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

[moosic]

To be honest, with all the films and media that comes from the US these days, I don't often give a US accent a second thought! 

[Peanuts]

We had a speaker from New Jersey last week (im in the UK) as he was over visiting family. Hearing a different accent like that seemed to make everyone instantly pay better attention! It helped that he spoke very clearly and was a very good speaker 

[Ishaya]

this is a very interesting discussion,as for me i feel your accent is not really what matters (since we all can't speak the same way),so its good to take it slow and easy when you speak so that others can understand you.ive always admired the brothers on jw tv for this method of speaking and its always been very easy for all to understand them in my congregation.

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[retroHelen]

Am reet glad it's in clear American 'cos tha wudna unnerstan' a wud of it if it were in't loacal Cumbrian dialect/accent like what's spoke roond here!

Edited December 14, 2017 by retroHelen

[Qapla]

Helen, if you can speak with that dialect - or similar ....

 

Please, check out this thread

[collins]

I’ve been wanting to do this topic for a while. I live in the US so I think nothing of the brothers “accents” when I watch videos on jw broadcasting... but I wonder... how do you English speaking brothers and sisters in the UK, South Africa, Australia and other parts of the world feel about our videos in the American accent. Are you guys used to it? It would be very different if all I heard were brothers from England in our videos. How do you guys feel?

If it happens to be your first time to it, then, it goes very fast. However, you become conversant with it, it becomes normal. I am even trying to learn the way the Americans speak(accents). From Ghana.


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[Squad]

The american ascent sounds normal to anyone in ngeria that was educated in english being our lingual franca. It becomes a problem when the words are pronounced to fast to our hearing but so far, I have noticed our brothers and sisters take their time when speaking.

[humblebee]

On 10/11/2017 at 4:59 PM, Guri said:

It is great Carlos.  

I totally agree with that sentiment. . . your English is better than my Spanish Bro. Carlos! ¡enhorabuena!

[RodLS45]

So refreshing to hear the experience in our current study Watchtower read by a sister with a German background!

[minister159]

 

[GoldAussieGirl]

Doesn’t bother me in the slightest, I don’t even notice it! 

[Myew]

I've always been interested in voice acting. I'm not sure what my accent is, probably monotone... with an uncomfortable mix of british, southern and african american vernacular.

[Meditate!]

I have not read all of the threads here (7pages?)but from my perspective (UK)I don't think I  can help having a favourite accent. If something broadcast is not my favourite I try hard to listen to the content. 

 

However strong accents are much harder to listen/decipher. As with most languages there is the cleaner vocal of a 'well spoken' person. Although I have an accent myself, being from Birmingham, I can listen with no difficulty to the Queen's English but struggle with Geordie English or Glasgow English! This is not anyone's fault. We are the product of our surroundings :). We could all learn proper English with elocution lessons (me included) .. But who would talk to those In our territory on their level and with their 'ear'?

So... Some things we have to put up with for our own benefit.

[Qapla]

1 hour ago, Alan said:

We could all learn proper English with elocution lessons

 

AH! But who is to say just what Proper English is?

 

I have an idea that, what some would say is "proper" today is not the same as what was "proper" in times past.

 

Think of it, many British think/say they DO speak proper - but then, many Americans think THEY speak proper - especially since they do not have that "Thick British Accent"

 

Years ago I worked with a man from India. He had attended British schools. He maintained that he spoke "Accentless English" ... he kept insisting that he had absolutely NO accent - even though, to everyone who worked with his, yes we were all born and raised in the US, he had a very pronounced British Accent.

[humblebee]

Well. . . we don’t say we speak “proper” English! We say that we speak English “properly”  - and that’s Queen’s English! 

But roll on the pure language which will truely unify us all!!! 🙏🏻👌😆

[Old]

1 hour ago, Qapla said:

 

AH! But who is to say just what Proper English is?

 

I have an idea that, what some would say is "proper" today is not the same as what was "proper" in times past.

 

Think of it, many British think/say they DO speak proper - but then, many Americans think THEY speak proper - especially since they do not have that "Thick British Accent"

 

Years ago I worked with a man from India. He had attended British schools. He maintained that he spoke "Accentless English" ... he kept insisting that he had absolutely NO accent - even though, to everyone who worked with his, yes we were all born and raised in the US, he had a very pronounced British Accent.

2

I think I got a phone call your 'man from India' he was pushing  'Computer Services.'

