Education qualification differences - UK vs USA (insurance, school)

[mxd.Brit]

Can anyone help again. As previously stated we are relocating - I am a Brit and hubby is an American. I have a Bachelors in Marketing communication (completed in UK) and currently work in England in a university marketing department and intend on doing the same when I relocate to ATL.
I know an American bachelors degree takes 4 years however in the UK it's 3 years and I hear my bachelors may be classed as an 'associate' degree or something. . . and that I would have to study an extra year to make it a Bachelors.
Enlighten me - anyone with knowledge on this issue,

Thank u!!

[greg_atlanta]

I doubt it matters. Your accent will make you sound a lot smarter than your coworkers. =)

[mxd.Brit]

well ... i don't know there seems to be a lot of Brits moving down there. You guys may become immune to the english accent, so I thought if I had the added advantage it may help.

[Derrick_TheRiskTaker]

Originally Posted by greg_atlanta

I doubt it matters. Your accent will make you sound a lot smarter than your coworkers. =)

Okay this one really bugs me! Please enlighten me as to how does the English accent make one sound or appear smarter than less say an average educated American?

[btrfly414]

Actually many infommercials use actors with British accents because some study indicated that their accent made them appear more trustworthy. If that is any indication of the opinions of others based on voice, greg_atlanta may have a point.

[GF72]

Originally Posted by Derrick_TheRiskTaker

Okay this one really bugs me! Please enlighten me as to how does the English accent make one sound or appear smarter than less say an average educated American?

I think he was joking...


And it's just based on the fact that most of the British characters with accents that Americans see on TV speak with less slang grammar and use more uncommon or "big" words and have that classiness.

Whereas you see Americans speaking slowly, saying "like" every 3 seconds, drawing out pronunciation with slang, slurring pronunciation, talking with drawl, etc...

It just comes down the fact that most associate British with James Bond and butlers and things like that.

If they heard some of the ghetto or country British accents, some of which most Americans won't even understand, they'll probably drop that attitude...

[mxd.Brit]

Its funny because this argument happens in
Britain too - American accents beings classed as either sexy and cool or annoying and common.
Those that hate it certainly change their mind when they speak to my husband who has a 'good' american accent. I think it all boils down to being different and people either love or hate how a person sounds. And no the whole country doesnt sound the same- the more complex british accents, that americans may not understand are for the most influenced by their historical past.
It is a fact that most Americans feel we sound more intelligent, I have visited different states and the opinion is the same.
We do it in England too - the Scottish accent is said to be more 'trustworthy' therefore used in a lot of adverts here.

[Drover]

Every time I hear that an English accent is supposed to make one sound more intelligent, all I can think of is Vicky Pollard, Lauren Cooper and Devvo. But I don't think very many Americans are familiar with the "chav" concept. Suffice to say that the UK has its share of deliberately ignorant, inarticulate reprobates. They're just not the ones we see in our media. I'm still trying to figure out why GEICO Insurance gave their talking gecko a cockney-yobbo accent. I guess because there's no negative stigma attached to it in the States.

Then there are some English accents that are so, uh, "unique" that they might as well be speaking Middle Saxon. I recently had the chance to hang out with The Charlatans. I was embarrassed because I had to ask them to repeat themselves about 47 times.

"Look at my face... am I bovvered?"

[Derrick_TheRiskTaker]

Well I guess I can agree to some extent. My friend is from the UK and his accent is completely terrible and dreadful. I almost have to ask him to hold his tongue in order to make out his words. Also, we go back and forth about what he and I consider typical English misspellings such a color v. colour.

Thanks for enlightening me, everyone!

[atlantagreg30127]

Originally Posted by Derrick_TheRiskTaker

Well I guess I can agree to some extent. My friend is from the UK and his accent is completely terrible and dreadful. I almost have to ask him to hold his tongue in order to make out his words!

Does he have a Cockney Accent? Ok now THOSE can irritate the hell out of people here, and to many Americans, it sounds very uneducated.

But - we have those equals here, too. Some feel that "deep South" accents sound uneducated; I gotta admit, when I hear a Cajun talk I just wanna slap them and go, "shut uuuuup!!!". Others think that the heavy-duty New Yawker Brooklyn type accepts likewise sounds like something out of a Rocky movie and is also uneducated. We hear the California Valley "duuuuuude" type of thing coming out of a guy's mouth and think he never made it past surfboard101 in school. And do we EVER again want to hear the miss South Carolina Teen USA chick talk again on youtube? "Ohmigawd!". So heck, there are people HERE I'd rather not hear talking around me.

The Brit Cockney accent is their equal to that - at least to me. Sounds like fingernails on a chalkboard. However, certain areas of the UK have accents that just about make you want to throw your clothes off and dance naked when you hear them, too.

As far as the degree - I may be wrong, but long ago I knew a Brit guy and I do think I remember him saying something about having to go to school longer here to "make up" for his degree there. That's all I remember though.. no specifics.