Something to think about

[Bambino]

[Anonymous]

@Cleoriff ... regarding latin being a 'dead' language ... I studied it at senior school for 2 years & would have liked to have studied it to 'O' level ... it did help my 'English Language' ... but ... when choosing my options in the 4th year it just didn't fit in with my other subject priorities ... maybe I can study it online sometime

[Glory1]

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@Anonymous wrote:

Interesting @Bambino & those posts above  ^  ^  ^ ... I hadn't thought of it like that before ... but ... you're right ... I text generally in order to be made understood eg I find it difficult to read when people use i for I & say tommo for tomorrow & c u  as in see you ... to me it shows the quality or lack of education, but I do use eg att = at the / that time & atm = at the moment & aka = also known as & an old one from my office days:- asap = as soon as possible or pdq = pretty damn quick as the shop floor foremen would say ... I do use emoji 

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Well as I've admitted above I use text speak, as do most of my friends but purely for speed as I get and reply to loads of messages. More through Whatsapp but through SMS as well - not everyone has or wants a smartphone. I have a few friends who use their phones purely to phone and text nothing else.

I think I had a pretty good education, even if it was in America. But it has been nearly 55 years since I graduated high school and education standards have changed both here and in the States.

I feel I can, and do, communicate quite well and make myself understood @Anonymous whether in text speak or full, correct, Queen's English. Certainly, I've had no misunderstandings from my friends whichever format I use to communicate

I'm not criticising what you say @Anonymous rest assured you're entitled to your views, just explaining myself in the context of using textspeak.

I have no doubt some would say it's lazyness on my part - its not. For me it's just quicker and, therefore, saves me time when I have 15 or more texts/messages to reply to. All the time to compose this reply so that it makes sense, no typo or spelling mistakes and is in proper English, as an example 

[Anonymous]

Hi @Glory1 ... you come across as a very sociable / well educated person ... 

I, maybe, don't have that many friends I communicate by text with ... I downloaded WhatsApp but don't use it ... & ... use sms not that often ... & ... I am self-conscious of my poor use of English, as a leftover from school, all those years ago ... I use all the resources at my disposal in communication

'Horses for Courses' ... perhaps

I'm not offended what-so-ever by your comment(s) above Glory1 ... & ... I trust you are not offended by my comment(s) ... 

Do you retain your American accent?

[Glory1]

No @Anonymous I wasn't the least bit offended by your comments. Just felt I should explain myself with regard to my use of textspeak.

And do you have a poor use of English? I have no trouble understanding you and surely that's all that matters.

As for my accent no I no longer have an American accent. And according to a friend who's known me since shortly after my arrival in the UK I never did. Obviously, I'm not so sure about that but as we can't hear ourselves speak unless we listen to a recording of our voices, who's to say. I certainly got a shock hearing my recorded voice some 6 months after I'd come here to live. It certainly sounded more British than American 😯

I have a friend who I met when temping at the NFU (National Farmers Union). People used to confuse our voices on the telephone which I, for one, found laughable. She was the daughter of a Harley Street doc, went to public school and finishing school in Switzerland. So you can imagine her accent. I, on the other hand, born and bred in New York, no private (public) school and certainly no finishing school.

I did a public speaking course and on the last day of the course we had to give a short speech, which was videotaped and a copy of the tape given to you.

George (Georgina), who by then was working at my new, permanent, firm and I viewed the tape together for a laugh. I was totally shocked to hear my voice which sounded exactly like George. She laughed at my shocked expression because she already knew how much we sounded alike.

So the above story might give you an idea as to my accent which hasn't changed over the years, so I'm assured by George who's still a close friend.

[Cleoriff]

Talking about accents, I was horrified when I first heard mine (Played back on a tape recorder) I said to my boyfriend (now husband) 'who the hell is that?' He said it's you. We argued for a while.

T'was me. Coventry born and bred and  I sounded as if I came from Birmingham... My sister, 9 years oder than me born in Sunderland, perfected a wonderful 'Orksfoooord' accent. She always sounded 'frightfully posh dahling'

[Anonymous]

Interesting @Glory1 & @Cleoriff

I was born & bred in West Yorkshire ... lived in several different places in England & UAE, all with people speaking English with differing accents  ... I now live in Skipton, North Yorkshire & have kept my broad Yorkshire accent ... eg dropping 'H's & shortening words eg the to t' ... at times I'm not so broad, it depends who I'm with, but I don't talk posh ever

The 1st time I heard my own voice was when on an admin course & we were being taught how to answer the phone ... well, I cringed when I heard my voice ... 

[Glory1]

I understand how you feel about hearing your voice on a tape machine @Anonymous. I don't so much 'cringe' at the sound of mine as wonder who that posh woman is that's speaking. I can't believe it's me and it's how I sound. I know it is but it's not what I hear when I speak to friends.

But then my accent does change depending on who I'm speaking to. I've some cockney friends and when we speak I'm very cockney. I've another friend in America from Mississippi, deep south, and when we Skype I get all southern 🤣

Well my dad was from Atlanta, Georgia so not a total surprise, I suppose 😉

[Anonymous]

Perhaps @Glory1 it is that you live in a large multi-cultural city & are amongst lots of accents

When I was last with an old school friend ... we meet up usually once a year in Leeds for lunch & clothes shopping ... she remarked that I'd not changed = we laughed together - my friend who lives in Lancashire speaks with no accent to my ears ... she has travelled the world with her husband usually going with her husband's sister & her husband ... they've been on lots of cruises & my friend has a fantastic wardrobe of cruise clothes ... she keeps them up in the loft ... ... ... we will be meeting up this Summer & plan to go to the refurbished Piece Hall in Halifax

I communicate with her by Email as well as several other friends ... it is easier for me to use all my fingers than just one on my phone

I did once a few years ago ring up a friend in the evening just for a chat & she told me all her problems = no problem ... but ... I've not rung anyone since  

[Glory1]

You could be right @Anonymous as I was exactly the same in New York. I had southern friends who I became very southern with and New York friends whose 'accents' I'd pick up. With my Puerto Rican friends it was exactly the same.

I just seem to 'mimic' the person I'm talking with. It's not deliberate or taking the niss. It's totally unconcious on my part, and my friends know this and accept it. Strangers probably would take offence thinking I'm making fun of the way they speak. I'm not, I just can't help it.

But then I also have a telephone voice. Again I don't consciously change the way I speak but apparently I 'come across 'oh so posh' I've been told by all my friends.