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Native English Speakers 英语为母语的人

I have studied English for years, and now I live in London. Why do I find that I can understand non-native English speakers better than native English speakers? Could you help me to find out the reason?

Wenwen, London

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Wenwen contacted us because she finds it easier to understand non-native speakers of English than native speakers.

Though this might strange, there are a number of possible reasons for this which we examine in the programme.

In the programme Finn and Feifei compare some of the differences between native and non-native speakers in terms of:

Native English Speakers 英语为母语的人

Native-speakers can be difficult to understand

  • speed of speech
  • running words together
  • clarity of speech

  • use of slang
  • accent

Just remember, the best way to get used to different styles of spoken English is to listen to as wide a variety of speakers as possible. And you're in luck, because our website is the perfect place to do that.

If you have a question about English, email our team at questions.chinaelt@bbc.co.uk. We may answer it on this programme.

Glossary 词汇

non-native speakers of English 英文不是母语的人

native-speakers (英文)为母语的人

running words together 连读

clarity 清晰度

slang 俚语