You’re completely right. That definitely does happen. He was also super nervous. All those things are good for learners to see how people change in different situations
I am Portuguese who live in London and understand most of British accents.. I worked at a service station where often I talked to Scottish drivers and my English staff always seemed impressed with my language skills. They would call me every time we had French, Spanish, Italian, Romanian, Portuguese or Scottish clients😊 I only struggled with some American from Texas😅
I think it's because he's used to talking to foreign English speakers. I'm from Canada, and what he's saying is clear to me. He's like an a combination of tour guide and an ambassador for the city.
A lot of my mates are London taxi drivers around the same age. They all say that they had the golden years oof cabbing and wouldn't advise anyone to get into it as a living today 😅
I’m an American, and i had zero problems understanding him. Modern media has shrunk the world, so we get to hear other accents a lot more frequently than we did decades ago and probably share more colloquial expressions because of it.
My Nan was born in Poplar. All her family are from the East End from 1625. (Yes I’ve traced the tree back that far) they left the East End after the war and moved to Essex. My Nan passed in 2012 at the age of 102 and was a proud cockney to the end. She would always tell anyone who would listen that she was born within the sound of Bow Bells 🤣😂
May your nan's memory be a blessing. Kudos from a historian for tracking your family history so neatly. 👏🏼 I adore the phrase 'born within the sound of Bow Bells.' I was so surprised when I found out how close St Mary-le-Bow Church is to the Houses of Parliament, right at the heart of London! Anyone born there would and should feel special!🎉
@@Mercmad Huguenot here too! 😊 My Aunt and Cousins lived in Poplar - 3 of those have The Knowledge and own Black Cabs. My Mum was born in Wapping, My Dad was born in Shoreditch, true Cockneys. They were children during World War Two. My Dad grew up in the same flat as my Nan refused to move and luckily their block of flats survived, despite others being hit around them. My Mum grew up in a prefab after their home was bombed. My Mum is no longer here, my Dad is coming up 91. My Mum did once meet The Krays, they invited her to a party...she was 14! 😮 And no, she didn't go, nor ever saw them again. Frightened the life out of her! My Parents moved out of London in 1969, my Brothers were 8 and 6 at the time, so they are Cockneys too. They moved to West Sussex where I was born in 1970, but we still went up to London regularly to see my Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles and Cousins. Over the years most of them moved out and now live in Kent but most are in Essex, some even in Norfolk now. One set of Cousins I believe still lives in London, opposite Victoria Park, in Hackney. One of my Essex cousins is now a wealthy celebrity and does occasional charity work with Princess Catherine...very lah di dah! 😂 One of my Great Granddad's was the Mayor of Tower Hamlets back in the day, although I never met him. I think the Dad on this video has softened a lot of his Cockney accent since moving out, because it's nowhere near as strong and coarse as the rest of my family's is, especially when they all get together! It sounds like he's speaking in his "telephone voice"... Like most of us have on the phone or having a camera shoved in our face. 😂🤣😅
I'm a Spanish native speaker who learned American English about 20 years ago. And I have no problem understanding your dad. Even his slang is similar to American slang. But I bet he's trying to talk more formally because he's conscious about the millions of eyes and ears behind the lenses.
I had no trouble at all. I am American, and I have more trouble with RP. Your Dad's accent is pretty straight forward. And all the vocabulary assists were things common in US English. I think he is wonderful!
@@mrchoon2010Some English accents are hard to understand even for native English speakers. My cousin is from Midlands and my friend is a Northerner and I struggle a lot with their accents even though my dad is originally from Midlands.
Your father seems to be a nice person. He transmit honesty. I could get almost 80% of his vocabulary but I'not native english speaker. I'm from Buenos Aires.
I am a native Russian speaker and have never been to England. I learned English using textbooks and audio courses. I was surprised how well I understood him!
Я переезжаю в Россию в следующем году. Я подаю заявление на временное проживание, затем на постоянное через 1 год, затем на гражданство через 5 лет. Привет из Англии 🙋🏻♂
@@quai7865 Hi. I was an international truck driver for 20 years and spent a lot of time delivering goods all over Europe and Russia. I soon fell in love with the country and people. I'm now a wildlife photographer and have saved money since I was 16 years old, so I'm financially independent and own my house { No mortgage } A few years ago I lost my wife to cancer and my only son in a car accident. My neighbours are Russian and we have become great friends over the years. They are moving back to Russia next month, because their children are being taught things at school that don't align with traditional family values and they're missing home and family. I'm no longer driving trucks and I'm now a landscaper and wildlife photographer. I'm also an administrator on Flickr. I can move to a gorgeous province and buy a beautiful house for a quarter of the price that a house costs in England, and with the money I have, I can live a good lifestyle. Also the Government is more stable { I won't go into detail } I can explore Russia and photograph wildlife and beautiful landscapes for the rest of my career. I want to live near the Kamchatka Peninsular for wildlife. That's just the short story.
I grew up in London and the 'Cockney' accent I recognise is nothing like the way your father speaks, who has a clear well-spoken voice, almost the so-called 'received' English voice, although not so affected as your own way of talking. Also, his vocabulary includes very few, if any, of the special Cockney words. Today, there are very few Londoners who speak the Cockney lingo and it would be worthwhile to record two such speakers talking to each other. Also, the waters have been muddied since the 1970s, by middle-class Surburbia students who think they can assert their 'revolutionary' credentials by speaking in what they believe to be a 'working-class' Cockney accent, which genuine Cockneys recognise as laughable.
He speaks pretty much exactly like my nan. Perfectly audible. Probably more like my nan from Deptford than the one from Eltham, but close to either. My pop was from Deptford but he had a grammar school accent from going to an art school (not like your posh grammar schools, it was almost like he had no accent at all.) Honestly they didn't use slang as much as I think people assume they would have.
