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Have taught English to university level students in China, I can say that some Chinese speak English very clearly and others have thick accents that make it hard to understand what they are saying until you get used to hearing them.
Have taught English to university level students in China, I can say that some Chinese speak English very clearly and others have thick accents that make it hard to understand what they are saying until you get used to hearing them.
It varies a lot from person to person. However, generally speaking, I found people from eastern China (Shanghai etc.) have a "clearer" accent than most others. Minorities in northwestern China sometimes speak surprisingly good English. I know a Uyghur who had never lived in any English speaking country, and he could carry a conversation in English well when he just arrived in America.
Well you're Australian (assuming from your location) so of course you would have a natural bias against rhotic American English.
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The Philippine government is encouraging English because the call center and business process outsourcing business in the Philippines is huge. There are just so many call center agents in the Philippines now, taking up customer service calls for American (and sometimes from other English-speaking countries) companies.
This. Pretty much the Philippines and India are the primary call centers for U.S. -based customers. While the Filipinos speak clearer English, both groups lack sufficient "Americanisms" to be helpful to the customer.
Well you're Australian (assuming from your location) so of course you would have a natural bias against rhotic American English.
This. Pretty much the Philippines and India are the primary call centers for U.S. -based customers. While the Filipinos speak clearer English, both groups lack sufficient "Americanisms" to be helpful to the customer.
I don't like the Kim K, Paris Hilton or ditzy SoCal type teenage girl accent, but just a standard, not too intonated American accent is okay. For some reason though not a huge fan of a very rhotic Filipino accent but if it's not too rhotic it's okay.
I don't like the Kim K, Paris Hilton or ditzy SoCal type teenage girl accent, but just a standard, not too intonated American accent is okay.
I believe you are referring to the "valley girl" accent, which is stereotypically associated with the sheltered, affluent/privileged girls in SoCal (which explains the celebrities that you mentioned). They are in the minority and aren't really popular (unless you're a valley girl or boy yourself).
On the flip side there's also "ghetto" English, which also exists in SoCal and elsewhere in the U.S.
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but if it's not too rhotic it's okay.
Not sure if a half-rhotic accent is possible. You're either rhotic or you're not.
'Best equipped'? Most Hong Kongers can't even speak English fluently, while most Singaporeans can (even if a lot of them don't speak perfect English). Singapore, Philippines/Malaysia are definitely the top 3 English speak nations in Asia.
I was referring the term next best-equipped to SG and India. And since what were talking here would be the accent not the percentage of speakers, I still like HK English. We have to understand I suppose 40% of HK are Chinese mainlanders so we cant expect all of them to speak English. I just find it pleasant hearing the accent of the HK fluent speakers.
I was referring the term next best-equipped to SG and India. And since what were talking here would be the accent not the percentage of speakers, I still like HK English. We have to understand I suppose 40% of HK are Chinese mainlanders so we cant expect all of them to speak English. I just find it pleasant hearing the accent of the HK fluent speakers.
Maybe the educated few percent but I find the typical Hong Kong English accent pretty bad sounding.
Yes, very normal to speak English among Filipinos. It's the most used language in formal occasions and business transactions in the Philippines. There's usually only English in restaurant menus (although some Filipino words for local dishes are mixed in) so ordering in English only is pretty normal as well. Most children nowadays learn English first. In the non-Tagalog speaking areas, the Filipino language subject (which is basically Tagalog) is notorious for being the most hated thing to learn in school.
this is BS. they add English in their conversation (due to limited Tagalog vocabulary) but don't converse totally in English.
by the way, only the students of probably 2 universities and 1 college for women try to converse in a combination of more English and less Tagalog.
It is quite common especially in the capital among the upper class. 70 years ago, Spanish was the norm among the upper class, now it's English. It is used for status symbol though I think Spanish still sound classier as English is so common.
Parents these days also try to speak English to their children and loathe speaking dialect to them. My sister speaks English to her 4 year old daughter and always reminds us never to speak dialect to her. The girl doesnt speak any Filipino.
talaga lang a? BS
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