The Problem with Speaking English

[FierceKitty]

I was amused to hear two Chinese using execrable English to chat in Suzhou once, since they couldn't follow each other's Chinese.

[Roy]

There was a program about the 60 years of Eurovision last night on BBC4.

Every time the number of points was read out in English, they were then read out in French.

Does anyone know if there is a ... (The) Problem with Speaking English.



I found it an interesting program actually. Especially the bits during the 1970s after Israel had joined in.

Flying out Israeli forces to Luxemburg to help guard the building against threats.
The crowd in the building being told to remain seated during the performance, lest they be shot dead by the marksmen inside the building.
The first time Israel won, Jordanian TV cut the feed and replaced the broadcast on their state television with a picture of a vase of flowers, and told their nation that Belgium had won.

Huge respect for the German lass who sang her winning song, in five different languages, repeating the verses in German then English then French then...
In actual fact, come to remember the show, she was interviewed for the program and she said how she was the first German act to receive top points from Israel, and she was flown out to Israel to perform her song.

Anyway, back to speaking English. The UKs last winning Eurovision act - Katrina and the Waves - Katrina telling the program that she was asked to tone down her US accent and try for a more British one.

[Leman]

One hopes that she managed it terribly well.

[fsn]

Hot Fuzz: The Police visit Techno.

[paulr]

The funniest thing that happened concerning accents was when an Engineer where I now work, who was Dutch with not a very good understanding of English, especially the North East variety being involved in a technical discussion with a contractor from Newcastle and was broad Geordie. It ended up that one of the local lads from Middlesbrough being called over to act as a translator as neither of them could understand a word the other was speaking 

I had the pleasure of acting as 'interpreter' for a couple of guys; Japanese and Swedish. And no I'm not able to speak either language

[Techno]

Hot Fuzz: The Police visit Techno.

(You utter OIK, Nobby !)

Cheers - Phil

[d_Guy]

I had the pleasure of acting as 'interpreter' for a couple of guys; Japanese and Swedish. And no I'm not able to speak either language

Was alcohol involved?

[paulr]

No alcohol, but neither could understand the other's accent

I could follow both their accents so simply repeated what each said and they could both cope with my Kiwi accent

[d_Guy]

No alcohol, but neither could understand the other's accent

I could follow both their accents so simply repeated what each said and they could both cope with my Kiwi accent

Got it! My first date with my wife pitted my Appalachian twang against her clipped north Jersey. Didn't need a translator but had to use a very simple vocabulary.

[Techno]

I sometimes had to act as 'translator' between a Swedish chap, and some of the Scottish folk when I worked at the Studio in Edinburgh for Target Games (Mid 90's ?)

The Scots could understand 'Stephan' perfectly well.....But he often really struggled to understand them.

Cheers - Phil.

[FierceKitty]

He has my complete sympathy - and I sort of am one.

[Ithoriel]

Pertinent to the discussion but perhaps not one to share with one's maiden aunt

[d_Guy]

    gasp!  Good one!

[Roy]