Do you agree with me?

Question

I feel that WRITTEN American English is easier to understand than when it's SPOKEN. For instance if an American guy spoke to me, I would find it hard to understand what he's trying to say; whereas if he wrote exactly what he said on a piece of paper, I can easily understand what he exactly feels.

Do you feel the same way to?

Answer 1

I am not a native English-speaker, and I know that I write much better than I speak. You cannot hear the accent or my occasional strange pronunciation. I can understand spoken English quite well, but I suppose that it can be easier for me to read sometimes too because I can read as slow or as fast as I want; I can't control the speaker's speed unless I yell at him about it.

I think that it depends on the situation for me, and this opinion will probably differ from others'; it probably depends on one's personal preferences.

Answer 2

You have competing issues here. Spoken language is ephemeral, so there is pressure to catch it the first time. Written language is more or less permanent and can be read and re-read. Fortunately, with spoken language, if you don't understand something, you can often ask for clarification. With written language, you might need to use some kind of reference work (e.g., a dictionary or grammar book). Some people speak more clearly and some people write better than others. More importantly, some people just express themselves better.

If you have trouble understanding spoken American English, it's because you don't have a map in your brain that corresponds to the sounds you're hearing. If you have the written word, you may still not have that map--I'm sure you still run into expressions you've never seen before--but at least you have a durable means of comparing it with what you already know and drawing conclusions as to their meaning.

Answer 3

Yes and no.

Accents do make understanding a spoken language difficult. People from England, America, Canada, Austrailia, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, New Zealand, South Africa, and Jamaica may speak English as their first language, but you wouldn't know it sometimes from the various accents and cadences of speech. I guess that's why I turn on a DVD's subtitles even when it's not a foreign movie.

However, if subtitles or a pen and paper aren't available, just having someone repeat the misunderstood phrase again or more slowly is usually all that's necessary for understanding. Besides, local slang you don't know the meaning of anyway won't become understood when written down. The person will have to tell you what they meant, right?

Answer 4

I guess I would agree, if what he'd write on the paper would remain more discreet, than what he'd say aloud, to you, in let's say, a public place.
Or maybe you are foreign and need time to make out what is spoken to you - so that it 'd be easier written?
You do the math!

Answer 5

I feel this way about German! I can read German much easier than I can understand it being spoken. The languages are really very similar but accents and people's lack of grammar can make it very hard to understand. I had three years of German and made it my minor.
Vielen Danke zu dir, fur meine Glauben gefragen.

Answer 6

Of course it's easier. When language is spoken you have the benefit of inflections and body language to help you understand what he means.

Well, this is assuming that a person is literate and capable of expressing himself in written and verbal form. It seems that this is becoming rare these days....

Answer 7

Yes, It's because of the idem used in everyday language. Americans forget when we're talking to foreigners. I had to learn the idem when I was learning Norwegian and that helped me understand the spoken words better.

Answer 8

I agree with you... I think this may be because you can 'see' what's written in front of you so you are confident on what you are reading.... however, if you 'hear' something in a different tone or accent you might not be certain as to what was said.

I'd go with what you read rather than what you hear.

Answer 9

English, as with most other languages, is easier to understand in print. I think it has something to do with the speech cadence and the various accents you may encounter.

Answer 10

It depends on who writes it. Some people don't know how to write correctly and sometimes it's difficult to figure out what they mean. It's hard for me to understand some people because I have a hearing problem and a lot of people don't pronounce their words distinctly.