 

I like the way proper English is summed up in "My Fair Lady":

 

"... An Englishman's way of speaking absolutely classifies him,

The moment he talks he makes some other 
Englishman despise him.
One common language I'm afraid we'll never get. 
Oh, why can't the English learn to set

A good example to people whose 
English is painful to your ears? 
The Scotch and the Irish leave you close to tears. 
There even are places where English completely

Disappears. In America, they haven't used it for years! 
..."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAYUuspQ6BY

[Meditate!]

9 hours ago, Qapla said:

 

AH! But who is to say just what Proper English is?

 

I have an idea that, what some would say is "proper" today is not the same as what was "proper" in times past.

 

Think of it, many British think/say they DO speak proper - but then, many Americans think THEY speak proper - especially since they do not have that "Thick British Accent"

 

Years ago I worked with a man from India. He had attended British schools. He maintained that he spoke "Accentless English" ... he kept insisting that he had absolutely NO accent - even though, to everyone who worked with his, yes we were all born and raised in the US, he had a very pronounced British Accent.

Your right. I just used a phrase which is common here. 

 

I agree with all who commented.. Esp that a common pure language in the New System would fix it all! 

I was thinking mostly, and should have used an example, of whatever version of English used, the less complicated it s the asier it is to listen to. English is the language for air traffic control. Obviously someone from my local, Black Country, Birmingham (placed in the air traffic tower) could confuse many a flight captain with local idioms, phrases, and accent, known only to him/her. That would not help anyone, outside of a Black Country pilot. 

I was speaking to a French sister who visited her English grandmother here for 4 months. I could understand her French English very well. It sounded better than local English 😉

 

However, when asked about accents I. FRANCE she said some dialects, although still French, were practically unlistenable to her. 

 

As I mentioned, I can't criticise any person for having a 'thick' accent when I have one my self. 😉

Yes.. Roll on New SYSTEM! 

[Xplore]

In our congregation, most of us are used to it. And personally, I'm used to English, because it's a language that I use a lot when reading, writing and listening. The accent doesn't bother me either, I tend to focus on the message.  But I can imagine that for some of our older brothers and sisters, it's a bit difficult. Good thing that we have accurate subtitles 😉

Edited June 10, 2018 by Dertzey

[Greg Dent]

if you guys think some of the american accents are hard you have not heard anyone from Newfoundland speak their Newfie accent? Wow that can boggle your mind. Hard to believe they even speaking english at all.  Its a mix of Scottish with a few marbles thrown in sort of. At least that is what it sounds like to me. Nova Scotia has a nice accent and Cape Bretton is part of that provence and they have their own accent too. Pretty wild. 

[Brian Warner]

We always used to laugh during the dramas at the American accents of ancient jews, waving their arms around in an over the top manner as they talk.😂

[jwhess]

For a few years we had an elder join or congregation.  He was from the UK (I don';t remember where).  His wife had served in Russia but she was from the USA.  I am always trying to get our mid-west rural congregation to speak in a better manner.  To say "I saw" instead of "I seen" and so on.  After one meeting in which I has a part, he stopped me and shook my hand.  I asked what it was for.  He said he wanted to thank me for "single-handily trying to drag our congregation into the English language."  I found it extremely funny at the time, but I realize in retrospect that it probably pained him a time or two to hear us speak.  He has moved on to other assignments but I miss him and his wife a lot.  We have not improved too much.

[dove]

On 6/10/2018 at 12:22 PM, Greg Dent said:

if you guys think some of the american accents are hard you have not heard anyone from Newfoundland speak their Newfie accent? Wow that can boggle your mind. Hard to believe they even speaking english at all.  Its a mix of Scottish with a few marbles thrown in sort of. At least that is what it sounds like to me. Nova Scotia has a nice accent and Cape Bretton is part of that provence and they have their own accent too. Pretty wild. 

I've always liked listening to the Nigerian accent..it's very easy clear and easy to follow and pretty I think...😊

[JoMarie]

Watched Americans shows, all my life, so used to it...


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[Pavlos]

My favourite english is the jamaican creole: 😁

https://www.jw.org/finder?srcid=share&prefer=content&applanguage=JCR&locale=en&item=pub-wsb_1_VIDEO&docid=1011214

 

🌴🐼

Edited July 11, 2018 by ouzo

[Katty]

On 10/10/2017 at 5:09 PM, Dages said:

For me it's not about the language, it's more about the setting. The movie about the family struggling to have a Bible study with the girl having a gorgeous car... Then deciding to simplify and still get a huge house... Hahaha. We got a little "that's 'Murica" with my family.

I'm glad the recent video are more realistic with that (simplify = small flat)

Ha that's not even always realistic in America. For some people, simplify means live in a camper XD