshire dialect I've seen, and you may well have read or heard about is, "t'int int tin". Which of course means, it isn't in the tin.
I agree with you that we English are very lazy in our use of language because, well speaking for the male contingent myself, we are quite a laconic lot.
Using dialect in speech is normal for a particular demographic and I don't doubt that many of us tend to lapse into it when we are in the company of people we know or identify with. This in itself is an interesting topic: the self-identification process, be it subconsciously or otherwise.
I wanted to just quickly touch on jargon, acronyms and abbreviations. These also complicate communication. It is funny that many people seem to think that we all understand the abbreviations used in chatrooms. I disapprove of the use of 'pmsl' and 'ikr', for instance, because one isn't correctly abbreviated and the other lacks basic sense and punctuation. I'm sure there are countless others but this was not the main tenet of the discussion.

How about the Americanisation of English words .For example "thru" ="through" .Doesn`t it seem more l;ogical to spell it as thru ? many other American spellings of words which are English show how direct they spell the words . I l;uv em

 

[Poco_Loco]

Logic ?

Never type that here lol

 

[hell2bwith76]

Logic ?

Never type that here lol

You`re reet there man

 

[BasildonBond]

By heck,lass, tha knows a bit of broad Yorkshire, dunt tha?
Actually, if a Yorkshireman say "al sithee", it's often as a form of a valediction (aka "I will see you"). Mind you, I have yet to come across one speaking like that in the 21st century. One of the best examples of the Yorkshire dialect I've seen, and you may well have read or heard about is, "t'int int tin". Which of course means, it isn't in the tin.
I agree with you that we English are very lazy in our use of language because, well speaking for the male contingent myself, we are quite a laconic lot.
Using dialect in speech is normal for a particular demographic and I don't doubt that many of us tend to lapse into it when we are in the company of people we know or identify with. This in itself is an interesting topic: the self-identification process, be it subconsciously or otherwise.
I wanted to just quickly touch on jargon, acronyms and abbreviations. These also complicate communication. It is funny that many people seem to think that we all understand the abbreviations used in chatrooms. I disapprove of the use of 'pmsl' and 'ikr', for instance, because one isn't correctly abbreviated and the other lacks basic sense and punctuation. I'm sure there are countless others but this was not the main tenet of the discussion.

Come on Mr. Perdition. Spill the beans. We'd all love to know if you have a regional accent. (I always had you down as a bit of a Public School toff to be honest). I have a slight to moderate Potteries accent, which I am not delighted about, but in the absence of elocution lessons I'm rather stuck with. Hopefully people can understand me though, though my immediate ex may beg to differ.

 

[Altair]

WTF...

You two are like...!

 

[WickedPerdition]

Relevant posts only, please. It saves wasteful responses. Like this one!

 

[Dong]

Then I remembered this!

""‘E'd spread along the mistled moor
A’gaggin as e’d gone
E weren’t no fripper to be led
No prizes to be won.
E scagged the rut, ‘is heel all clod
’Is craken head aflame
‘E’d make his timber , knew ‘e not
Before the beldam came.
She’d come in belts of flikky fire
She’d come in scathes of smoke
She’d optimise through coily wreathes
All mortals so to choke...

 

[breakwake_]

Waill, ef e waz taw type en e aiwn deaalaict, zooch aas ee Wailsh aand Scoottesh doo, thain e'd maake noo sainse whaatzooaivair. E knaiw whawt e main?

Never thought I'd be teaching myself how to write improperly.