Is this racist?

[Napalmbrain]

It's not just a lame insult, they actually included a justification: we're a 'multi-ethnic' society now, and one of the most multi-cultural in Europe. They can see Ireland heading the same way.

I find it sad how many people think multi-culturalism is a bad thing.

 

[The Storm]

...

Anyone else find it ironic that this kind of turned into a bashing Americans thread?
I know Americans that hate everything British just because it's British. I know Brits that hate everything American because it's American. It gets on my ****ing last nerve.

im not british, and im just frustrated with the language itself.

 

[Brawny]

I find it sad how many people think multi-culturalism is a bad thing.

People speak English in Britain. Unless you're very near Wales. Speaking one language is a good thing.

 

[ARav989]

I don't know if this question will make any sense, but how does a culture develop an accent anyway? I don't get it; people near my area of the US generally have little to no accent, people to the south have a southern accent, people in England have a British accent. Why though? It's the same language all in all when speaking English.
Shouldn't it all be the same thing for a language? I mean, in the US's case, wouldn't the British accent have carried on to America when the settlers came? Or rather, where did the first accent even come from?

Am I making sense here? I've wondered this for so long.

 

[Chewy]

I don't know if this question will make any sense, but how does a culture develop an accent anyway? I don't get it; people near my area of the US generally have little to no accent, people to the south have a southern accent, people in England have a British accent. Why though? It's the same language all in all when speaking English.
Shouldn't it all be the same thing for a language? I mean, in the US's case, wouldn't the British accent have carried on to America when the settlers came? Or rather, where did the first accent even come from?

Am I making sense here? I've wondered this for so long.

Yeah you're making sense.

I've always wondered that too. I wonder when Americans first started to lose their British accents...

 

[Gikoku Harakami]

I think, eventually, all cultures will just seem to merge and the world will be an incredibly boring place.

Doubt it.. Diversity is essentially in the individual, not in the collective an individual by coincidence belongs to. There's nothing wrong with cultures mixing with each other, so long as the different culture doesn't try to completely overtake the other (e.g. "Stop wearing that kimono, time for you to start wearing real clothes").

It is definitely possible for multiple cultures to mix with one another and still retain their uniqueness while at the same time sharing what other cultures have to offer.

 

[ARav989]

DR, you were getting at the point I wasn't trying to make. You avoided the question completely. I have an accent to other people, but I don't add much emphasis or pronunciation to too many of my words. Sure, monotone. But that doesn't change my question.

My question was where is the origin, where do accents for the same language come from, and why not all the same accent for people of the same language.

 

[Gikoku Harakami]

My question was where is the origin, where do accents for the same language come from, and why not all the same accent for people of the same language.

My thought would be immigration is the cause for different accents of the same language.

A Japanese person comes into America and starts speaking English, but he has a Japanese accent.. Brazilian person comes into America and speaks English, has a Brazillian accent, etc..

A Japanese man who speaks English but has a bit of a thick Japanese accent will raise his own offspring and teach them English, but his thick accent will rub off onto them.. now we have another group of English speakers with a different accent to add to the collection.

How it all originated from the very beginning, I couldn't be 100% sure with...

 

[Napalmbrain]

People speak English in Britain. Unless you're very near Wales. Speaking one language is a good thing.

I never said they shouldn't learn the lingo. And pretty much all Welsh people can speak English as well as Welsh.

It is when the culture that was present before hand, is slowly disappearing.

My Mother works for a section of Government, I won't say which one, but it's obvious that it's England-orientated. Anyway, during the World Cup (football or whatever), everybody were ordered to take down all St George's crosses and Union Jacks, because it offended the foreigners.

I also read something about the pope apologising for saying 'Merry Christmas' instead of 'Happy Holidays', or something.

It's bloody ridiculous. We're English.

'When in Rome, do what the Romans do.'

When I go to foreign countries, I don't cry and complain that they have their flags flying, or that they speak another language, or that things are done differently.

I think, eventually, all cultures will just seem to merge and the world will be an incredibly boring place.

When did I ever say the native cultures of Britain should be forced out? That crap about being forced to take down flags annoys me as well (and I have yet to find anyone who is actually offended by that sort of thing). There should be room in a multi-cultural society for the native culture.

But yeah, I've always believed variety is the spice of life. Immigrants don't have to completely give up their own culture to settle into another.

By the way, I'm fairly certain the Pope would not apologise for that. At least not Benedict anyway.

 

[ARav989]

So I guess you can say that for the accents, different pronunciations, for different words, in different languages, causes the spawn of an accent maybe? that's the most sense I can get out of your posts.

 

[Gikoku Harakami]

What on earth is that supposed to mean?

If that's intended towards the quality of my English, I'm really quite insulted.

... I believe you're taking it out of context. I'm sure he meant from the given theories altogether that it's the answer he gathers.

 

[ARav989]

Lmao exactly Scott. I was trying to some up both you and Scott's posts. Sorry about that, after reading it I can see what you mean. My bad. Lmfao, I was texting at the time =P