What did you watch as a kid?

[Farseer]

I haven't seen it since the mid-eighties. Still, when you're out on a sheep station as a teenager with only one TV channel, pretty much any television is good television!

I heard recently that it's still going even after all of these years? Going on your reaction, it sounds like my opinion of other long-aired shows such as Neighbours and Home and Away or Bold and the Beautiful that we have here in Australia. *yawns*

I detest them, though I suppose it's a plus that you could leave off from watching them for a decade, then sit down and be caught up on all of the action within half an hour!

[fool-ish]

It really is awful now and had run it's course long since! I watched it avidly as a teenager in the eighties but stopped watching several years ago when it lost what little humour it had.

As a kid I enjoyed much the same shows as you did. Though this seems odd as you're on the other side of the world, the shows in your list are much the same as those I watched. They were clearly far more global than I ever imagined!

[Farseer]

As far as I know, the ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) is/was an Australian off-shoot of the BBC, so many of the TV shows are/were borrowed. Back then I used to lament having to listen to English accents all of the time...now I groan about only ever hearing American or Canadian. Apologies to friends from North America but, hey, y'all speak just a little too differently to me AND it's on so much my two youngest kids can slip into your accent with no thought whatsoever!

['thul]

The British accent is rather silly.

The main thing these beings remember watching while considered a "kid" is the classic looney tunes cartoons.

[Farseer]

The British accent is rather silly.

*gasp* You beings are knocking the accent of my mother country?! I have your back, fool-ish!



I am very "Australian" in the way I speak, and the slang and colloquialisms that I use. I'm sure even most Australians would hate the way I speak. It's surprising to often hear fellow Australians say that words like 'g'day', 'crikey' and 'fair dinkum' are old-fashioned and were only ever given a resurgence due to ones such as Steve Irwin. I have always spoken like that and do so every day. In fact, I have to work very hard NOT to speak like that at times , especially when I am here...if I didn't, I think I'd always be having to provide definitions for you all!

Looney Tunes? Yes, loved it! Daffy Duck was a favourite.

[fool-ish]

Not all British accents are silly! There are many, some are quite intelligible and others are quite endearing. Mine is very much a northern accent..I talk proper like If you've ever seen 'Coronation Street' then that would be the closest to my accent on British TV.

Thanks Farseer!

['thul]

These beings only dislike the British english. Not the Australian. Nor American or Canadian or the other regional English forms. Particularly the form of english with unnatural excess of the letter "u" and similar.

Much of the dislike stems from the senselessly complex spelling system (complex spelling without benefit, mind you. No complaint over having a decent level of spelling control.)
The core of the dislike comes from the typical Norwegian English teachers. They try forcing the most despicable and formal form of British English on all students, while never being particularly good at getting pronunciation right. All they do get is the words and the accent.
But then, the style is fairly common in all Norwegian foreign language teachings. They try teaching students to speak and write languages fluently, stressing complex grammar, rather than teaching them how to be able to get around in the countries those languages are spoken.
If these beings should pick an interesting form of English, it would be Texan English. Nigh on impossible to understand when spoken properly, but still interesting.

These beings have not seen "coronation street" so they do not know how that is spoken.
By the way, nice to see an argument again.

[Farseer]

I talk proper like

If you've ever seen 'Coronation Street' then that would be the closest to my accent on British TV.

For you, 'thul beings, though I'm not sure if it's a good example or not. I just enjoyed the fact that they brought up cricket - I was obsessed by it when I was growing up!

Thanks Farseer!

Anytime...unless it's a bunch of we Aussies wanting to band together against you, Ashes-like. I'd not be able to withstand such a pull of the natural order of things. In all else, my sword is yours.

Interesting that you mention the stressing of complex grammar etc, 'thul. I was chatting with a teacher from New Zealand the other day (she is over here in Australia for a few months to see how we do things in our education system) and she complained quite passionately about just how much importance we place on grammar within our curriculum. She just couldn't understand it, and just couldn't see its function. Not only that, she then informed me that grammar had been thrown out of the NZ curriculum many, many years ago!

The 'thul beings speaking Texan English...now I'd like to hear that!! That's made me think of Walker, Texas Ranger, a TV show that came out when I was a young adult...but I did watch plenty of other Chuck Norris things when I was growing up.

['thul]

These beings never truly spoke Texan.

While grammar should not be ignored, it is more vital to have a rudimentary knowledge of what words exist and what they mean.

One example is this:
http://translate.google.com/#auto|no|the...0expensive
the "t" on the end in the second phrase is an error given by google translate.
A number of norwegian students (8th-10th grade) make such mistakes because they have too small vocabulary and because they cant utilize it properly. (they simply look up the word in a non-critical manner in the dictionary)

[fool-ish]

These beings only dislike the British english. Not the Australian. Nor American or Canadian or the other regional English forms. Particularly the form of english with unnatural excess of the letter "u" and similar.

Much of the dislike stems from the senselessly complex spelling system (complex spelling without benefit, mind you. No complaint over having a decent level of spelling control.)
The core of the dislike comes from the typical Norwegian English teachers. They try forcing the most despicable and formal form of British English on all students, while never being particularly good at getting pronunciation right. All they do get is the words and the accent.
But then, the style is fairly common in all Norwegian foreign language teachings. They try teaching students to speak and write languages fluently, stressing complex grammar, rather than teaching them how to be able to get around in the countries those languages are spoken.
If these beings should pick an interesting form of English, it would be Texan English. Nigh on impossible to understand when spoken properly, but still interesting.

These beings have not seen "coronation street" so they do not know how that is spoken.
By the way, nice to see an argument again.

Could you please explain what you mean by the unnatural excess of the letter 'u' and similar and also complex spelling? Words are spelled as they're spelled and that's that...isn't it? When they were attempting to teach me German and French, it was the formal language they taught, so I'm confuddled about that too!

---

I talk proper like

If you've ever seen 'Coronation Street' then that would be the closest to my accent on British TV.

For you, 'thul beings, though I'm not sure if it's a good example or not. I just enjoyed the fact that they brought up cricket - I was obsessed by it when I was growing up!

Thanks Farseer!

Anytime...unless it's a bunch of we Aussies wanting to band together against you, Ashes-like. I'd not be able to withstand such a pull of the natural order of things. In all else, my sword is yours.

Interesting that you mention the stressing of complex grammar etc, 'thul. I was chatting with a teacher from New Zealand the other day (she is over here in Australia for a few months to see how we do things in our education system) and she complained quite passionately about just how much importance we place on grammar within our curriculum. She just couldn't understand it, and just couldn't see its function. Not only that, she then informed me that grammar had been thrown out of the NZ curriculum many, many years ago!

The 'thul beings speaking Texan English...now I'd like to hear that!! That's made me think of Walker, Texas Ranger, a TV show that came out when I was a young adult...but I did watch plenty of other Chuck Norris things when I was growing up.

I don't do cricket, don't even understand it so I'll leave that one to you when the time comes. I shan't be getting involved. I'll have my sword ready though for other matters as and when they arise