what does the english language sound like to a foreigner? (good, room)

[KathrynAragon]

Originally Posted by MagnusPetersson

For me (a Swede) it sounds like Dutch.

I agree with this because as an American, I always think that Dutch sounds like English - LOL! Except it's so not.

An aside note that's weird - whenever I shop at the local Mexican grocery stores, and I want to ask someone something, I always want to speak in German to them. That's because I don't know much Spanish, but I lived in Germany for three years so when I would shop in German stores, I'd speak to the clerks or other shoppers in German. So apparently it's my subconscious "default" foreign language.

To me, Dutch sounds like English but in German sort of, if that makes sense. I'm thinking that maybe to Dutch people, English sounds like Dutch with some German thrown in? I don't know.

[KathrynAragon]

Originally Posted by GoodHombre

Every sentence sounds like a question.

I think that's more pronounced in Australian English than American English, isn't it?

[Ethereal]

Originally Posted by GoodHombre

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqNhEzrWQpY

It's called upward inflection. You don't even need to understand English to detect it.

Even Arabic-speakers do it. Like this guy:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=viUFrp_9EAE

[Gentoo]

Originally Posted by Natnasci

My mother's first language was French. She said that when she heard English it sounded like someone speaking with a mouthful of mashed potatoes.

Push those potatoes to the back of the mouth and you have French

[Gentoo]

Originally Posted by Razza94

That's one description I often here, along with "dogs barking". Although they are very different descriptions of the same sounds.

Even to a native English speaker some people do sound like dogs barking.

[Tim Randal Walker]

Originally Posted by Warszawa

And what's up with the word "hi"? Are you greeting someone or practicing taek won do?

Tae Kwon Do. Be careful when you visit an English speaking country.

[Tim Randal Walker]

Originally Posted by Razza94

That's one description I often here, along with "dogs barking". Although they are very different descriptions of the same sounds.

I recall a comment that English sounds like whistling, because of the use of the "S" to make words plural. So add whistling to dogs barking, or speaking with a mouth full of mashed potatoes.

[Razza94]

Originally Posted by Gentoo

Push those potatoes to the back of the mouth and you have French

To me it sounds like someone is vomiting and farting in their mouth

[Ethereal]

I believe English will sound like this to a foreigner (Lol):


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UaAyI-uI30

This language is Cornish (a Celtic language), btw. But it somehow sounds like English if you hear it from another room.

[ABQConvict]

Upward inflection is, I think, even more common in Australia than the US. It is chiefly regarded as a phenomenon of the southern California dialects, both those considered closely aligned to General American and the Hispanic accents in the region.

I actually feel that, in the US, it is an affectation that has peaked. As has vocal fry, another characteristic of some Southern Californian speakers.