How do English speaking brothers and sisters outside the US feel about watching jw videos with an American accent

[ellejayzee]

1 hour ago, DLM said:

I have a real problem understanding someone from England. I would swear they are speaking another language! 

 

 

Most of us in England would definitely say the same! Geordie and Scousers' accents are so thick even a native like me can have trouble understanding. I would find a video with one of those accents absolutely hilarious though!

 

I was funny when I travelled over to NYC once (in fact, another brother had the exact same issues a few years before me) I was trying to ask for water, pronouncing it 'war-tuh' with a hard 't'. The poor server had no idea what I was asking for and ended up bringing me a bottle of some sauce of some kind? I had to drop the 't' and call it some hybrid of English and American 'war-dur' and she finally understood!

[carlos]

5 hours ago, MentalProject said:

My biggest issue is when I go to show a householder or return visit a video is the way that Americans say brochure makes it really stand out as American. It sometimes draws attention to the American origin of the organisation and detracts a little bit from the subject of the video. For me it is just that one word that is said so different compared to us in the UK and is usually right at the end of many videos so is one of the final things the householder hears. If they could change it for the UK that would be great but it is very unlikely to happen.

 

This happens in Spanish too. All of the videos are dubbed in a very clear Latin American voice that is perfectly understandable in Spain but that is unavoidably associated with soap operas, shopping channel ads or televangelists. Many Spaniards refuse to watch the video when they hear that accent. So recently the videos we use the most in field service have been made available in Spanish from Spain. We are not prejudiced but we have to take into account the prejudices of people in our territory.

[Cool Cat]

15 minutes ago, MentalProject said:

It's definitely the ure/yure that gives away the American origin of the video. The thing is there are lots of videos which tell you to turn to lesson _?_ of the bro-shure  "Good News from God" right at the end as the afterthought of the video. I can't help but think how American it is every time. 

.......

Here you can see the comparison:- http://dictionary.cambridge.org/pronunciation/english/brochure

[Hope]

47 minutes ago, MentalProject said:

Here you can see the comparison:- http://dictionary.cambridge.org/pronunciation/english/brochure

 

that's fantastic!  thank you for that -- I could see where it could throw someone off... it's a completely different pronunciation.  

[hatcheckgirl]

Simon, that’s what I was getting at as well with the American accent grating for those in the field. It can appear to be an American-centric religion, especially as the publications we place are also spelt in American English.

 

(I go with bro-sha too)

[rocket]

2 hours ago, MentalProject said:

Here you can see the comparison:- http://dictionary.cambridge.org/pronunciation/english/brochure

 

From that dictionary I noticed that with many words ending in "r" such as "water" and "watchtower" in British English the "r" is not pronounced. Sounds like Wat·ah and Watchtow·ah.

[Tortuga]

19 minutes ago, rocket said:

 

From that dictionary I noticed that with many words ending in "r" such as "water" and "watchtower" in British English the "r" is not pronounced. Sounds like Wat·ah and Watchtow·ah.

 

Do the Hawaiians say Brah-sure?

[kejedo]

7 hours ago, rocket said:

 

So how do Brits pronounce brochure? American = bro·shure; British =?

I use "booklet." Then during the conversation, I use brochure twice, once rhyming with  "Fo Shure', then using it rhymed with "GRocer."  Finally, I ask if they would like to read the "Leaflet."

[rocket]

1 hour ago, Tortuga said:

 

Do the Hawaiians say Brah-sure?

 

aloha nui loa

[Omoyeme]

12 hours ago, MentalProject said:

My biggest issue is when I go to show a householder or return visit a video is the way that Americans say brochure makes it really stand out as American. 

 

Bro...are you...sure?  

Edited October 13, 2017 by Omoyeme

[Tortuga]

18 minutes ago, Omoyeme said:

 

Bro...are you...sure?  

 

Brah..sure?

Brah..shay?

Brah..shaw?

 

[Eejay]

As there are so many different American regional accents, along with ethnic types,  I really like the variety as displayed in the JW media. 

The only area where I feel slightly uncomfortable is when there are modern day dramas. This is because the turn of phrase, vernacular, and general style are, very often, decidedly American. 

On occasion when there are English accents, they are generally not regional, sometimes sound "mid-Atlantic" and seem to adopt an American stance in an American setting. The American influence seems to homogenise everything English it comes in contact with.

As I tend to use these dramas to illustrate real life situations, the Amercanisation of everything actually detracts from the realism as the experience in UK by far of American culture is in a fictional setting. I always have to adapt the material and bring it to "English" life. I have had some negative reaction to the "American-ness" in the ministry.

However, I'm only saying this to contribute to the discussion.

The content is the priority and minor criticisms about "American influence" are usually easy to overcome.

[Qapla]

1 hour ago, Eoin said:

As I tend to use these dramas to illustrate real life situations, the Amercanisation of everything actually detracts from the realism as the experience in UK by far of American culture is in a fictional setting. I always have to adapt the material and bring it to "English" life. I have had some negative reaction to the "American-ness" in the ministry.

 

I guess this is something I had never really thought of ..... but, I would think that, no matter country/accent the videos would originate in, they would have the same effect on other parts of the world.

 

Who knows, perhaps one of the reasons to cut back on some of the new video content on jw.org will be to make different versions of the ministry videos so they are more adapted to the various territories they are used in.

[Peanuts]

25 minutes ago, Qapla said:

 

I guess this is something I had never really thought of ..... but, I would think that, no matter country/accent the videos would originate in, they would have the same effect on other parts of the world.

