Alphax (alphasigmax@gmail.com) [050505 20:16]:
David Gerard wrote:
My guess is that people from countries in the first paragraph (EN-N) could understand each other (EN-N) and English speakers from the other countries (EN-3); people from the countries in the second paragraph (EN-3) could understand the "native" speakers (EN-N), and EN-3 speakers.
(Mind you, just trying to buy lunch required my American friend to interpret the waitress's Glaswegian to English for me.
Well, no, that's an example where this native speaker couldn't understand that native speaker ;-) More recently, a friend from Dublin, Ireland visited. The Dublin accent isn't outrageous, but we had a lot of trouble understanding each other and both had to consciously speak very clearly.
Of course, they all understood Australian, because every single person in Britain is required by law to watch 'Neighbours'.)
I feel sorry for them :p
There's an election today, perhaps the winning party will declare it cruel and unusual culture.
- d.