Search results for 'tag:British English tag:Speaking English' matching tags 'British English' and 'Speaking English'

Learning English - new website

ipicthat — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 14:04:41 GMT

Hi There

Just wanted to let people know of a FREE TO USE website which may help people learning the English Language.

The website is www.ipicthat.com, it is the world's first online talking picture dictionary.

The site basically comprises of a âdictionaryâ of approximately 5,500 words in an A-Z format and uses photographs to help identify each word. Every word has a written and spoken breakdown, highlighting any unusual soundings. In addition there are 'Letter Sounds', 'Rules', 'Categories', 'Scenarios' and a 'Help' section.

Every part of the website is completely talking. You just need to register (which is FREE) and away you go - hope it helps . Please feel free to pass on to your friends.

Thanks

A dictionary

Anonymous — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 15:34:17 GMT

ãThis dictionary tells you about English words and how to use them in reading, writing and speaking English. It not only gives the meaning of words, it can also help you with spelling, word building, grammar and pronunciation.

ããTo use your dictionary correctly, you need to understand how the dictionary works. At the front of the book, you will find some exercises to help you make the most use of your dictionary.

ããIf you look up the word âcolourâ, you will find two spellings for this word. âColourâ is used in British English, while âcolorâ is used in American English. When such a thing happens, the dictionary shows it with the word âBrEâ for British English and âAmEâ for American English.

ããThe dictionay also helps you pronounce words correctly. It uses a special alphabet to show pronunciation. If you turn to the inside back face, you will see all the phonetic letters with some words to show you how they are pronounced. Just have a look this page when youâre not sure how to say a word.

ããThe most important reason for using a dictionary is to find out the meaning of a wordâits DEFINITION.

ããIn this dictionary, the definitions have been written using only 2000 words. This means that the definitions of even the most difficult words are simply explained and easy to understand.
ããWhen a word has more than one meaning, read all the meanings until you find the one that correctly tells the use of the word you are looking for

Re: If I'm used only to Standard English, might I have trouble understanding dialects?

Mr Wordy — Thu, 29 May 2008 14:26:35 GMT

There are some differences in vocabulary and idiom across the British Isles, and you might encounter some regional words and expressions that you're not familiar with. But the core vocabulary and grammar are not hugely different, and you might find that a bigger problem is pronunciation. If you're only familiar with the sort of English spoken by middle class people from the south of England, and you go into a pub in a rough part of Glasgow, say, then you might not even realise that the people there are speaking English at all.

The native speakers I (as a native speaker myself) have most difficulty with are young urban working class people. In this case, vocabulary (lots of "yoof slang" I've never heard of) and pronunciation both cause problems. I might overhear, say, a group of youths chatting in a London suburb and only catch about 50% of it.

There's no need to try to speak regional dialects of British English yourself (unless you're particularly interested in doing so, of course). If you speak something approximating to "standard" British English then you should be able to make yourself understood anywhere in the British Isles.

Re: standard pronunciation of American or British English?

A Cornish Pasty — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 01:13:36 GMT

Hi there,

What is known as "Received pronounciation" in the UK is seen as the "posh" way of speaking English. This is how the Queen speaks, and was the way all TV presenters had to speak a few decades ago.

Nowadays, there is no standard accent for teaching children the UK, and there is no authority telling schools they must teach children to speak with a certain accent. Each child simply learns to speak according to the accent/dialect of their local area. For example, children in Wales pick up a Welsh accent, children from Newcastle pick up a "Geordie" accent, children from Birmingham pick up a "Brummie" accent, etc, etc.

What could be called General British pronounciation would probably be the way people from some parts of the South of England speak, people who speak like this are generally seen as having no accent.

Re: Who's learning Indian English?

Marvin A. — Sat, 20 Jan 2007 18:57:48 GMT

So anyone moving to America would be wise to learn American English - the native language.

Actually, in some instances learning RP would actually be better. If you can speak with a nearly perfect RP accent, you will be perceived as being a native speaker of British English, on this side of the pond. If however, you speak nearly-but-not-quite-perfect General American, you'll just sound like a foreigner with an accent, albeit not a very strong one. If, however, you can only speak with a mediocre RP accent, then yes, it is better to learn General American, because you wouldn't be mistaken for a native speaker, and you might as well try to speak as closely as possible to the people you are around.

<It also helps if you speak slowly and loudly, and pause after each word.>

How does speaking loudly help?

That is known as a joke.

The question is, why don't Standard American English speakers, want to do the same when they plan to have long-term contact with certain speakers of other standard dialects?

I think this quote from Wikipedia will describe how Indian English is perceived, even in India:
"Formal British English is preferred to layman's Indian English in educated Indian circles and higher Indian writing. Middle and upper-class Indians, especially those with greater exposure to the West through books, electronic media (such as television or movies) and travel, tend to speak more grammatically-standard English. British English is an official language of central and state governments in India. What is characterised as Indian English is not considered "correct usage" by either government-related institutions (such as offices and schools) or educated Indians who prize 'proper' English."

The question is, why don't Standard American English speakers, want to do the same when they plan to have long-term contact with certain speakers of other standard dialects?

Do you actually believe that it's perceived as being "Standard English"? On this side of the pond, it's perceived as English spoken by non-native speakers, with a non-native accent, that is quite unprestigious, and one of the most difficult accents to understand. In fact, we would more likely consider English spoken with a heavy French or German accent to sound like Standard English, than Indian-English. Besides, the upper-class and educated Indians speak something like RP. Now it is true that we all try to adapt our English to a certain extent to be able to facilitate communication with whomever we are speaking. That does not mean that we would learn Indian-English.