 

Who knows, perhaps one of the reasons to cut back on some of the new video content on jw.org will be to make different versions of the ministry videos so they are more adapted to the various territories they are used in.

Someone did tell me that they were building a film studio in the new Britain branch office, so who knows! (Disclaimer: they may have been wrong about the film studio, so dont quote me on that )

[jayrtom]

Fortunately we have all videos dubbed in portuguese from Portugal

We have the same difference to Portuguese from Brazil than Britain English has to the American. 

And from Jan 2018 we'll have all wt's and g's translated in our mother tong

 

As for "friends" it also seems strange around here ;) 

 

I just love the Britain accent, even the northern one (which is harder to understand) also love more the Scottish, Australian, and all other variants than the American one... Maybe for me the amount of American movies and TV shows had the opposite effect... 

 

[kejedo]

It's like Hogan's Heroes where German people spoke only American with a supposed German accent.  

That just about kills me in a Bob Crane sort of way.

[hatcheckgirl]

4 hours ago, Eoin said:

The American influence seems to homogenise everything English it comes in contact with.

As I tend to use these dramas to illustrate real life situations, the Amercanisation of everything actually detracts from the realism as the experience in UK by far of American culture is in a fictional setting

 

And that’s how it feels for me in Australia too, Eoin. My children had trouble relating to the Americanism of the dramas because it sort of felt like an American soap opera.  Like I said earlier, though it grated at first, I don’t notice the accents now because of the appreciation of the spiritual food.

[Thesauron]

6 minutes ago, hatcheckgirl said:

 

And that’s how it feels for me in Australia too, Eoin. My children had trouble relating to the Americanism of the dramas because it sort of felt like an American soap opera.  Like I said earlier, though it grated at first, I don’t notice the accents now because of the appreciation of the spiritual food.

The good thing is that there are local audio/video teams set up all over the world now, so producing a drama with Australian accents in an Australian environment is no longer impossible. Maybe it will be done sooner than we think.

Edited October 15, 2017 by Thesauron

[garryspicer]

I enjoy the accents, especially when I see someone sharing their experiences in the broadcast and all of a sudden I remember one of the older dramas (sound only) because I can finally put a face to a voice.

There was one couple being interviewed on JW Broadcast and when the sister spoke I realised that she had done the voice of Jezebel in "Doing God's Will With Zeal" and also Ruhamah (hope if spelled it right), wife of Hull, in "Jehovah's Judgement Against Law Defying People".  She played a goody in another drama but playing the baddie in those two, she did a great job. I've recognised a few other brothers by their accents. It's all good fun.

[Thesauron]

6 hours ago, garryspicer said:

There was one couple being interviewed on JW Broadcast and when the sister spoke I realised that she had done the voice of Jezebel in "Doing God's Will With Zeal" and also Ruhamah (hope if spelled it right), wife of Hull, in "Jehovah's Judgement Against Law Defying People".  She played a goody in another drama but playing the baddie in those two, she did a great job. I've recognised a few other brothers by their accents. It's all good fun.

Problem with playing a ‘baddie’ in a drama or film for our meetings or conventions is that the image tend to stick. You kind of expect the person to be at least a little bit awful when you meet them irl. Imagine being asked to be the voice if Satan for a recording. At first it’s fun and a bit scary. Then you realise that for a very long time you are going to be “Satan” whenever you open your mouth at the Watchtower study in your congregation.

Edited October 16, 2017 by Thesauron

[Hope]

Brother Sydlik is always and forever "Pharoah"... when he gave a talk at a special assembly years ago, we gathered all the kiddies and asked him to say, "we don't need more frogs, get rid of these!"    He did so with great glee!

 

I think it would be very cool to be known for a particular voice.  "TREASON!!! TREACHERY!!!"   

[Peanuts]

The award for the best baddie voice has to go to the King of Assyria in last years Hezekiah drama "AM I A MUUULE THAT CAN BE BOUGHT FOR MONEEEEEY?" 

I would love to hear him speak in a normal setting 

[Cushi]

1 hour ago, Peanuts said:

The award for the best baddie voice has to go to the King of Assyria in last years Hezekiah drama "AM I A MUUULE THAT CAN BE BOUGHT FOR MONEEEEEY?" 

I would love to hear him speak in a normal setting 

Iol I loved it when he said that 

[hatcheckgirl]

King of Assyria's voice sounds like it should be in that deliberate American accent .  If it were in Australian, too lackadaisical.  If it were in a Cockney accent, wouldn't sound authoritarian.  If it were in Queen's English, would sound too stuffy.  But if it were in a New Zealand accent, whoa! 

[carlos]

4 hours ago, Thesauron said:

Problem with playing a ‘baddie’ in a drama or film for our meetings or conventions is that the image tend to stick. You kind of expect the person to be at least a little bit awful when you meet them irl. Imagine being asked to be the voice if Satan for a recording. At first it’s fun and a bit scary. Then you realise that for a very long time you are going to be “Satan” whenever you open your mouth at the Watchtower study in your congregation.

 

We were spending some days in Romania, went to the meeting and the voice of the brother who conducted the Watchtower study sounded very familiar, until my wife realized it was Satan's voice in all the audiodramas. After the meeting we had a chance to chat with that brother and my wife told him: "Brother, when I hear you speaking it's like I'm hearing Satan himself!" We all had a good laugh.