What does English sound like to non English speakers? - THIS

pinksoir · 20-07-2012 01:40PM #1

My mind was blown.

I remember watching South Park with my gf who's from Hong Kong. It was the episode with Wing and the City Wok dude, and he was shouting at her in Chinese. Only it wasn't Chinese but just what Chinese sounds like to us. My gf found it hilarious because it was just total gibberish but almost sounded intelligible.

Turns out this dude Adriano Celantano did the same thing back in the 70's in a song, but with English. It helps that the song is absolutely kicking too...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZXcRqFmFa8

chin_grin · 20-07-2012 01:53PM

Just watched this a few days ago! Here it is with (phonetic) subtitles. Gas.

The song is VERY catchy too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wz04IBZqfFE

pinksoir · 20-07-2012 02:00PM

Yeah, it's a great song regardless, only made sweeter by the gibberish. Really cool video too.

Teyla Emmagan · 20-07-2012 04:58PM

That is absolutely brilliant!! Is it bad that I dance like that!?

Logical_Bear · 20-07-2012 05:30PM

thats cool,lol!

CrazyRabbit · 20-07-2012 05:41PM

That's also what most conversations sound like to me in a busy & loud pub/nightclub.

dexter647 · 20-07-2012 11:39PM

Sounds way ahead of it's time for the seventies...Very cool:)

Calibos · 20-07-2012 11:56PM

Who ja nick tha car off?

Sounds like somthing Jabba the Hutt would say.

Read it again.....

All I can say, is thank God English became the Lingua Franca of Science, Commerce and Popular culture (Movies/Music) I just wish we had had done a better job of keeping Irish alive alongside it like the Welsh did.

People often slag the English speaking nations for their lack of a second foreign language. ie. Why are European youth so good at English and the reverse isn't true. Whats wrong with English speakers?

Nothing to my mind. They are no more lazy than the European kids. Its just that the European kids have a far greater incentive to learn English and exposure to it. ie. Hollywood and Music. Then they have a reason to keep using it when they become adults in a wide range of jobs in science/commerce/tourist industry etc.

Al Capwned · 22-07-2012 08:30AM

That's strangely addictive - i've watched it 3 times so far!!! Deadly!

Duggys Housemate · 22-07-2012 08:34AM

That's a pretty good tune, whatever about the theory.

biko · 22-07-2012 02:53PM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-cAnFbEXY0

Dangerous Man · 22-07-2012 05:09PM

Weird... I watched it twice in a row. It just sucked me right in to the point where it started to feel normal.

pappyodaniel · 22-07-2012 05:12PM

And this is what the Cockney gangster English accent sounds like to Americans!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6HWNNZGuldI

Solair · 22-07-2012 05:24PM

It seems they've similar problems between Danish, Swedish and Norwegian. They can read each other's languages but they Norwegians REALLY struggle to understand Danish.

This sketch's actually pretty funny

(It's in English with Norwegian subs)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_iixmqSBQw

psicic · 22-07-2012 05:25PM

Cool song.

Though isn't this how a lot of music sounds to native English speakers as well - or is it just me?

Cases in point:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6U8JlcB_BzA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujYO0QaJr8Q

Whenever anyone says to me about how meaningful the lyrics of some songs are, I nod my head and say 'great for them', but I'm thinking "How could 'sea kirk stop stop we could find it in the sieve' mean anything to anyone?"

Duggys Housemate · 22-07-2012 06:13PM

I think the subtitled one is wrong. They are actually using nonsense words, not actual words. Might tweet this to David Lynch.

chin_grin · 23-07-2012 11:44AM

Duggys Housemate wrote: »

I think the subtitled one is wrong. They are actually using nonsense words, not actual words. Might tweet this to David Lynch.

I'm pretty sure it's just their phonetic interpretation of the "words" that are being used in the song...so yeah...gibberish! :pac:

Standman · 24-07-2012 02:31PM

Great video, such a big production for a nonsensical song. Something about the way he dances over and back really close to that mirror while talking gibberish a minute or so into the video cracks me up every time. OLL RAIGTH!

bnt · 24-07-2012 09:50PM

In Japan, English sounds like "pera, pera pera" - whch is Japanese for "blah, blah blah": :cool:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTm2tk1yzSI

What does English sound like to non English speakers? - THIS

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