@@adifferentangle7064 my family are from Deptford and sounded much more London than that gentleman, i feel he maybe moved out and the edges were smoothed out of his speaking voice. He sounds lovely though
@@annmcevoy5686 My nan was 12 when the war started and lived on Vanguard St when it was rebuilt till she was moved into a home. I'd agree his might be a bit "softened", he probably hasn't spoken to many other people with that accent for over a decade. But then the fags tend to rougen up the voice a bit anyway (that nan smoked three packs a day pretty much). It's nice to hear from people who came from the same place! There's a good chance your parents or grandparents knew my pop.
Most accents are no where near as strong as they were when I was young and I’m in my late fifties, also even I don’t use local dialect words now my older relatives have all died.
I could listen to your dad talk all day! I'm from Canada and had the chance to meet your mum and dad. Absolutely wonderful people! I have to admit... I had to use the subtitles a few times. haha.
Your father is a good man, I liked him saying that he liked his job, and it was the best thing he did in his life. It's so good when people like what they do.
I'm Spanish and when I moved in to London, I was fluent in English. I had been speaking English nearly all my life and I was 35 then... I understood NO ONE, not a single person in London, unless they were very educated, like doctors or pharmacists. I didn't understand any average person in a shop, restaurant, market... Then I moved to Cardiff and I have been here for few more years and I understood people since the beginning. I travelled to Edimburgh, Glasgow, Liverpool, Manchester... I understand them as well. I go back to London and again, I don't understand nearly anyone, unless they aren't from London. Dad speaks very clear, he is used to communicate with people of all sorts, so he is used to speak clearly. The issue with London is not the accent, is the cadence of the sentence. The stress of the words is in its own places, which is different from the American English speakers and English speakers of other areas. It is not where you expect it so the metainformation of the sentence (if it is a question, a negative, an affirmative sentence...) is different, so you first need to think about this before intepreting the actual words of the sentence. Then add some slang and that is why Londoners are so hard to understand.
Hi! Thank you for the video. I'm Brazilian and have never been abroad. I can understand American English, but I recently started studying British accents here on RUclips, such as Cockney and Scouse. I think your dad spoke more slowly just to make us believe we can understand his accent. I could understand 100%, so I know he was being soft with us. 😂😂😂😂😂
oh, your dad is just super person, yes, little bit nervous during the interview but this is so cute and charming. I really wish everything best for him and a lot of health
My uncle Lou has a thicker accent. Grew up hearing him whenever we went to London to visit family. After three days with him my mother would cringe on how I would pick the accent up.
Im Australian. Cockney rhyming slang is used to some extent in Australia today! I understood all of it. Im sixth generation and only travelled to London once and stayed for a week.
One of my Australian ancestors arrived here in OZ from London in 1820 ,didn't want to but got caught,allegedly, stealing a handkerchief from a right gent ,and was transported from the old dart for the term of his natural.
I've never seen this channel before. I'm American and have no problem understanding this. I don't know what I was expecting, or why I clicked this video, but I stayed because since losing my dad and grandparents, I really treasure hearing the stories of our elders. Your dad is really engaging and I loved to hear his story. Thank you.
I’m Icelandic and I think I speak English fairly well. I had no problem undeststanding your dad. We would have no problem having a talk. I had a weird experience in Tenerife 2 years ago. I met an English woman in a bar and we tried to have a converstation, but I could hardly understand a word she said. I have no Idea what her accent was. She could easily understand me though.
The neuroscientist at University College in London, Eleanor Maguire, after 15 years studying cabbies and Knowledge boys, has discovered that the posterior hippocampus, the area of the brain known to be important for memory, is bigger in London taxi drivers than in most people, and that a successful Knowledge candidate’s posterior hippocampus enlarges as he progresses through the test. It´s really shocking the amount of information they are able to assimilate and retain.
I understood your dad no problem. I took a cab in London in 1979 & didn't understand a word. He didn't understand my American accent either. I did end up where I wanted to go.
Such a nice video! It is so nice of your dad to participate in this video! It was in my recommendations and my first video here but I Iiked it so much that decided to subscribe ))) good luck to you and your dad! I really hope to see more videos of different British accents !
I think this is another type of cockney accent because your Dad spoke very well, I understood almost everything he says except the slang but you explained very well in the video
It may feel a little lighter as he has been away from London for a while but it’s still the Cockney accent. Fantastic job on understanding a lot of it ☺️
I love Cockney accent. I'll never forget a man on the phone trying to pronounce something with phonetic alphabet. He said "I" for "apple"! I fell off the chair! Lol 😂
I’m not a native speaker, but I think he speaks very clear and easy to understand. As someone has pointed out already he probably speaks more clearly for the video than in a real life situation with someone who has the same accent, but just judging from this video, very easy to understand every word.
Very easy to understand the Cockney accent. The Grammar is a bit relaxed. I learned what Cockney meant. Your father is a nice man given the hard life it must have been. I am more accustomed to American accents now and sometimes I find it difficult to follow British accents. Greetings from India 🇮🇳
All perfectly understandable to me. I am Cornish and you may struggle to understand some of what we say, but generally all Brits understand each other's accents.
Thank you for this bit of interaction with your dad. I could listen to you guys speak the whole day. What an interesting man and life. I always admired how taxi drivers in London just seem to know the whole city. Spent 6 months in London in 1996 for my internship. As a young student, who had never travelled alone, a London taxi driver picked me up from Heathrow and greeted me with "Hello love, where to?". He spoke just like your dad, maybe a bit stronger accent even. He spoke the whole trip and I loved it. Made me feel safe and welcome. Wonderful time. Your dad took me back to that day. And yes, he gave me advice, he understood the situation. A young girl alone in the big city. I had a wonderful time and had to go back home to finish my education, but enjoyed it so much that I almost changed my mind. Thanks again to you and your dad🥰
Understood every word. Not an extreme accent at all. I'm from Massachusetts, grew up in Vermont, USA with Dutch immigrant parents. Love the way you explain terms with those pop-up definitions. Very handy for folks learning the finer points of English! My parents listened to the radio a LOT to learn English when they first moved to the USA in the 50s. Something like this would have been handy for them!
