There's also the fact that, you know, America isn't invading England. America is currently the major power in just about everything, internationally, and that means having a large cultural influence even over countries he doesn't invade. The same thing happened with France and England, back when they were major powers. Everyone wanted to be wearing the latest fashions from Paris, everyone in the art world had to go to Paris to make it as an artist, people on the other side of the world were wearing corsets and ruffles because it's just the latest thing in London, darling, don't you know? Everyone spoke French, and then everyone spoke English once Britain got stronger, etc. Now it's America's turn. Because of stuff like the internet and other forms of mass media today, the cultural impact is much stronger than it would have been a hundred years ago, so everyone watches American TV, people start to pick up an American accent, there's a McDonalds on every street corner, etc
( ... )
That. Is a much longer comment than what I expected to get for something I was simply day-dreaming about. o_o
I suppose what you say is correct; we're definitely not the only country experiencing Americanization. Never said we were. I just get worried about my own country because I love it for what it is, flawed and all. It's really both myself and the media getting paranoid over nothing. More kids are growing up with American inflections to their words and it's making the nationalists and the old folks nervous that English-ness will eventually die etc etc and all that hyperbole. I'm sure back in the 11th century the old folks grumbled about French aristocratic influence as well (especially on fashion and words. Long tunics? SCANDAL.)
ANOTHER POINT what is English-ness? How would you define it and how it's being lost? Is being English having tea at the set tea time? Complaining about the weather? Cleaning chimneys?
Hey, remember that Ireland, Scotland and Wales used to have their own languages. Now they mostly just speak English and they're still Irish, Welsh and Scottish. So I don't think you have anything to worry about if a couple of people pronounce words a little American. x)
Not that I don't understand your worry... Especially when people in Finland use increasingly more English and "Finglish" and watch American TV shows and American movies and so on and so on... But then again, there's not much you can do about that... it's so natural for people and cultures to change. Though it doesn't have to mean that they stop existing. But I have to admit that it depresses me so much when languages die... And I keep being worried about all those small Finno-Ugric languages that are only spoken by tiny populations in Russia and we know how Russia is about other cultures... >__> (Russia: Become one with me~ ^J^ Kolkol)
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I suppose what you say is correct; we're definitely not the only country experiencing Americanization. Never said we were. I just get worried about my own country because I love it for what it is, flawed and all. It's really both myself and the media getting paranoid over nothing. More kids are growing up with American inflections to their words and it's making the nationalists and the old folks nervous that English-ness will eventually die etc etc and all that hyperbole. I'm sure back in the 11th century the old folks grumbled about French aristocratic influence as well (especially on fashion and words. Long tunics? SCANDAL.)
And my accent is not ridiculous, what ho.
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Mm, I get what you mean and everything. I'm not sure what exactly my point was, it was not a thinking hour. I just felt like rambling on the subject.
Your accent is bloody ridiculous, chap, eh wot?
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Not that I don't understand your worry... Especially when people in Finland use increasingly more English and "Finglish" and watch American TV shows and American movies and so on and so on... But then again, there's not much you can do about that... it's so natural for people and cultures to change. Though it doesn't have to mean that they stop existing. But I have to admit that it depresses me so much when languages die... And I keep being worried about all those small Finno-Ugric languages that are only spoken by tiny populations in Russia and we know how Russia is about other cultures... >__> (Russia: Become one with me~ ^J^ Kolkol)
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