Modern brits on us news speak differently than in old movies, what am i to make of that?

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Debi

Ay astna lawst me accent. Dunno bout dine sarf !

Regional accents and dialects still exist although they have been watered down by ease of travel to other areas and the advent of TV. At one time it would have been very rare for people to travel outside their own county.
Richard Burton etc had speech lessons to get that sound as no one could ever work in broadcasting or whatever if they had a strong regional accent because people in other areas would find it so difficult to understand them. Therefore it was coached away to become the generic "BBC English. As TV became more popular people began to speak more and more like the people they saw on it. Also schools discourage the use of dialect and regional pronunciation because it can be a definate disadvantage when it come to job interviews.
I don't seem to notice many accents when I watch American films either.

Nexus6

I suppose it depends where in the UK you are from. I'm from Lancashire and we haven't changed the way we have spoken for around 200 years.

In fact, if I wrote exactly like I speak you wouldn't understand it at all.

sotires

Accents change over the years. I.e. they change in time as well as place. The "received English" pronunciation when I was young in London half a century ago is nothing like it is today. Films (movies) reflect these changes.
This is not just an English language phenomenon. Old French films have different accents from today's France. Doubtless the same in other countries too.

carmel_andrews

my good friend...perhaps you should stop watching the boob toob (telly) and actually come over here...things haven't changed much...the further north of the watford gap you go, that's when you'll start needing your phrase book...as they speak as good as english as i do (just more stronger/broader regional tomes)

African Farmer

Uhm ... of course. Languages develop over time. Do Americans still speak like Clark Gable ... or like buster Keaton?

If your knowledge of the "outside world" is purely based on watching CNN, then I bet you think all Germans speaks like Martin Luther did.

John H

i doth speketh in pigeon inglish

Sal*UK

Ohh I think we do!! We may not speak with the plum in the mouth accent any longer, but there is still a very distinctive British accent!

susie03

We don't write like Americans we can spell, most of us are not racist or ignorant enough to use the word pakis, I don't know anyone who has an American accent other than Americans. But by all means don't bother coming over.

concerned_vincy

Modern Brits speak like Modern Brits. Just like Americans don't speak like Americans of 100 years ago.

If you want to hear the Cockney accent, go to Royston north of London and south of Cambridge. I know lots of Cockneys who moved there and you can still hear the accent.

London is full of Foreigners.. Americans, Africans, Europeans, Russians, Japanese, Australians, etc. Most of them learnt their 'English' via American English lessons. So of course they sound like 'americans'. What did you expect? the world to stand still for you?

jimobasa

There was a time when "common" accents were not acceptable on British TV - everybody had to have "BBC accents" (sounding like The Queen). Things have lightened up now and regional accents are acceptable. It is nothing to do with Europe as European countries each have their own national language. Michael Caine is a natural born cockney whereas the script/storyline of My Fair Lady requires cockney accents whether natural or fake

Wisenheimer

There's only one thing to say about that: Bloody hell!

Northern Spriggan

I have noticed the samw in the old US movies!

Where has that strong Boston accent gone?

Clovie

ummmm...not sure what kind of shows/news you've been watching, but I can't say I have ever heard any "modern Brits" that sounded like they could be from Jersey lmao. Not to mention that "British" isn't an accent to begin with lol. But that's a whole other rant. ;)
*sigh*....though I am proud to be American, people like you are perpetuating the misconception that Americans are stupid... Can't wait to move across the pond and and get away from all the LOONS!

Arcadia

Go and flush your ignorant little Yank brain down the toilet. And add some strong bleach.

That "English" enough for you, old thing?

And what on Earth is the "geico lizard" ?

foxy

STUPID YANK

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