Yeah I think it's funny how people who are NOT from London, can understand the strong Cockney or even Scottish accents... but many other people in England cannot! 😅
Thank you for giving us the chance to meet your dad, it was super nice listening to him, I liked when he said "it learned them alot" instead of it teached them alot, I remember my teacher back then in school & how she was shocked when I used similar expression 😅
How he drops the "h" in "happy" and "it learnt them a lot" interesting!! Please say Gracias! From Argentina for opening up and sharing a bit of his life w all of us ❤ loved listening to u both.
It's amazing to me that I clearly understand both of you. I'm from Russia and I can't even speak English at all (Google translator helps me writing messages). And your father is a very nice man.
As a Southern Man from the United states, I never even looked at the video, and I understood him perfectly well. I think he is actually very well spoken, and it was a treat to listen to his speaking.
Scots like Edinburgh is very easy, inner city Glasgow - no chance at all. I remember being in Glasgow pubs and never understood a single word. I'm a Northerner too.
Hello, i have only discovered your work a few days ago, this vidéo with your dad is excellent, even though he has a strong accent the conversation sermed really natural and causal and with some concentration i have had no trouble folowing it, i think it is of prime importance to listen to local people when you go somewhere because there is a cultural connections then.i am 61 and i learned English with the Beatles, now 5 years ago i decided to take my English to the next level and i am working hard on listening and reading, thank you guys you just boosted my motivation.Say hello to your dad for me.best regards.Serge from France.
That’s great!! Keep on studying and practicing! You’re right about listening to locals especially if you visit or live in the U.K. it’s essential I’m glad you found the video useful. Thanks for watching
I don’t find it difficult at all, and I’m an American. I do think that if weren’t being quizzed on a specific area of expertise on camera his speech would be more interesting. Cheers to you and your dad.
This is very easy, because it is quite close to what we learn at school. My first contact in UK was a taxi driver in Newcastle upon Tyne with his Geordie dialect - I did not understand a word. Travelling down to Hull and facing Yorkshire did not make things better...
I came here from the US and decided to stay in London. That was over 55 years ago. I understood every word of your Dad and, even though my accent now is sort of "transatlantic", your Dad's speech pattern is - almost - the one I best understand. I love the slang, and you might do a course on that. It's very creative. I love it...and love to confuse my US friends with it. I note that many below also understand your Dad...perhaps you need to get two Cockneys really going at it, using slang & all, know what I mean?. Even I lose track sometimes. Good luck...
It took this "geezer" 3 years to learn the routes and streets of London because he did the "Knowledge" back in the day, the current crop of Knowledge boys would now need between 3.5 and 5 years, depending on whether they are in full-time or part-time employment. Best time to do it is when you're young with a fresh mind but no full-time job, and living with parents; it can be knocked out relatively quickly. It took my grandfather 2 years - but that's because he did it in the 1960's when London was considerably smaller than it is today - fewer routes and places to learn. Even 25 years ago green badge cabbies could earn 250-300 quid a day if they put in the hours. Nowadays the fares are sky-high but the 2020-21 Pandemic mutilated the London black cab trade. I hope it has recovered. I hope the "green shelters" are still in their locations and serving tea and fried eggs and bacon too ! I was a regular at the one in Hanover Square even though I never drove a black cab !
@@edwardmorris1501 Not loaded at all and probably never will be ! I used to have breakfast at the shelter in Hanover Square because my earnings as a mini-cab driver were a dismal pittance - driving a mini-cab is the lowest point in human life that a man can descend to. Thankfully, I got myself out of that hole a long time ago. But I'm still not loaded ! 😉
Never been to London or any other English-speaking country. I learnt English at the university and worked as a translator/interpreter for 20 years. Though I've built a second career as a psychologist I still have some English students as I love English♥️ Thank you and your lovely dad for sharing his experience. Did it take a long time to coax him?😊
Our family here in Australia can understand him absolutely perfectly, but I guess we all originally came from England and our own accent developed from all over UK’s. The Cockney accent was the strongest dialect apparently originally apon settling here in Australia and part of my family came from that area. But things developed over time, just like yours has developed from your dads. Great video!
I also understand everything he said. But I am not a native speaker of English, but I do notice some accents traits. The words that are listed and explained are not difficult words. Native speakers of English, and non-native speakers that know English very well (maybe at level B2 or C1), know the meaning of these words.
I understood your father very well and I am Canadian. His knowledge of London has to be fantastic. Your dad was talking about how London was not the same any more. It is the same here. I was born before world war two ended and we were definitely a tougher generation than the modern ones.. We lived quite rough by modern standards but it was just normal to us That was just the way things were. I am grateful I grew up in those times. So many people now have become so dependent on electronics and modern conveniences they don't know how to cope with things.
I’m American and I can understand him. I wonder if he can understand some of those Americans with strong Southern accents. I’m a born and bred Californian and I have trouble understanding strong Southern accents. I have never traveled to another country but I want to!
I had no problem understanding everything your dad was talking about. I live in Ontario, Canada, one of my cousins met and married a woman from London, her English accent was so hard to understand. I asked my (foster) mom why she was so hard to understand and she said that the woman was from one of the lower class areas in London and that's how they spoke. I'm thinking that she said cockney but not sure. I avoided speaking to this woman because I was quite embarassed that I could not understand most of what she was saying. Despite her being in Canada for 45+ years, she hasn't lost that accent!
This isn't a particularly heavy Cockney accent. I remember a colleague who was often saying about who was "''aving the 'ump" and how "it don't ma'er 'arrold 'e is".
