Rabat – As an English student, the main variations of the language to be aware of are American Standard English and British Standard English but these are largely just differences in vocabulary and spelling, and are widely understood between Brits and Americans. The more difficult challenge is actually understanding the different spoken accents in the language. Students can improve their comprehension easily by watching movies – but it’s helpful to know where to start.
American accents
As Hollywood movies dominate the most accessible releases globally, here is a list of recommended movies to watch to learn the slang and nuances of American accent(s):
“The Big Lebowski” (1998)
A great starting point because the lead character talks slowly in a Californian accent which students may already be quite familiar with.
“The Breakfast Club” (1985)
Centered around a small cast of five high-school students stuck in detention, it’s a simple concept with only 5 contrasting voices to concentrate on.
“Little Miss Sunshine” (2006)
A classic roadtrip movie with a simple plot, it is very easy to understand. Students of English can focus on the dialogue between family members as they travel across the US.
“Batman Begins” (2005)
The ensemble cast have New York accents, however Christian Bale and Gary Oldman perform their roles with very neutral and clear American accents. Michael Cain’s character also exposes viewers to a stereotypical English accent for comparison.
“Forrest Gump” (1994)
This is by far the most difficult, but if you’re up for a challenge you can try this movie where most of the characters have strong Alabama accents, giving you a flavor of the twang of southern states.
British and Irish accents
For exposure to British and Irish accents, its best to go straight to the source material with movies made in the British and Irish film industries. Hollywood tends to lean heavily on the stereotypes of either the English Received Pronunciation villain, or a laughable attempt at a Cockney accent – think “Oliver!” and “Mary Poppins.” Here are some movies to expose learners to different British and Irish accents.
“About Time” (2013)
For standard English, anything made by Richard Curtis could have made the list, but in this time-traveling romantic comedy you also have an American leading character so you can hear the contrast in accents.
“Trainspotting” (1996)
For a gritty taste of Scotland, Trainspotting exposes you to the Edinburgh accent, and this is probably the most represented Scottish accent on screen globally.
“Submarine” (2010)
The Welsh accent is less prominent in global cinema, with far more movies choosing to film in the country rather than set the story there – nevertheless, in this coming of age romantic comedy, “Submarine” exposes language learners to a subtle Welsh accent.
“The Banshees of Inisherin” (2022)
This dark comedy is set on an island community off the coast of Ireland. Filled with dry and dark humour, all of the characters in this movie have Irish accents which an English language learner should be familiar with.
“Kingsman” (2014)
Viewers get exposure to multiple accents for the price of one in this movie – with Taron Egerton’s leading character speaking with an MLE (Multicultural London English) accent, his parent speaking Cockney’(an older London accent) Colin Firth with English Received Pronunciation, and Mark Strong delivering a performance with a Scottish accent.
This selection of movies – or ‘films’ as the Brits would say – showcases regional accents and standard examples of spoken English. Any learner of English can improve their comprehension, learn some new vocabulary, and increase their confidence in their English language abilities.
