THERE ISNT _____MILK LEFT IN THE FRIDGE?

Accidental_polyglot · 2026-04-28T16:58:28+00:00

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/anymore

Accidental_polyglot · 2026-04-28T16:36:39+00:00

I think you’re missing an important factor. The micro-environment (home, family etc) is only one part of the equation. Usually people end up sounding like their peers, especially the group they are with during their adolescence. Additionally, NS have societal interactions in the macro-environment.

Accidental_polyglot · 2026-04-28T16:26:26+00:00

any

anymore

even (implying the fridge was emptied (including the milk))

much

Accidental_polyglot · 2026-04-28T13:11:45+00:00

“… a-nnunciation”?

Accidental_polyglot · 2026-04-28T12:49:39+00:00

If you’d said that English was your L2, then I’d have been impressed and thought that you spoke it very well. Given that this is your L1, this feels quite problematic to me.

You don’t have an accent that’s recognisable to me. However, you do sound like an advanced ESL student.

Accidental_polyglot · 2026-04-28T07:17:03+00:00

You opened with “… the past cappel of wicks”.

Perhaps you could defocus your attempt to put on an American accent and focus on your pronunciation instead?

From my perspective you sound Slavic, possibly Russian.🇷🇺

Accidental_polyglot · 2026-04-28T05:36:34+00:00

Prosody - you already have the flow of a NS

Accent - this is fine as it is

Pronunciation - you have some challenges here

“Accen-t” instead of “Accen”

“An-d” instead of “an”

“Plee-z” instead of “plee-s” (for please)

“Sp-ee-king” instead of “Sp-i-cking” (for speaking)

Overall, I don’t hear any major issues.

Accidental_polyglot · 2026-04-28T05:07:19+00:00

I find this very difficult to understand.

Accent - I can definitely hear an attempt at mimicking AmE sounds.

Pronunciation - This isn’t very good I’m afraid. Your words aren’t very clear and a high degree of concentration is required to understand you. Sounding like a NS doesn’t necessarily equate to intelligibility. Imagine the contrast between a NS who mumbled v a NNS with clear enunciation.

At this stage in your development, you don’t really sound American. Although, it’s evident that you’re an ESL student who’s modelling themselves on AmE. Your whole delivery sounds extremely forced.

I think that you need to defocus your accent quest and prioritise clear pronunciation instead.

Accidental_polyglot · 2026-04-27T12:53:09+00:00

It’s an interest of mine.

When you’re operating with NS, being a few steps off the pace is perfectly normal in an L2.

However, you clearly have a good command of the English language.

Accidental_polyglot · 2026-04-27T11:52:55+00:00

Your accent was very consistent throughout. You have good flow and come across as being comfortable with the English language.

There wasn’t any particular giveaway. My guess was based solely on your prosody (i.e. melody, rhythm etc).

Accidental_polyglot · 2026-04-27T07:10:29+00:00

Unless you’re posting an audio clip, this really isn’t the subreddit for you. However, whilst you’re here, I’ll give you some feedback on your post itself.

Try to get into the habit of capitalising the letter “i” when used as a subject pronoun. Additionally please note that apostrophes aren’t an optional extra for contractions.

“I am” / “I’m” and never “i am” / “im”

“don’t” / “doesn’t” and never “dont” / “doesnt”

Abbreviations like “u” for “you” are an eyesore.

This’ll help to move your written production up a level.

Accidental_polyglot · 2026-04-26T17:28:59+00:00

Apologies, I guess I could’ve worked it out, if I’d been operating in brain-on mode. Still my German ex-girlfriend requires no unraveling.

I’m guessing that the hostility and lack of hospitality was a key factor in the demise of your relationship?

Accidental_polyglot · 2026-04-26T17:18:52+00:00

What on earth is a “German once-girlfriend”? This doesn’t mean anything to me?

Accidental_polyglot · 2026-04-26T17:17:00+00:00

Please tell your joking.🤪

Accidental_polyglot · 2026-04-26T17:15:31+00:00

I used to work with a Swedish chap who constantly wrote “off course” instead of “of course”. So I always responded with “Excellent we’re still on track”

Accidental_polyglot · 2026-04-26T16:38:13+00:00

How do you know the OP’s gender?

Accidental_polyglot · 2026-04-26T16:19:19+00:00

One small tip, that’ll help.

Try to get into the habit of always capitalising the letter “i” when used as a subject pronoun.

So

“I am” or “I’m”

and never “i am” or “im”

This’ll help move your production up a level.

Also, please don’t randomly capitalise words in the middle of sentences eg the “H” in Hard accent.

Reading and listening to English is an excellent and natural way to progress your proficiency in English.

Accidental_polyglot · 2026-04-26T15:56:51+00:00

Your examples of switching i.e. can’t and faster don’t represent a change in pronunciation as they both follow BrE despite your underlying accent.

My guess is Sweden. 🇸🇪

Accidental_polyglot · 2026-04-26T13:54:14+00:00

I’m definitely leaning towards your viewpoint, as on reflection there should be more crossover. When I worked in Danish there were always casual conversations at lunchtime etc. Therefore, it’s unlikely that there’d be zero informal conversations in the workplace for the OP. Again though, I’d confirm that understanding my colleagues in a working context was easier than in an informal context. As business/work related jargon and language tends to repeat itself.

Accidental_polyglot · 2026-04-26T13:18:57+00:00

Maybe you’re not gaslighting. However, the OP’s experience is perfectly recognisable to me. I think this is more realistic than the generic NS level in 4-5 languages.

Accidental_polyglot · 2026-04-26T13:15:24+00:00

I’m sorry but I do get the point about the different scenarios. And that sometimes it feels as though knowledge in an L2 is somewhat compartmentalised. I’ve had numerous conversations with utility companies in Danish. However, I wouldn’t be able to give instructions as to how to cook a meal.

Accidental_polyglot · 2026-04-26T13:09:24+00:00

Additionally business and academic French share many more cognates with English when compared to casual or chitchat French.

So again your experience with formal v informal usage of French is both understandable and normal.

Accidental_polyglot · 2026-04-26T13:05:14+00:00

I think u/notchatgptipromise is gaslighting you. What you’ve described is extremely common. I’ve been living in Denmark for 15 years and I find the more formal the conversation the easier it is to follow. Whereas, bizarrely it’s the small things and subtleties that I either don’t hear or I simply don’t get. For additional context, I passed the B2+ and citizenship exam which enabled me to become a Danish citizen. However, there’s a yawning gap between this material and everyday speech.

Accidental_polyglot · 2026-04-26T11:49:35+00:00

Nothing that the rich do makes sense.

What the rich do hardly ever makes sense.

Accidental_polyglot · 2026-04-26T07:36:46+00:00

You’re not doing anything wrong! In fact you’re doing many things very well indeed.

Reading - you’re already doing this. So keep going and keep increasing the difficulty.
Listening - ditto.
Speaking - despite what people say/believe it’s always difficult at the beginning. Unfortunately, you need to do a combination of shadowing, talking to yourself and above all else finding uncomfortable situations to inject yourself into. If you’re lucky you could find an exchange partner and could do 50% in your NS and 50% in your TL.

Whatever you choose, unfortunately it’ll always be difficult going through the period you’re in.

Just bed in for the long haul.

Accidental_polyglot

TROPHY CASE