6 hours ago, scorecard said:

Actually no. I'm 82 very soon and close to bedridden so I do watch a lot of TV, movies, Youtube vids which interest me because of my academic quals. I do aim to watch a variety. including some politics so I see see some Fox also BBC news and Aljazeera.

I also watch quite a few history documentaries. I also write lecture maerials on request on the subject of 'Organization Behavior (OB) / Leadership Behavior' (I have a Ph.D. in OB).

Fox has certainly made a model which flows across their numerious channels as desired by Murdoch to support trump. whereas other news outlets are more open / free flowing. Just my opinion of course.

I always teach students and staff working or communicating cross culturally to deliberately speak slowly and clearly. This is commonsense but is based on good theory/practice: language as codes and speech as transmission. First part of understanding speech is decoding the sounds (codes) the other party transmits. Everybody has an accent and many mispronounce codes so the receiver needs time to decode what may be unusual sounds. So, speaking quickly is not interculturally competent even if funny at times.

See the Italian Man who went to Malta on you tube and many similar

3 hours ago, kwak250 said:

Is it because they are ?

Nah, it’s in their head.

Then you have the Einsteins who speak pidgin English to Thai.

Thai: "Where you go."
Farang: "I go store."

I had a friend who was an English teacher who did that all the time. Grrrrrrr.

4 minutes ago, connda said:

Then you have the Einsteins who speak pidgin English to Thai.

Thai: "Where you go."
Farang: "I go store."

I had a friend who was an English teacher who did that all the time. Grrrrrrr.

Instead of leading by example, some think it's easier to have the Thais understand by mimicking their abilities. It only makes things slower learned.

7 minutes ago, connda said:

Then you have the Einsteins who speak pidgin English to Thai.

Thai: "Where you go."
Farang: "I go store."

I had a friend who was an English teacher who did that all the time. Grrrrrrr.

I believe that pidgin English rubs off on English speakers after hearing it all day.

6 hours ago, simon43 said:

Nope - I'm criticising American narrators in YT science videos aimed at young students, where my many hundreds of young Chinese students who attend international schools and mostly speak fluent English, have problems understanding the narrator because it seems like they are trying to win the 'speak as fast as you can' race :)

As for the imperial measurements mentioned in YT videos, clearly those narrators think that the world ends at the Golden Gate bridge or Martha's Graveyard, becauxse almost every other country uses the SI metric system! Curiously, one of the few countries to still use the Imperial System is Myanmar, where I've taught in-class for many years.

6 hours ago, simon43 said:

Nope - I'm criticising American narrators in YT science videos aimed at young students, where my many hundreds of young Chinese students who attend international schools and mostly speak fluent English, have problems understanding the narrator because it seems like they are trying to win the 'speak as fast as you can' race :)

As for the imperial measurements mentioned in YT videos, clearly those narrators think that the world ends at the Golden Gate bridge or Martha's Graveyard, becauxse almost every other country uses the SI metric system! Curiously, one of the few countries to still use the Imperial System is Myanmar, where I've taught in-class for many years.

Here are some suggestions (other than "don't use American videos")

In the lower right hand corner of You Tube you will see the "gear" icon.
This allows you to use the "playback speed control." You will find setting that at about 70% still delivers a pretty natural voice, but slower and much more easy to understand.

To the left of the gear icon, is the "CC" option ... IE: Closed Caption, which allows folks to read along in real time. This makes following along easier. (There is also a language option, but I don't think Chinese, Thai, or Malay are options)

Also, on the top of videos there is a "more..." option and if you go there, it allows users to have a synchronized transcript scroll along with the video.

The left / right arrow keys on your keyboard allow you to jump forward and back in 15 second increments ... very handy for "I missed that, let's repeat it.") Also makes watching NFL football 100% better to review plays!)

Hope this helps!

Edited July 20Jul 20 by JustinTyme
Added a polite closing sentence.

1 hour ago, JustinTyme said:

Here are some suggestions (other than "don't use American videos")

In the lower right hand corner of You Tube you will see the "gear" icon.
This allows you to use the "playback speed control." You will find setting that at about 70% still delivers a pretty natural voice, but slower and much more easy to understand.

To the left of the gear icon, is the "CC" option ... IE: Closed Caption, which allows folks to read along in real time. This makes following along easier. (There is also a language option, but I don't think Chinese, Thai, or Malay are options)

Also, on the top of videos there is a "more..." option and if you go there, it allows users to have a synchronized transcript scroll along with the video.

The left / right arrow keys on your keyboard allow you to jump forward and back in 15 second increments ... very handy for "I missed that, let's repeat it.") Also makes watching NFL football 100% better to review plays!)

Hope this helps!

Thanks very much! But I know about all those options/controls.... I teach hundreds of students online, and TBH, there is no time to 'customise' a video. I try to preview potential YT videos before the lesson. If the narration is too fast or not clear, then I don't use it... end of :) Sometimes I have no time to preview the video, and that's when we can run into issues of the students not understanding the fast narration. (In some rare cases, when the video itself has excellent content, I completely delete the 'yank' and re-record the video in Filmora with my own clear English narration...)

Edited July 20Jul 20 by simon43

A bit like some of us the germans...fast but mainly so loud that you think they are shouting at you.

Edited July 20Jul 20 by Sigmund

Much depends on what part of America you live in. Just like in Thailand.

Yank bashing from a guy over-invested in his Britishness.