Yeah you’re right. It’s quite a soft one, but a good introduction for learners. I’ve got one with Danny Dyer on the channel as well if they really want to test themselves 😂😂
I'd really love to let off my leash when I'm in front of the camera. We all have this tendency to become good boys whenever we do/ say things to the public, I'm a proper lad, innit? You know what I'm saying, yeah? I'd love to hear those lovely stories of him exploring London for years, you know. I can sit here for hours listening to them taxi conversations. And I am sure I'm not alone here. What I see in your father is his quality of being a real pal to other people which is very rare and the same time very engaging.
Wow! This was an amazing video. I went through all kind of emotions haha. Pretty easy to understand your dad's cockney accent (against all odds) Besides he told so interesting things. That's why I love to listen elderly people. They have so much to teach to younger people. Even when younger means being in my 40's ☺️☺️☺️
Canadian here and had no trouble at all in understanding what your dad was saying. I thought I was going to be asked to unpack sentences full of rhyming slang, but that didn't happen. I wondered why the captions were coming up to explain words or phrases that really needed no explanation. My own father-in-law was Glaswegian, right from the Gorbals. He used the Glaswegian rhyming slang that he grew up with; tit-fer-tat=hat, pineapple=chapel. As well, all the relatives had a thick Scottish brogue, so I learned in a hurry how to parse the language.
I am either very good or this is not cockney accent. I can understand basically everything with almost no problem. And I know it is not always the case, I lived in Ireland for 17 years and it was sometimes really hard, close to impossible to understand older people or very young people. This was ok
He’s not talking fast in this. I think he’s just trying to communicate well as he knows that the video is for learners. That’s great that you understood a lot of it! He was also super nervous 😅😅 Irish accents are a bit more difficult as there is a lot less content out showcasing the different pronunciations. Similar to you, I have troubles with some Irish accents as I didn’t meet that many people from Ireland in my area of the country. I only had the resources from TV or football interviews that popped up.
Yeah, don't confuse familiarity with a lack of an accent. Where I'm from, I don't have much on an accent, but that's because it's close to the median accent for the country. That doesn't mean I don't have one.
@@britishpronunciationdotcom I can't say it's a special accent, and you offered to understand the speech as if it's not clear and there are some difficulties, but there are no any at all
@@olgauvarova5541 Thats great for you. I’m happy you have the ability to understand it. There are a lot of people who can’t. Perhaps try one of the other videos on the channel if you want more of a challenge
I'm American and have no trouble understanding your Dad. He speaks quite clearly.
yeah me too
Same here sounds perfectly clear the one accent that I struggle with the most is Scottish especially if it is heavy guttural.
Some UK accents are difficult for me to follow, but not this one.
Ditto!
I understand him without subtitles. I am American.
He's automatically speaking more clearly because he's being filmed - if he was talking to a mate off camera, I think his accent would be stronger...
You’re completely right. That definitely does happen. He was also super nervous. All those things are good for learners to see how people change in different situations
I am Portuguese who live in London and understand most of British accents.. I worked at a service station where often I talked to Scottish drivers and my English staff always seemed impressed with my language skills. They would call me every time we had French, Spanish, Italian, Romanian, Portuguese or Scottish clients😊 I only struggled with some American from Texas😅
Yes I agree. This is clearly a Londoner, even an east Londoner, but it isn't a really strong Cockney. It gets a bit better as he becomes more relaxed.
I’m from New Zealand and I found your Father quite easy to hear and understand every word.
The real test is an everyday convo where he’s unaware he’s on tape. So perhaps try and sneak that in to a video one day.
I am not even English and I understood 100% of your dad's English accent. He spoke absolutely fine.
I think it's because he's used to talking to foreign English speakers. I'm from Canada, and what he's saying is clear to me. He's like an a combination of tour guide and an ambassador for the city.
Interestingly, his dad’s pronunciation reminded me that of Andy Scott of the Sweet rock band )
The title is just there to generate attention in the video. He speaks perfectly and clearly
same here
You must be from America......
Zero issues understanding your dad. Very engaging man.
True
1.75 speed no problem
Then again I live in Newfoundland where apparently we speak fast and use similar slang mixed with Irish and French
Your dad's accent is natural yours is contrived 😅
A lot of my mates are London taxi drivers around the same age. They all say that they had the golden years oof cabbing and wouldn't advise anyone to get into it as a living today 😅
American here, I understood every word Dad had spoken. He seems like a very interesting guy.
I’m an American, and i had zero problems understanding him. Modern media has shrunk the world, so we get to hear other accents a lot more frequently than we did decades ago and probably share more colloquial expressions because of it.
He's totally easy to understand.
@@MothGirl007I agree
Your father seems to be a noble person.
Noble? 😂😂😂😂
I agree, he has the confidence and bearing of a skilled man
Love your dad! Thank you for interviewing him. He is a London treasure.
Thanks a lot 😍
Perfectly easy to understand your dad. He's talking loud and clear...just fine. 😊
I'm Italian and I lived in London for one year, ages ago: his speech brings me back so many memories... I love his accent and I could understand him😊
God bless your dad! He is such a sweet man! you treat your dad with such respect!
Thanks a lot. I’m glad you enjoyed the video
My Nan was born in Poplar. All her family are from the East End from 1625. (Yes I’ve traced the tree back that far) they left the East End after the war and moved to Essex. My Nan passed in 2012 at the age of 102 and was a proud cockney to the end. She would always tell anyone who would listen that she was born within the sound of Bow Bells 🤣😂
May your nan's memory be a blessing. Kudos from a historian for tracking your family history so neatly. 👏🏼 I adore the phrase 'born within the sound of Bow Bells.' I was so surprised when I found out how close St Mary-le-Bow Church is to the Houses of Parliament, right at the heart of London! Anyone born there would and should feel special!🎉
So were a large group of my Ancestors ,mainly Huguenot who arrived there from the 1600 onwards.
