I've noticed that Icelandic people speak English like they're speaking with an American accent. Whereas French, Germans...

I've noticed that Icelandic people speak English like they're speaking with an American accent. Whereas French, Germans, Mexicans, Chinese, Swedes etc. typically speak English with a heavy accent even if they are fluent. Is this because the Icelandic are taught in school to speak English with an American accent, or is the Icelandic accent just naturally similar enough to american English that they can use it without much difficulty.

Attached: 1398954045866.png (800x532, 369K)

I got a colleague who trained herself a heavy American accent. I never understood why. If English is not your native language, who cares how you English sounds as long you are able to communicate.

Your Eurovision act doesn't speak that way.

Interesting. I don't know much about island, but they're so detached from Europe and they're some young, they probably have a culture picking from US much. Also probably have a good education in schools for English speaking and are less distracted let's say by other topics and interests.

I'm American traveling in Iceland. All the Icelandic people I've heard speak sound like Americans when they use English, maybe with a hint of an accent but it's not that much distinct than certain parts of the midwest/Canada.

I disagree, it's hard to listen to people with strong personal accents. Most people who work using English have this perfect grammar and vocabulary with a super italianish/french/Japanese accent, i don't really see why. I didn't train myself to any accent, but I normally pick and unwillingly imitate accents even inside Italy, I see it natural to pick American or brit when you watch or listen something from there everyday

Overconsumption of American media.

Scandis/Nordics speak English with a Midwestern US accent. Germans and Dutch generally sound more American too. Only people who speak English with a British accent are Indians.

You won't be able to communicate with most natives. Due to the international adoption of English it allows for wrong pronunciation by non-natives and everyone that needs to understand generally can as they are familiar with a broad range. Don't mistake this for actually being able to speak it properly. That said, a slight accent that betrays your origins in a good thing, it keeps it interesting. It would also be interesting if there were non-native dialects of English but this doesn't happen because English learning is based on natives so one cannot take hold informally or formally.

American English is so nasal, why do Icelandics want to sound like that?