the way J Peterman speaks (Seinfield)

[ademoglu]

Hi,

Could anyone who has watched 'Seinfield' help me, please? There is a character named J Peterman and when I watch him speaking I cannot understand almost anything. It may be his accent or the way he speaks or the words he uses. What do you think? I cannot understand him because I am not good at English?

Here is a link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDJbY0StaLU&list=RDsDJbY0StaLU&t=49

Thanks.

 

[Raymott]

It's just part of his character. It's not a special accent. I also found him a bit hard to follow at times.

 

[GoesStation]

He's speaking with an Irish accent. I don't find him hard to understand in the YouTube clip.

 

[Tdol]

It doesn't sound very Irish to me, but it is odd.

 

[GoesStation]

Well, he's using an American actor's impression of an Irish accent.

 

[jutfrank]

He's speaking with an Irish accent. I don't find him hard to understand in the YouTube clip.

It's only now that you've pointed it out that I can hear that he's vaguely, and poorly, attempting an Irish accent. That's why he sounds weird.

 

[Beth Anne]

ademoglu, J Peterman in Seinfeld does speak with a slight Irish accent for his character in the show.

However, most of his pronunciation aspects including linking, word and sentence stress, and total rhythm sound like rapid American speech to me.

Therefore, your difficulty in understanding him is most likely due to the fact that most English as a Foreign Language Learners learn to pronounce individual English words, not connected speech, and so are used to pronouncing every sound of each word very clearly.

Whereas, Native English speakers almost always use reductions and contractions to speed up our speech which makes everything sound like one long word to non-native English speakers.

For example, you might hear "jeetyet?" instead of "Did you eat yet?" which would leave you wondering what in the world that 1 word "jeetyet" meant when in fact it was 4 words spoken in their reduced form.

You are probably very good at reading, writing, and speaking English. Listening is a skill that is not taught very often, or very well, in language programs, but it is very important. So good for you for noticing.

Also, there are many different English accents so it takes time to be able to understand them all. But you can do it! Just start by focusing on the accents of people closest to you if you live around native English speakers. Or find an online conversation partner if you don't.

 

[Tdol]

Well, he's using an American actor's impression of an Irish accent.

Dick Van Dyke can sleep easier knowing that there are worse attempts than his Cockney accent in Mary Poppins. ;-)

 

[emsr2d2]

Dick Van Dyke can sleep easier knowing that there are worse attempts than his Cockney accent in Mary Poppins. ;-)

https://www.theguardian.com/film/20...-sorry-for-cockney-accent-mary-poppins-disney

 

[SoothingDave]

I never thought he was doing an accent. Just that he had a very peculiar way of enunciating.

 

[Beth Anne]

Thank you for posting about Dick Van Dyke, I never even thought about him having a terrible Brittish Accent because his character was so light, funny, and captivating. Now that I think about it, his accent was definitely not Brittish, just a fun attempt at it.

ademoglu, Do you find Dick Van Dyke's English difficult to understand too?

 

[Tdol]

He later said he was not happy about his accent coach.

 

[jutfrank]

He later said he was not happy about his accent coach.

He had an accent coach?! :shock:

 

[Tdol]

Who also sold him Tower Bridge. ;-)