@@Mercmad Huguenot here too! 😊 My Aunt and Cousins lived in Poplar - 3 of those have The Knowledge and own Black Cabs. My Mum was born in Wapping, My Dad was born in Shoreditch, true Cockneys. They were children during World War Two. My Dad grew up in the same flat as my Nan refused to move and luckily their block of flats survived, despite others being hit around them. My Mum grew up in a prefab after their home was bombed. My Mum is no longer here, my Dad is coming up 91. My Mum did once meet The Krays, they invited her to a party...she was 14! 😮 And no, she didn't go, nor ever saw them again. Frightened the life out of her! My Parents moved out of London in 1969, my Brothers were 8 and 6 at the time, so they are Cockneys too. They moved to West Sussex where I was born in 1970, but we still went up to London regularly to see my Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles and Cousins. Over the years most of them moved out and now live in Kent but most are in Essex, some even in Norfolk now. One set of Cousins I believe still lives in London, opposite Victoria Park, in Hackney. One of my Essex cousins is now a wealthy celebrity and does occasional charity work with Princess Catherine...very lah di dah! 😂 One of my Great Granddad's was the Mayor of Tower Hamlets back in the day, although I never met him. I think the Dad on this video has softened a lot of his Cockney accent since moving out, because it's nowhere near as strong and coarse as the rest of my family's is, especially when they all get together! It sounds like he's speaking in his "telephone voice"... Like most of us have on the phone or having a camera shoved in our face. 😂🤣😅
That is super cool. Your Nan sounds lovely ❤.
So pleasant to listen your Dad's accent. Fascinating life as a London cab driver. Thanks for sharing !
I'm a Londoner but I enjoyed listening to him. My parents were brought up during the war and they were a different breed from people here now 😊
I'm a Spanish native speaker who learned American English about 20 years ago. And I have no problem understanding your dad. Even his slang is similar to American slang. But I bet he's trying to talk more formally because he's conscious about the millions of eyes and ears behind the lenses.
Your father is so lovely! And thank you for the video 💟
Thank you. I’m glad you enjoyed the video
I had no trouble at all. I am American, and I have more trouble with RP. Your Dad's accent is pretty straight forward. And all the vocabulary assists were things common in US English. I think he is wonderful!
As an Aussie, I understood everything that your dad said. I love his accent, and I loved hearing about London and his childhood. Thanks for sharing 😊
This is for English learners. Of course you understood 😂
I'm from a different part of England Cockerney and aussie sound alike
@elwolf8536 I have heard that said before, but personally I don't see many similarities, other than we shorten a lot of words too.
@@mrchoon2010Some English accents are hard to understand even for native English speakers. My cousin is from Midlands and my friend is a Northerner and I struggle a lot with their accents even though my dad is originally from Midlands.
@@lozzielou Understood. Still not sure about commenting, "I can understand him" as if you're proud of yourself
Your father seems to be a nice person. He transmit honesty. I could get almost 80% of his vocabulary but I'not native english speaker. I'm from Buenos Aires.
I had absolutely no trouble understanding him. Actually, I understood him as good as I understood his son.
I am a native Russian speaker and have never been to England. I learned English using textbooks and audio courses. I was surprised how well I understood him!
Я переезжаю в Россию в следующем году. Я подаю заявление на временное проживание, затем на постоянное через 1 год, затем на гражданство через 5 лет. Привет из Англии 🙋🏻♂
@@elijahheyes9061why are you moving to Russia?
@@quai7865 Hi. I was an international truck driver for 20 years and spent a lot of time delivering goods all over Europe and Russia. I soon fell in love with the country and people. I'm now a wildlife photographer and have saved money since I was 16 years old, so I'm financially independent and own my house { No mortgage } A few years ago I lost my wife to cancer and my only son in a car accident. My neighbours are Russian and we have become great friends over the years. They are moving back to Russia next month, because their children are being taught things at school that don't align with traditional family values and they're missing home and family. I'm no longer driving trucks and I'm now a landscaper and wildlife photographer. I'm also an administrator on Flickr. I can move to a gorgeous province and buy a beautiful house for a quarter of the price that a house costs in England, and with the money I have, I can live a good lifestyle. Also the Government is more stable { I won't go into detail } I can explore Russia and photograph wildlife and beautiful landscapes for the rest of my career. I want to live near the Kamchatka Peninsular for wildlife. That's just the short story.
@@elijahheyes9061 Добро пожаловать в Россию! 🤗🤗
@@pavelteplikh4750 с субтитрами даже русский в состоянии понять
I grew up in London and the 'Cockney' accent I recognise is nothing like the way your father speaks, who has a clear well-spoken voice, almost the so-called 'received' English voice, although not so affected as your own way of talking. Also, his vocabulary includes very few, if any, of the special Cockney words. Today, there are very few Londoners who speak the Cockney lingo and it would be worthwhile to record two such speakers talking to each other. Also, the waters have been muddied since the 1970s, by middle-class Surburbia students who think they can assert their 'revolutionary' credentials by speaking in what they believe to be a 'working-class' Cockney accent, which genuine Cockneys recognise as laughable.
He speaks pretty much exactly like my nan. Perfectly audible.
Probably more like my nan from Deptford than the one from Eltham, but close to either.
My pop was from Deptford but he had a grammar school accent from going to an art school (not like your posh grammar schools, it was almost like he had no accent at all.)
Honestly they didn't use slang as much as I think people assume they would have.
@@adifferentangle7064 my family are from Deptford and sounded much more London than that gentleman, i feel he maybe moved out and the edges were smoothed out of his speaking voice. He sounds lovely though
@@annmcevoy5686 My nan was 12 when the war started and lived on Vanguard St when it was rebuilt till she was moved into a home.
I'd agree his might be a bit "softened", he probably hasn't spoken to many other people with that accent for over a decade.
But then the fags tend to rougen up the voice a bit anyway (that nan smoked three packs a day pretty much).
It's nice to hear from people who came from the same place! There's a good chance your parents or grandparents knew my pop.
