Scottish/Irish Accents

[Niblox]

Tune in on the web to Irish or Scottish radio stations -

eg www.rte.ie is Ireland's national radio station -there are lots of others. Unfortunately, like every other broadcaster around the world, they go for a "sanitised" accent which is usually fairly educated.

Niblox

[Graham]

Not silly Graham, fun. Beats the daylights out of arguments over semantics.

David

true David, and if the truth were known, I've taken care over the years in australia to retain my British accent and avoid becoming "Australianised". I don't care for the local accent at all.

Trips back to the UK and watching british TV helps keep me "British".

[GMan]

Hey all!

When I was in highschool I watched "The Commitments" several times and from that, was able to mimic a Dublin accent well enough to fool any stranger I talked to...I was having some fun with it for a while.
Some months later I ran into a guy who was faking an Irish accent VERY poorly, yet refused to admit that he was American.
Since I have some Irish roots, I figured that gave me some liscense to play around with the accent, but after running into that guy I felt very silly for having done so and figured that if I was meant to speak with that accent I would have been born in Dublin.........

Great flick "The Commitments" and I too tried the accent and failed miserably. I would be happy just to learn the language, and I must admit this thread has been a wealth of information and insight!

[Tiran]

As for Canadian and American accents, it is much the same. There are different accents between the two countries, and different accents within those countries. Try talking to someone from B.C and than someone from Newfoundland. You gotta love the Newfies, their dialect is similar to the pikies in Snatch.....a little mix of Scots, Irish, English, French, and American. Mind you a better group of people is hard to find, and I hear the same of the US south.

I doon;t know what yur talking aboot, eh?

lol. Seriously, Ive worked with a few newfies, and most of them arent to hard to understand. When they are sober. Get a few drinks in them and they might as well be speaking greek. Can't understand a word, and theyre going a mile a minute.

[highlander_Daz]

I have allways been fascinated by accents, for me the master has to be Robert Carlyle, (Begbie- Trainspotting) as well as being one of the greatest actors produced by this fair country, his mastery of accents its astonishing, he was a Weegie in trainspotting, he added some Highland embellishments for Hamish Mcbeth, was a scouser in 51st State (I think it was called something different in the states) and recently played Hitler!!- and this was a truly chilling performance I urge anyone who enjoys watching a "real" actor to watch this, as opposed to wooden "superstar" performances.

In the city there is a beautiful chinese resteraunt I frequent, and its fun watching the tourists faces when the head waiter (whos father and mother came from Kowloon) greets guests in a perfect Highland accent !

I think the problem with Irish and Scots accents is peoples perception of them, especially overseas is very different to the reality, if people think that all Scots speak like groundskeeper Willie or Billy Connely then they are in for a dissopointment, there are some areas of Aberdeen where the accent is so flat and no trilled Rs. the the island accents as so different too.

[chasem]

. . .51st State (I think it was called something different in the states)

Formula 51 in the states.

[KiltedBishop]

it's like that in the states. Many people from elsewhere think there is a souther accent. Actually any good southerner (which I am not but lived in various southern states) will tell you there are many. hell even the language is different. Most regions anywhere have their own slang. I am finding that living in Cumbria. I am learning all sorts of words that no one outside of there will understand. I also am finding in my opinion the Cumbrian accent has a Dublin lilt to it. Of course I wouldn't say that to them. ;)

[Sherry]

I started out thinking this was a silly thread and have ended up ordering Scotspeak!

I'll try to do a review of it later on

Graham, did you order it from here, http://www.countrybookshop.co.uk/bo...tfor=1899920013 , or did you find another retailer?

I look forward to your review.

Sherry

[Archangel]

going to agree with the learn one place at a time, Glasgow's not so bad for the accent, it's that they have a different language. Scottish accents can be separated by city blocks, let alone regions.
Mum's an actress, trained old school for radio before stage and coming to Canada. She does any accent and will have three character discussions by herself, with characters from different parts of UK. Her accent now is fairly neutral.
We'll get caught in pronunciations of words we don't often use. My daughter caught me last year when she asked me what CCR stood for and I realized that I've never said that out loud. She still starts laughing out loud remembering that.
Of course, she tries to have an accent and sounds like the lady in that Sean Connery Irish movie, I thinks she think she sounds like the lady in Thomasina.
Restless Natives accents make me nostalgic.


btw, I listened to the spoken Bible link and can only say I've never heard any one speak Scottish (accent) that slowly who wasn't near death. Any confirmation for contemporary Scotland.

[Graham]

Graham, did you order it from here, http://www.countrybookshop.co.uk/bo...tfor=1899920013 , or did you find another retailer?

I look forward to your review.

Sherry

yes Sherry, thanks for the link. Like you, I did a search and they seem to be the only place that sell the book and CD.
I'll let you know what i think of it.