Thread: a short video with English subs

I came across this vid and thought it might be useful for people learning English. The speaker talks in a way that might be hard to understand but there are subs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqWi2AS1M6Q

The speaker talks in a way that might be hard to understand

I wonder how hard it is for native speakers to understand.
Without the subs in this video would you have been able to make out each and every word on one hearing?

With sperk’s intriguing foreword and mechanic’s being a bad boy today working with that nasty magic concoction of his without goggles and safety gloves on I thought I was about to witness the embarrassment of the century, no less, but not only everyone survived in the end but was good to go too. So much for the entertainment for today?

Originally Posted by Schrödinger's cat

The speaker talks in a way that might be hard to understand

I wonder how hard it is for native speakers to understand.
Without the subs in this video would you have been able to make out each and every word on one hearing?

I am native American English speaker and grew up not far from Reading, PA. I turned off the closed captions and listened to him. Now if you know about me... I am a "mechanically inferior female" so this video was a "little" challenging to me as I knew nothing about the topics .

I will admit he does slur/mumble a few of his words and speaks a little fast. However, I could make out what he was saying. Some of his words took a couple of milliseconds for my brain to process.

I have not trouble at all understanding him and I thought his video was pretty good....

But he is speaking fast, mumbling, and using lots of "Americanisms" (US-typical expressions). Not a problem for most of his audience, probably.
But this is not really a good example to use when you are learning English...

Also, be aware that in the US, many people (such as this man) don't use adverbs. They basically ignore this whole word class and use the adjective where there would normally be an adverb. For example, he says: "Sand this down, nice and smooth...." (gramatically correct; sand this down nicely and smoothly.... OR sand this down until it is nice and smooth... )

India English and Singapore/Hong kong English - that's a challenge for me sometimes!

Got about 90% without subs. It's not a problem to understand him when he's saying 3-5 words fast. The problem is when he's firing tons of words like a mashine-gun like at 1:15 Make it nice and smooth and tatatatata....blablabla

Here's whom I get all of: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLeNXRHBnpA She's the best!! Fond of it!! (Though her G's stick too much all around the stuff).

Originally Posted by Hanna

But this is not really a good example to use when you are learning English...

I wish I could get bad examples like this in Russian so I could learn how people speak in real life situations as opposed to scripts and texts.

Originally Posted by Eugene-p

Here's whom I get all of: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLeNXRHBnpA She's the best!! Fond of it!! (Though her G's stick too much all around the stuff).

Haha, it's good you understand her, since she is an English teacher :wink

But she speaks a bit faster and more advanced than:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8LwJOzviRxw

(I am beyond that stage now... Я клянусь! )

Originally Posted by sperk

I came across this vid and thought it might be useful for people learning English. The speaker talks in a way that might be hard to understand but there are subs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqWi2AS1M6Q

I dont think it should pose any problems for non natives, the guys speech is very distinct and easily intelligible. I've heard some people whom even I had to listen to attentively to understand what they said.
And there arent any terms uttered in the vid that a lay person isnt familiar with. Well, at least i should think so. He isnt talking over the head of an average us guy with a car. Hehe

Judging by the accent he's from the south, Texas probably. Though I may be in the wrong

Originally Posted by Hanna

Also, be aware that in the US, many people (such as this man) don't use adverbs. They basically ignore this whole word class and use the adjective where there would normally be an adverb. For example, he says: "Sand this down, nice and smooth...." (gramatically correct; sand this down nicely and smoothly.... OR sand this down until it is nice and smooth... )

I'll have you know that he in fact said "sand it down till its nice and smooth". What you wrote sounds off.
Actually, saying that in the usa people dont use adverbs is complete balderdash. We use adverbs indeed. We use them a lot.

Originally Posted by Mr Happy Go Lucky

Actually, saying that in the usa people dont use adverbs is complete balderdash. We use adverbs indeed. We use them a lot.

Of course they use adverbs. But sometimes they use adjectives instead of adverbs, right?

The first time I noticed this "phenomena" was when I watched some Hollywood movie about a friendship between a kid and an old guy (a mentor/student type of movie). The kid was asking for something and said "I want this bad". The old guy corrected her (or him) immediately: "I want this BAD-LY", and the kid was like "Grrr.. ok". It was funny.

(I am beyond that stage now... Я клянусь! )

I wish I could check it out :wink

I like this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fx68drYztlk too. Very enterteining as well as useful.

I'll have you know that he in fact said "sand it down till its nice and smooth". What you wrote sounds off.

As well as he says don't instead of doesn't as shown in subs.

Sperk wrote:
I wish I could get bad examples like this in Russian so I could learn how people speak in real life situations as opposed to scripts and texts.

Try this one and see how hard it is for you.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9pJF...eature=popular

Originally Posted by Schrödinger's cat

Sperk wrote:
I wish I could get bad examples like this in Russian so I could learn how people speak in real life situations as opposed to scripts and texts.

Try this one and see how hard it is for you.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9pJF...eature=popular

I didn't get much of that. It's useless as a pedagogical device.

Originally Posted by sperk

I didn't get much of that. It's useless as a pedagogical device.

hehehehe... I just love this forum...

"pedagogical"
Could you please use the word in a sentence?
May I have the origin of the word please?
May I have the definition please?
Are there any other ways to pronounce the word?

"pedagogical, p-e-d-a-g-o-g-i-c-a-l, pedagogical"
ding
"I win?"

Originally Posted by rockzmom

Could you please use the word in a sentence?
May I have the origin of the word please?
May I have the definition please?
Are there any other ways to pronounce the word?

You've left out the "May I have the spelling of the word please?"

Originally Posted by rockzmom

I only speak two languages, English and bad English.

Lol, and which of the two are you speaking now?
I think it best that you warn us well in advance when you switch to "bad English" to prevent it from rubbing off on the Russians.

Originally Posted by Mr Happy Go Lucky

Originally Posted by rockzmom

I only speak two languages, English and bad English.

Lol, and which of the two are you speaking now?
I think it best that you warn us well in advance when you switch to "bad English" to prevent it from rubbing off on the Russians.

I didn't used to be soooo bad. Darn medication and headaches... It's why I had to stop work and don't participate as much on the forum these days.

BTW... the line comes from here (click on photo to watch):

Originally Posted by rockzmom

I didn't used to be soooo bad. Darn medication and headaches... It's why I had to stop work and don't participate as much on the forum these days.

Sorry if i inadvertently offended you, as god is my witness I was just joking. I didnt mean my (maybe awkwardly worded) quip seriously (and you seem to have taken it that way),
Your english is ok as far as i'm concerned.

Originally Posted by Mr Happy Go Lucky

Sorry if i inadvertently offended you, as god is my witness I was just joking. I didnt mean my (maybe awkwardly worded) quip seriously (and you seem to have taken it that way),
Your english is ok as far as i'm concerned.

No prob... no blood, no foul! or is it fowl? or is it goooooaaaalllll?