Any ideas?

English as a Second Language Listening, speaking, pronunciation and accent
1

Any ideas about what he’s saying?

Did you follow that?

Alan

1 Like
2

Hi Alan, I just got ‘follow my drift’ and ‘can’t speak English properly’ and ‘quite frankly’ and ‘like the rest of us’ and ‘you know what I mean’. What accent is that?[YSaerTTEW443543]

TOEIC short conversations: Talking about expense reports[YSaerTTEW443543]

3

Hi Torsten,

I reckon you did very well to decipher that! It’s an example of straightforward bad speech, known as Estuary English, heard a lot around the Thames estuary.

Alan

1 Like
4

Hi Alan,

I managed to make out sum of it:

??? follow me drift. What I like to know is why ??? can’t speak proper Eeglish like the rest of us. Know what I mean?

I had to listen to it a few times.
=)

5

Hi,
Was that an example of what they call ‘glottal stop’? Demoralizing thing, really.

6

Hi,

For those brave souls who tried to decipher the message, I offer a printed version with a translation in brackets:

I dunno (don’t know) about you but quite frankly s’all (it’s all) Greek to me (I don’t understand a word) if yer (you) follow my drift (if you follow my line of argument). What I’d like to know is why he just can’t speak proper English like the rest of us. (Do) you know what I mean?

Alan

7

Hi,

And now for something entirely different. This is very affected speech. See if you can understand it. It is spoken with the traditional stiff upper lip.

Try speaking without moving your upper lip.

Alan

8

Hello Alan,

This second recording is even harder to decipher than the first (and the fact that the sound volume goes way down at about 0.05 does not help any). I think I’ve made out some bits but I am not sure at all about it: …really small gathering, you know – about fifty people …join us …duchess’ name …waiting for your reply (or, looking forward to your reply). Duke of Nowhere.

(I’ve also put in bold what I managed to understand from the first recording you offered for deciphering: ''I dunno about you but quite frankly s’all Greek to me if yer follow my drift. What I’d like to know is why he just can’t speak proper English like the rest of us. Know what I mean? ‘’ :-))

9

Hello Alan,

Shall I help myself to a large piece of humble pie?

10

Oh my God! It’s so easy to read, but so hard to hear… :frowning: than I’m listening, I understand only a little part of the text.
Dear friends, please give me some advice how to overcome this problem?