why the English are narrow-minded about their language?

Question

english language became a global standard, nations speak it in their own way (accents, etc) and this is great, BUT when i came to UK i am discriminated by English people although they understand me and i speak fluent English !

they just focus so much on the way one speaks (English way) that a content seems to be secondary.

I didn't eperience this in US or Canada or anywhere

Answer 1

I have never experienced that! My British friends find my accent very cute... And i'm not english! They say as long as they understand it, it's ok! But i totally understand your frustration, when you are doing your best!

Answer 2

Don't be so touchy. There is no English way of speaking go to any place in the whole of England and you will find almost a different language the dialects are so strong. In the north of the country there is a different way of saying even the simplest words. Home can be Wom or Hooam only a couple of miles apart in the mills of Lancashire the different parts of the machines were named differently. Healds in Blackburn were Yulls in Darwen Yells in Bolton and the whole distance between was only nine miles. Any dialect or person north of the Watford Gap is frowned upon by Some of the southerners, only Some, though you probably wouldn't understand them because they usually have a mouth full of marbles. Don't you worry the English language, in all it's many forms, is the best and most diverse language on the planet often misunderstood by some but the best anyway. If anyone disagrees you tell 'em I said so.

Answer 3

I am sure you simply had a single unfortunate experience that coloured your view.
I have friends who have visited, or studied, in the UK from China, America, Sweden, France, Canada, Greece, Cyprus, Turkey - in fact from all over the globe... and not one of them has ever mentioned that s/he has met criticism when they have spoken their form of English.
After all, within the UK there are many different pronunciation patterns so that that there is no homogenous accent. For example, compare a Newcastle ('Geordie') accent with an East London ('Cockney') accent. They are so different that your accent, from where ever you might hail, would be at least as understandable (if not more so!).
Hence I find it extremely hard to believe that you were discriminated against because of your accent when in a country with so many variations in its own speech.
Maybe you were being too sensitive and took a casual remark the wrong way. However, if you did meet an occasional ignorant Brit, then I apologise on their behalf for upsetting you.

Answer 4

Don't take on Mamrot ,I'm sure your spoken English is fine judging by your punctuation and pronunciation. Its more a case of folk trying to be helpful to you when perhaps your accent may misappropriate the meaning of a phrase or sentence. We are not so rude as to be insulting indeed you should be congratulated for learning the English language fluently but i cant speak for all there will always be someone who can be downright rude through their own lack of education. We have in this country from south to north at least a dozen accents whereby its quite difficult to understand someone talking your own language Good Luck to you and I apologise for the stupidity of the offending individuals

Answer 5

I think the English are far more tolerant of accents and different ways of speaking than many other countries. France for example, have rules against overuse of American or English terms, in order to preserve the French language, one thing you will find annoys the English is that when trying to access goods and services many businesses have outsourced their helplines and cold calling services to India, and elsewhere and it can sometimes be incredibly difficult to understand and be understood by somebody for whom English isnt a first language over the telephone.

Answer 6

It might be helpful if you said what country you were from. English people are bound to be protective of their language if the think its being hijacked. English is the language spoken in England and is where it originated from people are obviously people are going to correct you when you don't speak english english, which, not being snotty nosed or big headed is the correct version of the language anything else is a sub variation.

Answer 7

I've seen it happen in America. A foreign exchange student from the Czech Republic spoke up in class one day, and some of the students began laughing at him for his accent.
Also, a waitor with a accent was yelled at by a customer once when I was in a restaurant, he told him to speak english.
However, behavior like this, at least with the people I know, is frowned upon.

Answer 8

Unfortunately most British people assume that they speak "Proper English",they forget about our own accents and dialects the way that certain words have different meanings in other parts of the country.All I can say is thank god we don't all sound like Hugh Grant or Lady Diana.

Answer 9

insane.
In ireland for years, never experienced any such thing. Been to UK loadza times, I found english more receptive to foreign accents, it being more multinational.
I think it's ur individual circumstances i.e. the person u normally talk to are a bit narrow minded, but it doesn't lead to the conclusion u hav made.
Take it easy man :) relax

Answer 10

You have definitely met the wrong people. Britain is full of differing accents.Its only those that supposedly speak the queens english that frown on others even though they speak with an accent. Come back again and visit the west country you'll be made welcome.

Answer 11

Only a few English people are narrow-minded about English.

If you go to Essex or the East End of London, they can't pronounce the letter H or use words of more than one syllable so don't worry.

I think you have met a few upper-class Brits who need to get a life. Just ignore them.