Accents

When you write in English, everybody can grasp the message. But when you speak up, there comes the problems. We Malaysians don't encounter this sort of trouble when we communicate verbally to people in Malaysia using English language, because we don't have that various kinds of English accents. The way we speak, is as what we're being taught in our English classes in schools; to write as a British but to speak like an American. Thats odd, but thats what we've been taught all along. That way.

But in English-speaking countries like U.S.A., Britain, Australia and Canada, though they are communicating using the very same language, not necessarily they will just understand each other. Well, it is all about the accents. American accent and British accent for instance, are distinctively different from each other, and one who are not accustomed with the difference of both accents, can hardly understand them. And we Malaysians, I can say that we're more to American accented, because we're used to their movies, TV programs and whatnot, as they are widely broadcasted on our tubes. 

Have you ever heard a British-accented people speaking? God I can tell you they're like speaking a fair English, but in a classy way. Now I recall one of my friend who used to stay in UK as a kid, he said that British accent is posh, a posh English. Have you ever watched Harry Potter, or Hot Fuzz, or the other British movies? Thats how British accent sounds like. It sounds classy, compared to American-accented English movies. But despite of the differences between the two accents, they're both can still be said to be easily comprehensible. They are still pronouncing words using the correct standard pronunciations of English. An Aussie's accent? Now that one is hard to understand. >.<

Take a look at this video :

Funny as hell, but true anyway. :)