Most accents are no where near as strong as they were when I was young and I’m in my late fifties, also even I don’t use local dialect words now my older relatives have all died.
yeah, hes got a softer accent... probably cos hes speaking clearer for the interview... but this is a Londoner...
What a lovely person your father is!
I could listen to your dad talk all day! I'm from Canada and had the chance to meet your mum and dad. Absolutely wonderful people! I have to admit... I had to use the subtitles a few times. haha.
Your father is a good man, I liked him saying that he liked his job, and it was the best thing he did in his life. It's so good when people like what they do.
I'm Spanish and when I moved in to London, I was fluent in English. I had been speaking English nearly all my life and I was 35 then... I understood NO ONE, not a single person in London, unless they were very educated, like doctors or pharmacists. I didn't understand any average person in a shop, restaurant, market...
Then I moved to Cardiff and I have been here for few more years and I understood people since the beginning. I travelled to Edimburgh, Glasgow, Liverpool, Manchester... I understand them as well.
I go back to London and again, I don't understand nearly anyone, unless they aren't from London.
Dad speaks very clear, he is used to communicate with people of all sorts, so he is used to speak clearly.
The issue with London is not the accent, is the cadence of the sentence. The stress of the words is in its own places, which is different from the American English speakers and English speakers of other areas. It is not where you expect it so the metainformation of the sentence (if it is a question, a negative, an affirmative sentence...) is different, so you first need to think about this before intepreting the actual words of the sentence. Then add some slang and that is why Londoners are so hard to understand.
Not for nothing, but the thought of being a cab driver in a city like London before the advent of satnav terrifies me. Huge respect for those guys.
Love it, having your Dad on.
Hi! Thank you for the video. I'm Brazilian and have never been abroad. I can understand American English, but I recently started studying British accents here on RUclips, such as Cockney and Scouse. I think your dad spoke more slowly just to make us believe we can understand his accent. I could understand 100%, so I know he was being soft with us. 😂😂😂😂😂
Without even looking at the video I clearly understood your dad.
oh, your dad is just super person, yes, little bit nervous during the interview but this is so cute and charming. I really wish everything best for him and a lot of health
My uncle Lou has a thicker accent.
Grew up hearing him whenever we went to London to visit family.
After three days with him my mother would cringe on how I would pick the accent up.
Im Australian.
Cockney rhyming slang is used to some extent in Australia today!
I understood all of it. Im sixth generation and only travelled to London once and stayed for a week.
One of my Australian ancestors arrived here in OZ from London in 1820 ,didn't want to but got caught,allegedly, stealing a handkerchief from a right gent ,and was transported from the old dart for the term of his natural.
I've never seen this channel before. I'm American and have no problem understanding this. I don't know what I was expecting, or why I clicked this video, but I stayed because since losing my dad and grandparents, I really treasure hearing the stories of our elders. Your dad is really engaging and I loved to hear his story. Thank you.
I'm only 3 min into the video, but I can understand your dad perfectly. It's just ordinary British English, no too heavy accent.
I’m Icelandic and I think I speak English fairly well. I had no problem undeststanding your dad. We would have no problem having a talk. I had a weird experience in Tenerife 2 years ago. I met an English woman in a bar and we tried to have a converstation, but I could hardly understand a word she said. I have no Idea what her accent was. She could easily understand me though.
The neuroscientist at University College in London, Eleanor Maguire, after 15 years studying cabbies and Knowledge boys, has discovered that the posterior hippocampus, the area of the brain known to be important for memory, is bigger in London taxi drivers than in most people, and that a successful Knowledge candidate’s posterior hippocampus enlarges as he progresses through the test. It´s really shocking the amount of information they are able to assimilate and retain.
Perfectly understandable, your Dad. Lovely man. Cheers, Dad!
What a charming man. I understand him perfectly.
Glad you enjoyed the video
I understood your dad no problem. I took a cab in London in 1979 & didn't understand a word. He didn't understand my American accent either. I did end up where I wanted to go.
This accent is absolutely cool, he is being gentle. Had he been talking to one of his peers it would be a lot more difficult to get it
You got it buddy! Great job!
Such a nice video! It is so nice of your dad to participate in this video! It was in my recommendations and my first video here but I Iiked it so much that decided to subscribe ))) good luck to you and your dad! I really hope to see more videos of different British accents !
I think this is another type of cockney accent because your Dad spoke very well, I understood almost everything he says except the slang but you explained very well in the video
It may feel a little lighter as he has been away from London for a while but it’s still the Cockney accent. Fantastic job on understanding a lot of it ☺️
Lovely guy, thanks mate for getting your dad in board 😊
Easily understood 99% of it. Thanks for the video. Now trying to switch from standard American accent to British accent.
I love Cockney accent. I'll never forget a man on the phone trying to pronounce something with phonetic alphabet. He said "I" for "apple"! I fell off the chair! Lol 😂
I’m not a native speaker, but I think he speaks very clear and easy to understand. As someone has pointed out already he probably speaks more clearly for the video than in a real life situation with someone who has the same accent, but just judging from this video, very easy to understand every word.
I really enjoyed this interview, i think your father is loveble and some kind of sage. Thanks for share it!!
I' m also an American and have no problem understanding your dad, 100% clear english.
I think his accent is very understandable for me who came to the US in 1976 from Japan. But I still here and there missed it. I love his T-shirt.
Did you notice that in the in and outro of the video, the background was the Kanagawa great wave? Seems like a family thing...
@@OlivierDALET yea, this video makes me very happy, talking about Cockney, sneaking peeks of Japanese influence.
Very easy to understand the Cockney accent. The Grammar is a bit relaxed. I learned what Cockney meant. Your father is a nice man given the hard life it must have been.
I am more accustomed to American accents now and sometimes I find it difficult to follow British accents. Greetings from India 🇮🇳
All perfectly understandable to me. I am Cornish and you may struggle to understand some of what we say, but generally all Brits understand each other's accents.