I can't tell if you're serious about all of this, or just doing this as sort of a thought-experiment or something. Do you speak Indian-English or something? Or are you a British English speaker? I don't really know what the attitude towards Indian English people on the other side of the pond is, but at least over here, it is not considered a proper form of English. The only Indians that would be considered native speakers of English are the ones that moved here, or to Britain (or Australia, etc.), at a young age and grew up speaking English, or whose parents were English/American/Canadian/etc. and taught them English.

Re: got/gotten

Englishuser — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 18:43:40 GMT

Hi Kanonathena,

You asked:

Should we use gotten here or is this way of using got is only allowed in speaking English?

get, got, got (AmE gotten)

As you can see above, 'gotten' is American English. It's no longer standard in British English to use 'gotten'. So the choice is yours; yet I'd like to encourage you to choose a variety of English and then use it as consistently as possible.

Re: Written English and Spoken English

Nef — Sat, 05 Aug 2006 01:14:14 GMT

Patricklui wrote:

Hello I am new to here. My mother tongue is Cantonese and I like to polish my English.

It's known that English has two different versions : spoken and written. I have been learning English since I was a child and my written English is not too bad because this is what I have to master in order to pass most exams. However, when it comes to speaking in English I often don't know what to say and struggle for words. Though I am in a city where many Englishes live and work in, I hardly make any native friends, what means, I lack an language environment. My problem is:

How can I learn more about the spoken version of English - the way that natives speak? Can you suggest some free online material focusing on spoken English?

Looking forward to your reply.

Hello Patricklui,

I work in an ESL program, and I know that your situation is very common. Some students speak better than they write or read. Some read, and often write, better than they speak. Some are more or less at the same level in everything, but these seem to be rare.

I'd suggest listening to English on the radio and watching some English television, if possible. (Be careful which programs you choose. For one thing, given your location, it may make more sense for you to listen to British English than to listen to North American English. For another thing, some shows aren't much like real conversation.)

Also, when you can, listen to people speaking English around you (possibly on a bus or while you are having something to drink or reading a newspaper someplace.) Do you think these speakers sound like you sound? Do they abbreviate things you might not abbreviate? (example: Want to go? or even Wanta go? versus Do you want to go?) Do they use different inflection (raising and lowering the pitch of their voices) than you usually do? Would you understand a lot of what they said if they slowed down?

**My strongest suggestion is to take a class in conversational English, if you can. Look for a class that focuses on practical communication.** An intensive conversational class (one that meets frequently and for fairly long amounts of time) would be good, if you could manage it. Again, try to find a class that focuses on conversation (not on writing, not on reading, not on reciting long passages, not on learning about literature, not on a combination of these things). Talking, listening, understanding, using, asking questions, learning more.

Another possibility (perhaps hard to find and not cheap) would be a class that focuses on pronunciation. (This is more specific than a class that focuses on conversation.) Still more specific would be working with a speech coach or therapist who focuses on accent reduction. You might not need either of these two. Try other things first.

Spend some more time on this forum, particularly in the areas where you think you need help. I think Www.eslcafe.com is another good forum. See what other people are doing to improve their speech.

If possible, ask a few proficient English-speaking acquaintances for feedback and suggestions.

Practice saying common phrases the way you have heard proficient English speakers say those phrases.

Good luck!

Re: â>> My Pic <<â

Ruslana — Wed, 21 Dec 2005 12:22:15 GMT

Well, if you have any questions about speaking English, you may ask me as many times as you wish. :-) If I can, I'll help. But I want you to know that I don't speak English (British English) perfectly after all...

Re: The use of the genitive with inanimate objects.

khoff — Thu, 24 Nov 2005 00:46:20 GMT

Paco -- I'm sorry English is so frustrating! A few comments come to mind:

First, I can see how it seems to you that the current chaotic state of English is a result of generations of laziness regarding grammatical rules, but I would prefer to think of it this way: the current flexibility of the English language results from a process of natural evolution.

Secondly, I must say that in 50 years of speaking English, and the usual number of years of taking English classes in school (and paying attention), I had never heard the rule that the 's genitive should only be used with animate nouns until I started reading this board. Now that I think about it, I would say that I generally do observe it -- I would be more likely to say "the table leg" rather than "the table's leg" -- but it would never have occurred to be before to consider "the table's leg" as incorrect grammar, and it still really does not bother me a bit. (As opposed to, say, "those kind of pants," which still sounds terrible to me even though I know it is sanctioned by reputable grammarians.) If I heard someone say "the table's leg" I would not think (as Mr. Micawber stated in another thread) "oh, that's a non-native speaker." I wouldn't think twice about it. Maybe this rule is still more active in British English and fading out in America.

Finally, I agree that it is probably a near-impossible task for someone who is not surrounded by spoken English to learn to speak like a native -- but also, that it is not necessary. Your English is excellent, Paco, and your knowledge of English grammar far, far surpasses that of the ordinary native speaker. Foreigners tend to speak English a little more formally, a little less colloquially than natives, but that's interesting and charming. What a dull place the world would be if we all spoke exactly alike!

Now I have to go decorate cookies and bake pies - tomorrow is Thanksgiving. Bye!

looking for A rule model of spoken British English

Mfhboy — Tue, 01 Nov 2005 04:42:11 GMT

Hi this is my first post here! This forums is perfect for learning English!

I want to improve my spoken English and I'm looking for A rule model of spoken British English which is considered as standard MODERN British English. The problem is even reporters from BBC have big difference in their accents but I just need ONE accent as my rule model. Today I came across a site with some audio samples of people speaking English around the world and I found the sample that sounds most natural to me(http://classweb.gmu.edu/accent/english11.html). What kind of accent is it? I need recommedation of studying material with the similar accent I provided but by a male. I prefer sources like documentary series in DVD except those about Science with loads of jargons. Any input would be helpful, thanks.