Transcript
[00:00:00] Hello, and welcome back to another episode of the English input & output podcast. With this podcast, you can easily practice listening to natural English every day. Please check my website. If you want to read the transcript for this episode.
[00:00:29] Hey guys, how's it going? Connor here. And today, I want to talk about the different accents in the UK. Just like how Japan has many dialects, such as the Tokyo dialect or Kansai dialect. The UK also has many unique dialects and accents.
[00:00:49] When my students tell me I want to learn a British accent, I guess they mean they want to learn the London accent, since that is the standard British accent.
[00:01:02] But there are so many accents in the UK and they are all very different. For example, the way people in Liverpool speak is completely different to the way people in London speak
[00:01:16] Because of this. I think learning British English is much more difficult than learning American English.
[00:01:24] As for me, I was born in Liverpool. But I've also lived in the south of England for most of my life. So my accent is a mix of Liverpool and London or Cambridge accent.
[00:01:38] In these podcasts. I always speak with a standard London accent, but when I talk with friends, family, or students, you can sometimes hear my Liverpool accent.
[00:01:51] The Liverpool accent is quite interesting. Actually. I don't really like it. It has an image of being a bit low class, not very smart and a bit childish.
[00:02:04] Sorry if there are any people from Liverpool listening to this podcast, but actually, that's an interesting point.
[00:02:11] In the UK, you can find out a person's class just by listening to their accent.
[00:02:18] For example, the footballer David Beckham was born in east London. People in East London have an accent called the Cockney accent, which is famous for being a common, low class accent.
[00:02:33] When David Beckham was a child, he spoke with a Cockney accent, but since becoming famous and successful, he now speaks with a standard London accent, which is more high class.
[00:02:47] So the way you speak in the UK changes your image.
[00:02:53] I guess it's the same in Japan too, though. Isn't it. For example, if I hear someone speak with an Osaka accent, I think they are more friendly, outgoing, and a little more wild than people who speak with a Tokyo accent.
[00:03:09] There's also an accent in the UK called the west country accent.
[00:03:15] Actually, I love this accent. When I hear someone with this accent, my image is that they live in the countryside and work as a farmer.
[00:03:27] I'll give you an example sentence first in a London accent:
[00:03:33] I'm a farmer and I enjoy making butter on my farm.
[00:03:38] Now in a west country accent: I'm a farmer and I enjoy making butter on my farm.
[00:03:46] It's kind of a weird sentence, but that's the difference between the London and west country accent.
[00:03:53] And if you like Harry Potter, you've probably heard this accent before. The character Hagrid speaks with a west country accent.
[00:04:04] Liverpool and London accents also have some differences, for example, When a word has a 'k' sound like in 'chicken' or 'back' the Liverpool accent has a unique sound.
[00:04:20] Again, here is an example sentence. First in a London accent:
[00:04:26] Let's go back to the chicken shop.
[00:04:28] Now, in a Liverpool accent. Let's go back to the chicken shop.
[00:04:36] The Liverpool accent sounds very aggressive. Doesn't it? It's pretty funny.
[00:04:43] The intonation is also different too. Right? People from Liverpool never speak with a flat intonation. In every sentence. Their intonation is down, up, down up.
[00:04:58] For example, how are you? I'm from Liverpool. How are you? I'm from Liverpool. Hm. Hm.
[00:05:13] So down, up. Down, up.
[00:05:17] In a London accent, it's more flat. How are you? I'm from Liverpool.
[00:05:25] Anyway. I could spend all day talking about British accents, so let's end it here.
[00:05:31] If there's an accent you would like me to talk about, please send me a message and I'll make an episode about it.
[00:05:40] And what accents do you have? Does your accent change when you speak to certain people? And what is your favourite accent? Let me know by sending me a voice message on anchor FM.
[00:05:53] That's all for now guys. And as always, I look forward to seeing you again in the next episode.
[00:05:58] See you next time and have a good one.
Tell me about your favourite accent @ Anchor.fm! I always give feedback and advice.