As a native English speaker, It made me feel simultaneously unsure of what I thought I knew, and enlightened of the multi-origins of modern usage of my Mother Tongue. Thoroughly enjoyable at any rate.
I love Bill Bryson, however Australians eat biscuits not cookies. In the last few years we have taken up cookies as a great snack, however they are a very different beast to our overwhelmingly traditional and available biscuits. I am going to the shop to buy some biscuits.. (or as we very often call them bikkies)
Unfortunately the US cultural colonisation of Aus is 99% complete. Those born since 1980 have fully embraced it. The pollies are in negotiation re the cost of our annual fees to be declared the 51st state.
@@TheRealZenman Marmite is not popular in Aus. Never has been. (Hint - it's ENGLISH.) However, peanut butter is VERY popular. It has been ever since we invented it. Don't know much about Aus, do you? 🤔
More Americans who don't speak English as their first language (Spanish, Chinese, etc.) outnumber those that do speak English in the UK - just don't tell that to a Brit.
It's difficult to continue when he cites the old misunderstanding of 50 different words for snow. If his work is no better researched than a pile of hearsay, it feels like a waste of time.
Wait. In his opening sentence Bill Bryson says "300 million people speak English..." Maybe he meant 300 billion, because the population of the USA alone is 300 million.
This probably dates back 25+ years. A fair percentage of USA doesn't speak English. UK, Australia, NZ, Canada and USA total in 1990 may have been c. 300 million.
Yes, there are 300 million people in America, and yet none speaks English! 😅 The most spoken language in the world is still Chinese because of its population growth: one child per second is born in China. English is the most common language in business and in the aviation worlds, about 1.3bn globally.
It is a logical and, for most listeners who are unfamiliar with the words, a necessary adjustment to the audio version of a printed book about language.
@@PatrickKelly-lz3pv No, he is not. I have read several books of his over the past 20 years, and listened to many of his audiobook recordings. This is not one of them.
@@PatrickKelly-lz3pv I respectfully disagree. I suggest listening to the many actual Bryson recordings on YT. For example: ruclips.net/video/159GiFw-b9E/видео.html
I love Bill Bryson and all his books. Very witty guy.
BB is great to go to bed with, with a bud in your ear. You wake up a genius in the English language.
As a native English speaker, It made me feel simultaneously unsure of what I thought I knew, and enlightened of the multi-origins of modern usage of my Mother Tongue. Thoroughly enjoyable at any rate.
I love Bill Bryson, however Australians eat biscuits not cookies. In the last few years we have taken up cookies as a great snack, however they are a very different beast to our overwhelmingly traditional and available biscuits. I am going to the shop to buy some biscuits.. (or as we very often call them bikkies)
Biscuits have always been bickies in the UK too
Unfortunately the US cultural colonisation of Aus is 99% complete.
Those born since 1980 have fully embraced it.
The pollies are in negotiation re the cost of our annual fees to be declared the 51st state.
@trueaussie9230 the Americanization of Australia will not be complete until peanut butter replaces Marmite and other yeast spreads on toast.
@@TheRealZenman
Marmite is not popular in Aus.
Never has been.
(Hint - it's ENGLISH.)
However, peanut butter is VERY popular.
It has been ever since we invented it.
Don't know much about Aus, do you? 🤔
Yes, so do the English.
After listening for nearly an hour, the Tower of Babel is beginning to make sense .
In India, I saw a guy from Montreal and a guy from Paris, both who spoke French as their first language, speaking English.
Great Britain left the EU, yet English remains the language all EU business is done in.
Great Britain Europe is Under
Canadian French is famously difficult to understand, even for the French
More Americans who don't speak English as their first language (Spanish, Chinese, etc.) outnumber those that do speak English in the UK - just don't tell that to a Brit.
Why would any 'Brit' care?!
@@trueaussie9230 WE CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH!
@@baerlauchstal and the truth will set you free
Thank you for sharing this
Thumbnail is an ai portrait of Bill Bryson. Looks more like Roger Whittaker.
I think it could be a fairly recent photo of him. He's lost weight and is showing his age.
I think it could be a fairly recent photo of him. He's lost weight and is showing his age.
Trying to speak English? Be glad they do because I rarely met a Brit or American who took the trouble of learning another language…
It's difficult to continue when he cites the old misunderstanding of 50 different words for snow. If his work is no better researched than a pile of hearsay, it feels like a waste of time.
1:21:08
Wait. In his opening sentence Bill Bryson says "300 million people speak English..." Maybe he meant 300 billion, because the population of the USA alone is 300 million.
😂what ?there are 8 billion people on the planet lmao
This probably dates back 25+ years. A fair percentage of USA doesn't speak English. UK, Australia, NZ, Canada and USA total in 1990 may have been c. 300 million.
His statement is correct because he actually said “More than 300 million people in the world speak English”
Yes, there are 300 million people in America, and yet none speaks English! 😅 The most spoken language in the world is still Chinese because of its population growth: one child per second is born in China. English is the most common language in business and in the aviation worlds, about 1.3bn globally.
If 300bn speak English….we’re going off planet 😂
should've got william roberts back. he makes his own book sound lifeless
This isn't Bill Bryson reading.
Inflammable means flammable what a country
Thanx, Dr. Nick !
27:00
Yugoslavian hotel? Show us where is this hotel located.
Rodriguez Jennifer Moore Kevin Thomas Joseph
Lee Scott Thomas Richard Garcia Ronald
Thomas Charles Lopez Daniel Taylor Frank
The Mother Tongue:
"Clean your room!"
"Brush your teeth!"
"Hurry up!"
Rodriguez Mary Lopez Jennifer Thomas Susan
Johnson Edward Moore Robert Martin Anthony
Bill’s choice to spell out words made this nearly unlistenable
It is a logical and, for most listeners who are unfamiliar with the words, a necessary adjustment to the audio version of a printed book about language.
Not for me, I found it indispensable to understanding his point.
Spelling the words out is really the only option in an audio book!!!
Hall Matthew Thompson Jose Johnson Ruth
Jackson Kimberly Thompson Charles Jackson Anna
This is NOT Bryson's voice. Some anonymous guy, or machine, doing the reading.
Bryson is reading this book.
@@PatrickKelly-lz3pv No, he is not. I have read several books of his over the past 20 years, and listened to many of his audiobook recordings. This is not one of them.
@@PatrickKelly-lz3pvyes , absolutely.
@@larryparis925 I too am a big fan of Bill Bryson both of his books and his lectures I know his voice well, he did narrate that audio book.
@@PatrickKelly-lz3pv I respectfully disagree. I suggest listening to the many actual Bryson recordings on YT. For example: ruclips.net/video/159GiFw-b9E/видео.html
Stopped listening at this point.
At the beginning?
I would guess 1952
Which point might that be???
1:35:05
4:12:06
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2:28:18
3:31:20
3:50:38
5:20:09
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5:28:55