What English do you read, write, speak?

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,

Hi,
English might not be the most spoken worldly but it is regarded as most useful IIRC.
Probably because its the most comprehensive language I think, please correct me on that.

Most comprehensive? No-one knows, there are so many diverse languages, no-one could know them all
Could have been quite different if the US had adopted German or Welsh or Spanish

Just heard Lisa Stansfield on the radio, she has a lovely Lancashire accent, +1

English language has the largest vocabulary. Historically shares with german and dutch.

[ambodach]

What language do they speak in England? I have had the misfortune to be phoning call centres in England recently. I have to ask them to repeat often until I get the gist of their information. They do sound like native English by the way and not imported. How can I get sub-titles on the phone?

[Cyril Haearn]

What language do they speak in England? I have had the misfortune to be phoning call centres in England recently. I have to ask them to repeat often until I get the gist of their information. They do sound like native English by the way and not imported. How can I get sub-titles on the phone?

Some of the call centres are in India, some people there speak perfect English but have never visited, they are taught about British 'culture' too

Actually there is a lot of Estuary English down in England, plus Australian influence

[kylecycler]

What language do they speak in England? I have had the misfortune to be phoning call centres in England recently. I have to ask them to repeat often until I get the gist of their information. They do sound like native English by the way and not imported. How can I get sub-titles on the phone?

Some of the call centres are in India, some people there speak perfect English but have never visited, they are taught about British 'culture' too

Actually there is a lot of Estuary English down in England, plus Australian influence

"Look, ..."

[Cyril Haearn]

Apparently call centres like people with regional accents, not too strong, the customers like them too, I do
Might be cheaper to run a call centre in Hartlepool than in Hemel Hempstead too, mind

[Patrickpioneer]

Wenglish
Pat

[Cyril Haearn]

Wenglish
Pat

North Wenglish, I bet people in Newport Gwent speak differently
Another chance to recommend a favourite book, Spoken Here by Mark Abley, about small languages
Abley was brought up in Canada, his parents told him they had emigrated from England but he got suspicious when he learnt to sing to the tunes of Hyfrydol and Rhosymedre
Turned out he was half-welsh, like me

[Patrickpioneer]

Wenglish
Pat

North Wenglish, I bet people in Newport Gwent speak differently
Another chance to recommend a favourite book, Spoken Here by Mark Abley, about small languages
Abley was brought up in Canada, his parents told him they had emigrated from England but he got suspicious when he learnt to sing to the tunes of Hyfrydol and Rhosymedre
Turned out he was half-welsh, like me

Oh dear me Bryn its dangerous telling me about books, i have just been and bought a used copy of the above (ebay) less money for chain oil again.
Pat

ps,, who's jacket is this coat then.

[Cyril Haearn]

Wenglish
Pat

More books about Wales, out of my head
Short stories by Kate Roberts (one may visit he home at Cae'r gors near Caernarvon)
I bought a mountain by Thomas Firbank, read that a few times
Austerlitz by W G Sebald
Another book that goes in several categories, history, novel, imagination
Sebald writes lovely long sentences in German, good in the English translation too and not too difficult I thought
Some of the action takes place at the train station in Antwerp, at Andromeda Lodge above Abermawddach and near Bala

His other books are good too
Rings of Saturn (travel, history, ramblings )
The Emigrants

Unfortunately Sebald died at 57, else he should have surely won the nobel prize for literature

[Cyril Haearn]

Positive thread alert, Plus One
People from little countries often speak good English
Just heard a couple of Danish people talking about the plan to erect a fence along the German border
One spoke almost perfect English, the other spoke almost perfect German

[Cyril Haearn]

What English do you write?

[Cyril Haearn]

The Grauniad reports from Yorkshire, people should be proud of their Yorkshire accent, Plus One!
Should I be proud of my Oxford accent?

Mind, one of the linked articles about learning new languages gave economic growth as a reason for doing so, Minus One

[Hobbs1951]

Hi,
English might not be the most spoken worldly but it is regarded as most useful IIRC.
Probably because its the most comprehensive language I think, please correct me on that.

Consider this - English is spoken in more countries than any other.

I have a little French (lived there for five years) and Spanish, my daughter speaks fluent Chinese, German & Russian and lives in Berlin.

John.

[merseymouth]

Hi Guys, According to a few posters on this Forum I only speak "Rubbish" , with a little Scouse thrown in. IGICB MM

[Cyril Haearn]

Objection! I bet you have a gr8 accent MM Maybe you mean people disagree with your views + opinions