Thank you for this bit of interaction with your dad. I could listen to you guys speak the whole day. What an interesting man and life. I always admired how taxi drivers in London just seem to know the whole city. Spent 6 months in London in 1996 for my internship. As a young student, who had never travelled alone, a London taxi driver picked me up from Heathrow and greeted me with "Hello love, where to?". He spoke just like your dad, maybe a bit stronger accent even. He spoke the whole trip and I loved it. Made me feel safe and welcome. Wonderful time. Your dad took me back to that day. And yes, he gave me advice, he understood the situation. A young girl alone in the big city. I had a wonderful time and had to go back home to finish my education, but enjoyed it so much that I almost changed my mind. Thanks again to you and your dad🥰
Understood every word. Not an extreme accent at all. I'm from Massachusetts, grew up in Vermont, USA with Dutch immigrant parents. Love the way you explain terms with those pop-up definitions. Very handy for folks learning the finer points of English! My parents listened to the radio a LOT to learn English when they first moved to the USA in the 50s. Something like this would have been handy for them!
You are the luckiest!
Thank your Dad for sharing this lovely moment with us.
I'm Spanish speaker learning English and I understood about 90%
I understood more than I expected actually. Thanks a lot for this video and my best regards to your dad!
Beatiful video. Thanks for sharing ❤
I’m American, and I don’t fing him difficult to understand at all. Some Northern England accents are much harder for me to get.
Yeah I think it's funny how people who are NOT from London, can understand the strong Cockney or even Scottish accents... but many other people in England cannot! 😅
Thank you for giving us the chance to meet your dad, it was super nice listening to him, I liked when he said "it learned them alot" instead of it teached them alot, I remember my teacher back then in school & how she was shocked when I used similar expression 😅
How he drops the "h" in "happy" and "it learnt them a lot" interesting!! Please say Gracias! From Argentina for opening up and sharing a bit of his life w all of us ❤ loved listening to u both.
Thank you‼️I enjoyed it very much 👍🏼🌻
Hearing your father reminded me of my one trip to London, and how the people spoke. I loved visiting London and the environs.
I hope you enjoyed your time therw
A wonderful gentleman.
I'm Quebecois (French Canadian) and i understood 100% of what your dad said
Very clear to me. My step-grandpa was from London, had about the same accent. I didn't need to look at the captions. I was born and raised in America
I am from Argentina and I have no problem understanding your father.
Fantastic job! 👍
I'm Brazilian and have no trouble understanding your Dad. He speaks quite clearly.
It's amazing to me that I clearly understand both of you. I'm from Russia and I can't even speak English at all (Google translator helps me writing messages). And your father is a very nice man.
As a Southern Man from the United states, I never even looked at the video, and I understood him perfectly well. I think he is actually very well spoken, and it was a treat to listen to his speaking.
I'm Italian and I understood 95% of what he said. I can't understand Scottish even with the subtitles.
Scots like Edinburgh is very easy, inner city Glasgow - no chance at all. I remember being in Glasgow pubs and never understood a single word. I'm a Northerner too.
Your dad has a lovely accent. Cheers from Portland.
Hello, i have only discovered your work a few days ago, this vidéo with your dad is excellent, even though he has a strong accent the conversation sermed really natural and causal and with some concentration i have had no trouble folowing it, i think it is of prime importance to listen to local people when you go somewhere because there is a cultural connections then.i am 61 and i learned English with the Beatles, now 5 years ago i decided to take my English to the next level and i am working hard on listening and reading, thank you guys you just boosted my motivation.Say hello to your dad for me.best regards.Serge from France.
That’s great!!
Keep on studying and practicing! You’re right about listening to locals especially if you visit or live in the U.K. it’s essential
I’m glad you found the video useful. Thanks for watching
I don’t find it difficult at all, and I’m an American. I do think that if weren’t being quizzed on a specific area of expertise on camera his speech would be more interesting.
Cheers to you and your dad.
I am Czech and I understand him quite clearly.
This is very easy, because it is quite close to what we learn at school.
My first contact in UK was a taxi driver in Newcastle upon Tyne with his Geordie dialect - I did not understand a word.
Travelling down to Hull and facing Yorkshire did not make things better...
I’d love to hear more about his cabbie stories and London history.
I came here from the US and decided to stay in London. That was over 55 years ago. I understood every word of your Dad and, even though my accent now is sort of "transatlantic", your Dad's speech pattern is - almost - the one I best understand. I love the slang, and you might do a course on that. It's very creative. I love it...and love to confuse my US friends with it. I note that many below also understand your Dad...perhaps you need to get two Cockneys really going at it, using slang & all, know what I mean?. Even I lose track sometimes. Good luck...
Действительно очень интересно послушать разные акценты 😊 очень хорошо, что вы записали это видео вместе.
No problem, he's very well spoken. I had no difficulties understanding him
It took this "geezer" 3 years to learn the routes and streets of London because he did the "Knowledge" back in the day, the current crop of Knowledge boys would now need between 3.5 and 5 years, depending on whether they are in full-time or part-time employment.
Best time to do it is when you're young with a fresh mind but no full-time job, and living with parents; it can be knocked out relatively quickly.
It took my grandfather 2 years - but that's because he did it in the 1960's when London was considerably smaller than it is today - fewer routes and places to learn.
Even 25 years ago green badge cabbies could earn 250-300 quid a day if they put in the hours.
Nowadays the fares are sky-high but the 2020-21 Pandemic mutilated the London black cab trade.
I hope it has recovered.
I hope the "green shelters" are still in their locations and serving tea and fried eggs and bacon too ! I was a regular at the one in Hanover Square even though I never drove a black cab !
Is there a specific book to prepare for this exam? What kind of material are they given to study?
