Listening: Understanding Different Accents (Introduction) B1 - Lesson 1: Exposure to Clear Standard British and American English Accents

B1 Accent Introduction: Standard British and American English

Welcome to a new series! In this lesson, we will begin learning to understand different English accents¹. We will start with the two most common: Standard American English (AmE)² and Standard British English (BrE)³.

Important: To hear real, clear accents, this lesson uses special audio players with pre-recorded files. Please use the play buttons in each section for the examples.

1. Key Differences to Listen For

There are many differences, but here are two common ones to start with:

• The 'r' sound: In AmE, the 'r' at the end of words (like car, teacher) is usually pronounced. In BrE, this 'r' sound is often silent.
• The 'a' sound: In words like "can't" or "fast," AmE often uses a flat 'a' /æ/ sound. BrE often uses a broad 'ah' /ɑː/ sound.

2. Practice with the 'r' Sound

Listen to this sentence spoken in both accents. Pay close attention to the 'r' sound in the words "teacher" and "car."

Sentence: "My teacher drives a red car."

3. Practice with the 'a' Sound

Now listen to this sentence. Pay attention to the 'a' sound in the word "can't."

Sentence: "I can't answer that question."

Quiz: AmE or BrE?

For each sentence, listen to the audio and decide if the speaker has a standard American or British accent.

1. Audio 1: (Listen to the audio) "I'd like a glass of water."

   Which accent did you hear? (a) American (b) British

2. Audio 2: (Listen to the audio)  "What are your plans for your vacation?"

   Which accent did you hear? (a) American (b) British

Click to Show Answers

Answers: 1-b (Listen for the silent 'r' in 'water'). 2-a (Listen for the strong 'r' in 'your' and the word 'vacation' instead of 'holiday').

Homework Task

1. Accent Hunt on YouTube: Search for a video by an American news channel (like CNN). Listen for one minute. Then, search for a video by a British news channel (like BBC News). Listen for one minute. Can you hear a clear difference in their accents? Focus on the 'r' sounds.

2. Movie Accents: Watch a scene from a Hollywood movie (often AmE) and then a scene from a British movie (like 'Harry Potter' or 'James Bond'). Pay close attention to the different "music" and rhythm of the accents.

Vocabulary Glossary

1. Accent (noun) - Khmer: សំនៀង - A specific way of pronouncing words that is characteristic of a particular country or region. ↩
2. American English (AmE) (noun) - Khmer: ភាសាអង់គ្លេសបែបអាមេរិក - The form of English commonly used in the United States. ↩
3. British English (BrE) (noun) - Khmer: ភាសាអង់គ្លេសបែបអង់គ្លេស - The form of English commonly used in the United Kingdom. ↩