'merikin

I speak 'merikin and have difficulty understanding the spoken English dialog of British movies and television programs.

PBS often schedules a British tale, a series of episodes in period costumes, manor houses, butlers to families who have fallen on hard times or are experiencing a crises of reputation. As the story unfolds, family members stroll thru park like gardens or ride in ornate carriages reinforcing the importance of the family's social position while the downstairs staff is confronted with a crises of their own. The PBS mystery series of Inspector Lewis is also British fare. As they walk the halls of Oxford, the detectives discuss clues, or the lack of them, in British English.

Just because my 'merikin is English it doesn't mean the Brits and I speak the same language.

It seams as if the R is silent in Brit English and my listening span is tried to the limit if actors begin to speak British slang or make references to inside national gossip that is not understood by outsiders. Closed caption and sub titles help but it doesn't keep currant with the conversation taking place on the TV screen.  At times one is put to the test of deciphering the meaning of a phrase, when a person whose native language is other than 'merikin, speaks English.

A country's language is comprised of all the dialects and regional pronunciations spoken in that country and I suppose others find our southern or mid-western idioms and accents just as difficult as I find some of that 'other' English.

Common 'merikin dialects:

• California English
• Texan English
• Appalachian English
• New York dialect
• Yinglish and Yiddish words used in English

and there are a lot more:

• Wikipedia list of dialects of the English language