To tight to use the cafe bet your loaded
@@edwardmorris1501 Not loaded at all and probably never will be ! I used to have breakfast at the shelter in Hanover Square because my earnings as a mini-cab driver were a dismal pittance - driving a mini-cab is the lowest point in human life that a man can descend to. Thankfully, I got myself out of that hole a long time ago. But I'm still not loaded ! 😉
Never been to London or any other English-speaking country. I learnt English at the university and worked as a translator/interpreter for 20 years. Though I've built a second career as a psychologist I still have some English students as I love English♥️
Thank you and your lovely dad for sharing his experience. Did it take a long time to coax him?😊
Learned English in Russia. Have been in the States for 30+ years. No problem understanding the father, but I had to pay attention.
07:03 I wonder if they say “them days, them friends” instead of *those* in America.
I speak American English, and I had no problem understanding every word perfectly fine.
I read subtitles and I found argument interesting. Beautiful your dad with his white beard. Thanks for sharing. 🙋♀️🇮🇹🇮🇹🇮🇹
Thanks a lot. I’m glad you enjoyed the video ☺️
Our family here in Australia can understand him absolutely perfectly, but I guess we all originally came from England and our own accent developed from all over UK’s. The Cockney accent was the strongest dialect apparently originally apon settling here in Australia and part of my family came from that area. But things developed over time, just like yours has developed from your dads. Great video!
I understood everything he said. I am from Australia and perhaps its all the British TV shows I have watched that makes the difference!😄
I also understand everything he said. But I am not a native speaker of English, but I do notice some accents traits.
The words that are listed and explained are not difficult words. Native speakers of English, and non-native speakers that know English very well (maybe at level B2 or C1), know the meaning of these words.
I understood your father very well and I am Canadian. His knowledge of London has to be fantastic.
Your dad was talking about how London was not the same any more. It is the same here. I was born before world war two ended and we were definitely a tougher generation than the modern ones.. We lived quite rough by modern standards but it was just normal to us That was just the way things were. I am grateful I grew up in those times. So many people now have become so dependent on electronics and modern conveniences they don't know how to cope with things.
Thanks your dad for this time it has been lovely
That’s great!! I’m glad you found the video useful. Thanks for watching
Loved hearing the story of your dad
I’m American and I can understand him. I wonder if he can understand some of those Americans with strong Southern accents. I’m a born and bred Californian and I have trouble understanding strong Southern accents. I have never traveled to another country but I want to!
You're a native English speaker. Of course you can understand him
don’t you think typical US southerner’s accents are similar to Irish ones ?
What a lovely man with so much knowledge. That would be so cool to take people all around London!
❤❤❤Love your accent so much, and dad’s accent too
I had no problem understanding everything your dad was talking about. I live in Ontario, Canada, one of my cousins met and married a woman from London, her English accent was so hard to understand. I asked my (foster) mom why she was so hard to understand and she said that the woman was from one of the lower class areas in London and that's how they spoke. I'm thinking that she said cockney but not sure. I avoided speaking to this woman because I was quite embarassed that I could not understand most of what she was saying. Despite her being in Canada for 45+ years, she hasn't lost that accent!
This isn't a particularly heavy Cockney accent. I remember a colleague who was often saying about who was "''aving the 'ump" and how "it don't ma'er 'arrold 'e is".
Yeah you’re right. It’s quite a soft one, but a good introduction for learners. I’ve got one with Danny Dyer on the channel as well if they really want to test themselves 😂😂
I'd really love to let off my leash when I'm in front of the camera. We all have this tendency to become good boys whenever we do/ say things to the public, I'm a proper lad, innit? You know what I'm saying, yeah? I'd love to hear those lovely stories of him exploring London for years, you know. I can sit here for hours listening to them taxi conversations. And I am sure I'm not alone here. What I see in your father is his quality of being a real pal to other people which is very rare and the same time very engaging.
Wow! This was an amazing video. I went through all kind of emotions haha. Pretty easy to understand your dad's cockney accent (against all odds) Besides he told so interesting things. That's why I love to listen elderly people. They have so much to teach to younger people. Even when younger means being in my 40's ☺️☺️☺️
Thats great that you got so much from the video (just don’t call my dad elderly to his face 😂😂😂😂)
Hahaa you made me LOL. I promise I won't 😅
Canadian here and had no trouble at all in understanding what your dad was saying. I thought I was going to be asked to unpack sentences full of rhyming slang, but that didn't happen. I wondered why the captions were coming up to explain words or phrases that really needed no explanation.
My own father-in-law was Glaswegian, right from the Gorbals. He used the Glaswegian rhyming slang that he grew up with; tit-fer-tat=hat, pineapple=chapel. As well, all the relatives had a thick Scottish brogue, so I learned in a hurry how to parse the language.
I am either very good or this is not cockney accent. I can understand basically everything with almost no problem. And I know it is not always the case, I lived in Ireland for 17 years and it was sometimes really hard, close to impossible to understand older people or very young people. This was ok
He’s not talking fast in this. I think he’s just trying to communicate well as he knows that the video is for learners. That’s great that you understood a lot of it! He was also super nervous 😅😅
Irish accents are a bit more difficult as there is a lot less content out showcasing the different pronunciations. Similar to you, I have troubles with some Irish accents as I didn’t meet that many people from Ireland in my area of the country. I only had the resources from TV or football interviews that popped up.
Your Dad is such a sweetheart with a lot of knowledge❤
Kidding? He has no accent and everything is understandable! But the son has an accent, not easy sometimes. I think we all have been fooled!
Everyone has an accent
Yeah, don't confuse familiarity with a lack of an accent. Where I'm from, I don't have much on an accent, but that's because it's close to the median accent for the country. That doesn't mean I don't have one.
@@britishpronunciationdotcom I can't say it's a special accent, and you offered to understand the speech as if it's not clear and there are some difficulties, but there are no any at all
@@olgauvarova5541 Thats great for you. I’m happy you have the ability to understand it. There are a lot of people who can’t. Perhaps try one of the other videos on the channel if you want more of a challenge