How do I obtain a british accent?

['TheBugKahuna']

What is an enexpensive method of which I can use in order to obtain a british accent. Something that does not involve traveling to Europe and living there for years, or anything of the sort. I want to be able to speak with a british accent. I erm...think it would be cool. :puke:

[Valk]

An inexpensive method would be watching alot of british TV and movies and try to mimic the sounds you hear.

[Valk]

Apart from difference in sound, there's also a difference in grammar.

This site (http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/grammar/learnit/learnitv123.shtml) mentions a couple of points.

[wern]

stress the vowels

no more Rs. americans says "arrrr" for the letter R

brits say "aaaaaahhh" for the letter R (*when the R is after a vowel)
so if I were to call you a bastard, in yank it would be baarrr-staarrd
in brit it would be bauhh-steehhhd (boh-sted)

that's pretty much it

['TheBugKahuna']

Whoa, thanks guys, I appreciate it.

[Matt]

:lol::lol::lol: Crazy thread.

The thing with English is we have SOOOOOOOOOOO many different accents and dialects. Like I say

bas-tud

A southener might say

bars-tud.

Just listen to us on films like Valk says and try to imitate. I have managed to fool many a yank with my American accent, but the English accent/s are I believe harder to master.

[Spike]

Just get a Cockney accent like Dick Van Dyke and you'll blend in with no trouble.

Bahs-terd.

:lol:

[BIGOKE]

Ever noticed how the English never speak English? :?

[Matt]

I've never met an Englishman that can speak anything BUT English.:cool

[BIGOKE]

Really??

Here's one.
I went to me grocer to git me milk. It wernt half bad now init?
Now tell me that's English... :lol:

[Godma]

An American accent is generally easier to learn than any other because of its exposure. You hear it all over the place on TV and in films. On the other hand, American's don't hear British accents nearly as much over the pond.

My American accent is almost flawless thanks to a few years of practice. It's a little heavy in places, because I use mafia style NY accents as a reference - but it's pretty damn good.

When I first started I was average, making silly pronunciation mistakes. Just get a film or a CD with lots of British dialogue and spend an hour or so a day listening to it and repeating. Just as though you were learning another language.

[Godma]

stress the vowels
it would be bauhh-steehhhd (boh-sted)

that's pretty much it

What the...

Boasted? I don't think so. It's bas-tad, bas-ted or bas-tod. Or bars-tud. No boah-ing involved.

[Beefeater]

Since I've travelled many times to England, I know pretty much of the accent.
Sad thing is, I can only imitate it when I'm drunk.

['TheBugKahuna']

So what are some good british videos to watch? I watch alot of ALi-G. Lol.

[smooth]

Is there like a universal british accent?Cuz in america theres different accents for different coasts and areas.

[Matt]

There is definitely no one predominant accent here.

[Valk]

You can go for a Hugh Grant accent. :D

[Shane_Bos]

Theres a bit of a north/south divide in England. Down south, where im from, we pronounce words like 'bath' as 'bar-th' which is where i think Wern was coming from as up north it would be pronounced 'ba-th'. I speak what i consider normal, plain English. But im guessing people from up north would consider themselves as speaking English properly. Hardly anyone speaks 'The Queens English' anymore and there's not too many people that speak in cockney rhyming slang either.

[Godma]

Shane, you're a complete Ship's Anchor!

(And you could do with a Bob Squash...)

[Matt]

Tally ho

[Spike]

Spiffing.

[BIGOKE]

Bollocks..

[zwmusic]

What is an enexpensive method of which I can use in order to obtain a british accent. Something that does not involve traveling to Europe and living there for years, or anything of the sort. I want to be able to speak with a british accent. I erm...think it would be cool. :puke:

Listen to the BBC World Service if you have a short wave receiver. You can also get those Streamline English by Oxford University Press on CD's or Cassetes. There are four levels - Departures, Connections, Destinations and Directions. Use your ears and practice.

I'm brazilian but I've managed to master an accent that nobody in England can detect whether I'm from overseas. Most people think I'm from Wales. Once a chap asked me if I was from the Hebrides, that was hilarious. I always listen very attentively to the spoken english and try to reproduce it by adjusting the muscles connected to my phonetic system.

[Shane_Bos]

Shane, you're a complete Ship's Anchor!

(And you could do with a Bob Squash...)


:lol: :lol:

[Katsz]

I could never tell a difference in British accents until I spent a week in Birmingham. That's some kind of accent over there.

[Delboy]

I could never tell a difference in British accents until I spent a week in Birmingham. That's some kind of accent over there.

I'm from Birmingham! Yeah, our accent gets a lot of stick. Not surprising when you've got Ozzy Osbourne as the citys most famous son! He's hardly what you'd call eloquent is he?

I've been to the USA a few times and americans always seem to think I'm Australian! Weird

[Bobo]

I have some friends in Birmingham, and after a few pints of beer I speak perfect Birmingham with them! :D

[Shane_Bos]

American chicks love a nice British accent :wink:

[BigBadBear]

American chicks love a nice British accent :wink:
I think they like the idea of the English gentleman which entails quite a posh or queens English type accent. I'm not sure if they'd be melting at your feet if you started laying on the cheesy chat up lines with a thick scouse or geordie accent. :lol:

[Shane_Bos]

Yeh its typical accent, like us southerners have :D Whenever i speak to an American bird i just speak a bit less common but i wouldnt say posh. Whether its the idea behind it or not, they love it!