Check his Union Jack Smurf avatar.

Some people talk too fast some don't.

So what.

UK English vs. USA English debate.... yawn, yawn, yawn.

On 7/19/2026 at 7:30 PM, simon43 said:

"Teacher Simon - we can't understand that science video! The person is speaking English too fast.."

That person is usually from the USA, speaking English at breakneck speed, even when the intended audience of the video is only 7 years old and perhaps not a native English (sorry - native American) speaker...

Why do they do it? Brits and Ozzies don't speak so fast. Sometimes I find an interesting science video, but reject it for my lessons because the narrator is from the USA, and seems to be trying to win a race in fast-speaking!

So my American friends - why do you speak 'American' so fast? Why don't you have consideration for your audience and SLOW DOWN FF S!!

Because they are not real Americans, everyone knows the real Americans are from Hollywood and we speak normal.....trust me......555555.

11 hours ago, Sigmund said:

A bit like some of us the germans...fast but mainly so loud that you think they are shouting at you.

Need an umbrella most of the time with spit flying everywhere

On 7/19/2026 at 7:30 PM, simon43 said:

"Teacher Simon - we can't understand that science video! The person is speaking English too fast.."

That person is usually from the USA, speaking English at breakneck speed, even when the intended audience of the video is only 7 years old and perhaps not a native English (sorry - native American) speaker...

Why do they do it? Brits and Ozzies don't speak so fast. Sometimes I find an interesting science video, but reject it for my lessons because the narrator is from the USA, and seems to be trying to win a race in fast-speaking!

So my American friends - why do you speak 'American' so fast? Why don't you have consideration for your audience and SLOW DOWN FF S!!

Just play at 0.75x

or whatever

12 hours ago, Sigmund said:

A bit like some of us the germans...fast but mainly so loud that you think they are shouting at you.

Please explain what it is that you Germans are mumbling whenever you get in proximity of another farang? Every single time, at a traffic stop, passing by on a motorbike, at a kad or just walking by, you all, every one of you…blah blah blah some unintelligible something or another.

The news casters, on some of the outlets, speak incredibly fast........I think they have to as the attention span of their viewers is so limited.

On YouTube I slow it down to .75 to follow what they are saying.

9 minutes ago, MIke B Bad said:

The news casters, on some of the outlets, speak incredibly fast........I think they have to as the attention span of their viewers is so limited.

On YouTube I slow it down to .75 to follow what they are saying.

Newscasters, like TV ads, need to because of the limited time frame.

6 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

Newscasters, like TV ads, need to because of the limited time frame.

They'd be better off saying less, more succinctly at a reasonable speed.

On 7/20/2026 at 3:48 PM, simon43 said:

Nope - I'm criticising American narrators in YT science videos aimed at young students, where my many hundreds of young Chinese students who attend international schools and mostly speak fluent English, have problems understanding the narrator because it seems like they are trying to win the 'speak as fast as you can' race :)

As for the imperial measurements mentioned in YT videos, clearly those narrators think that the world ends at the Golden Gate bridge or Martha's Graveyard, becauxse almost every other country uses the SI metric system! Curiously, one of the few countries to still use the Imperial System is Myanmar, where I've taught in-class for many years.

Many road markers are being changed to the metric system. Did puzzle me initially seeing road markers in miles with the intermediate signs designating furlongs.

Petrol was sold by the litre if I recall correctly. Could be wrong on this as I never needed to buy fuel, only Dagon beers. Very nice drop.

1 hour ago, MIke B Bad said:

They'd be better off saying less, more succinctly at a reasonable speed.

You have to get the news out in the allotted time, along with the TV ads, as time costs money.

Edited July 21Jul 21 by kwak250

13 hours ago, cdemundo said:

Yank bashing from a guy over-invested in his Britishness.

Check his Union Jack Smurf avatar.

Some people talk too fast some don't.

So what.

UK English vs. USA English debate.... yawn, yawn, yawn.

Thanks for adding absolutely nothing of value to this thread :)

"Did puzzle me initially seeing road markers in miles with the intermediate signs designating furlongs."

Lol yes. I once asked someone how far it as to Shwe Dagon Pagoda and he replied 'about 4 furlongs'!! I expected to see race horses charging past :)

Simmering down to essentials for a change?

Thanks to the British Empire, even in the remotest corners of the wolrd you will find a Village Chief that understands and speaks some form of "English".

The only legacy of the British Empire that will last. It has become the "lingua franca" of this world. Not to forget.

On 7/19/2026 at 3:41 PM, Gandtee said:

And why do many American female newscasters speak with a nasal twang? I find them very difficult to understand.

Isn’t that a Jewish accent ?

1 hour ago, simon43 said:

Thanks for adding absolutely nothing of value to this thread :)

1 hour ago, simon43 said:

Thanks for adding absolutely nothing of value to this thread :)

I must have added something, I got 2 "thanks" emojis and a "laughing" emoji.

Why do you suppose that is?

On 7/19/2026 at 10:09 PM, SiSePuede419 said:

Try using American southerners.

Have you visited Boston or Maine? There are some strong accents in that region.

1 hour ago, Fact said:

Have you visited Boston or Maine? There are some strong accents in that region.

have you been around a drunk geordie, welshman or scouser?

5 hours ago, Yagoda said:

have you been around a drunk geordie, welshman or scouser?

They don't have to be drunk.😉