Comparing Northeastern and Southeastern accents in American music I compiled these lists of songs were US regional accents can be detected. It is difficult to detect regional accents in most modern songs from the US. All of these songs can be found on Youtube if you copy and past the text as I wrote it. But if you don't have access to Youtube, then some of these songs will be very difficult to find. These lists cover a fairly wide range of musical styles and specific regions. Not all accents are the same. Northeastern US accents ------------------------------------------------ Danny and the Juniors - At the Hop Lou Reed - Perfect Day Rock Steady Crew - Hey You House of Pain - Jump Around Frankie Avalon - Venus The Dead Milkmen - Punk Rock Girl Bobby Troup - Snootie Little Cutie LL Cool J - Mama Said Knock You Out Frank Sinatra - Strangers in The Night Marky Mark And The Funky Bunch - Good Vibrations Marcie Blane - Bobby's Girl Debbie Harry & Kermit The Frog - Rainbow Connection Southeastern/Southern US accents ----------------------------------------------- Smog - Rock Bottom Riser Ray Charles - Georgia On My Mind Loretta Lynn - Everybody's Somebody's Fool Nina Simone - Sinnerman The Box Tops - The Letter OutKast - The Whole World Margo Price - Since You Put Me Down Hank Williams Jr. - Country Boys Can Survive Reba McEntire - Fancy Jerry Reed - Amos Moses Skeeter Davis - The End of the World Bonnie Montgomery - Crop Dust Sky Charlie Daniels Band - The Devil Went Down To Georgia

The Princess Bride (film) I believe that a lot of exposure to English music and film can be very helpful for developing English listening skills. "The Princess Bride" is one film that I like to recommend for a variety of reasons. 1. It is a film that is loved by a wide range of people and is good for both children and adults. It has comedy, adventure, action, and romance. Women and children may enjoy the film more, but it is good for men also, if they enjoy the style. 2. Many people who enjoy the film will watch it again and again. It is a well loved classic. It is a good film to watch more than once, and that is important if you want a film to practice with. 3. It is famous and common enough that it should not be very difficult to find, including with subtitles (written words) in your native language. 4. There is also a book version (which was written before the film). 5. The book version uses a level of English that is not too advanced for intermediate English learners. If you are curious about this movie, here is a trailer for the film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtj_Ix5IUo8 Not everyone will love this film, but I consider it to be a good option for English practice that many people can enjoy. If you would like to practice your listening skills with this (or any) English film then I recommend you do so by doing the following. 1. Acquire the film with English audio but with subtitles n your local language. Watch the film first while reading the words of your local language so that you can understand the film well. If you think your English skills are good enough, skip this step. 2.Watch the film with English audio and English subtitles. Read and listen to English at the same time. Watch the film multiple times and learn what the words they are saying sound like. You can even practice repeating them. 3. If you become familar enough with the film, try to watch it without any subtitles. 4. This film has a book version. After you know the film well, and you feel up to the task, acquire the book version and try to read it. This movie was made in the 1980's and it does not have any fancy special effects or intense action. The value of the film is really in it's story and characters. The film has a variety of accents in it including American, British, (fake) Spanish, and French. The "giant" in the film has a very deep voice and a French accent though. Even I have difficulty understanding him, but you should be able to understand everyone else with some practice

Arab men using the term "dear". This is just some respectful advice for Arab men. A lot of Arab men refer to me as "dear" when I speak to them. I have talked to some people about this, and this is apparently very common among some Arab cultures. However, to us men in the west, being called "dear" by another man is strange to us. Many western men who often talk to Arab men are accustomed to this, but there are some cultural differences with this word that you should know. In the west, "dear" is a term that is usually reserved for any of the following situations: 1. Between Husband and Wife 2. Between Boyfriend and Girlfriend 3. From Parents to children 4. From a man to a woman This is not normally used between two men. The word is somewhat feminine to us, and we don't normally ever call each other this. I only offer this advice respectfully, and to help with cultural differences; not to be critical. If the man you are speaking to is a westerner, it is much better to refer to him as "friend" than "dear". "Brother" is also acceptable, but I think "friend" is best. It is more acceptable and common to call a western woman dear though.

Who here listens to English music to improve their listening skills? Because if you are not doing this already, then you really should be. I like MANY kinds of music and I am kind of a big musicology nerd. I enjoy sharing music with people from around the world. I usually like to recommend music that is clear and not too fast and often with lyrics related to themes of love and heartbreak since these are universal concepts that most anyone can relate to. Bands such as The Beatles and The Carpenters are good for beginning (or any) English learners. Although I like a whole lot more music than these styles. You say you can't understand and it goes too fast? Follow along with the written words and memorize them. Sing along if you want. I have a Russian friend that credits his love for music as being the reason his English is as good as it is.