Listening for British Accents

Audio 1 Received Pronunciation

Audio 2 South-East London Accent

Listen to two recordings of Aesop's fable "The North Wind and the Sun" read by British speakers. These recordings are from LibriVox Dialect and Accent Collection where you can listen to other recordings of this fable read in various accents.

Прослушайте две аудиозаписи басни Эзопа "The North Wind and the Sun", прочитанные британскими чтецами. Эти аудиозаписи из LibriVox Dialect and Accent Collection, где вы можете прослушать другие аудиозаписи этой басни, прочитанные с различными акцентами.

The North Wind and the Sun

The North Wind and the Sun were disputing which was the stronger, when a traveler came along wrapped in a warm cloak. They agreed that the one who first succeeded in making the traveler take his cloak off should be considered stronger than the other. Then the North Wind blew as hard as he could, but the more he blew the more closely did the traveler fold his cloak around him; and at last the North Wind gave up the attempt. Then the Sun shone out warmly, and immediately the traveler took off his cloak. And so the North Wind was obliged to confess that the Sun was the stronger of the two.

Text of Audio 1, with intonation marked

'Dialect and 'Accent 'Col/lection, 'Volume \1. The 'North /Wind and the \Sun at'tributed to \Aesop.

('Read for 'Librivox 'dot /org by 'Ruth /Golding in a Re'ceived Pronunci'ation, \English 'accent.)

The 'North 'Wind and the 'Sun were dis'puting 'which was the \stronger, |

when a 'traveler 'came a/long 'wrapped in a 'warm \cloak. ||

They 'agreed that the 'one who 'first suc'ceeded in 'making the 'traveler 'take his 'cloak \off |

should be 'considered 'stronger 'than the \other. ||

/Then the 'North 'Wind \blew as 'hard as he \could, |

but the 'more he \blew | the 'more \closely 'did the 'traveler 'fold his 'cloak a\round him; ||

and at /last the 'North 'Wind 'gave 'up the at\tempt. ||

Then the 'Sun 'shone 'out \warmly, | and im'mediately the 'traveler 'took 'off his \cloak. ||

And 'so the 'North 'Wind was ob'liged to con\fess that the 'Sun was the 'stronger of the \two. ||

('End of \text. 'This re'cording is in the 'public do\main.)

Text of Audio 2, with intonation marked

'Dialect and \Accent Col'lection, 'Volume \1. The 'North /Wind and the \Sun at'tributed to \Aesop.

('Read for 'Librivox 'dot 'org by 'Peter \Yearsley in a 'South-'East 'London, 'England, \accent.)

The 'North 'Wind and the 'Sun were dis'puting 'which was the \stronger, |

when a 'traveler 'came a'long 'wrapped in a 'warm \cloak. ||

They 'agreed that the 'one who 'first suc'ceeded in 'making the 'traveler 'take his \cloak 'off |

should be 'considered 'stronger than the \other. ||

'Then the 'North 'Wind 'blew as 'hard as he \could, |

but the 'more he \blew | the 'more 'closely 'did the 'traveler 'fold his \cloak a'round him; ||

and at /last the 'North 'Wind 'gave 'up the at\tempt. ||

Then the 'Sun 'shone 'out \warmly, | and im'mediately the 'traveler 'took 'off his \cloak. ||

And /so the 'North 'Wind was ob'liged to con'fess that the 'Sun was the 'stronger of the \two. ||

('End of \text. 'This re'cording is in the 'public do\main.)

Suggested tasks for learners of British English

Compare stress, rhythm and intonation in these recordings. Can you hear some differences? Are these differences important for understanding the meaning?

Practice the recordings: Repeat individual words. Repeat phrases. Repeat line by line. Repeat the whole text. Learn by heart. Recite the fable with the patterns of stress, rhythm and intonation that you hear in the recordings.

Text of the fable from the book Aesop's Fables, Pan Books, 1975

The North Wind and the Sun

A dispute arose between the North Wind and the Sun, each claiming that he was stronger than the other. At last they agreed to try their powers upon a traveller, to see which could soonest strip him of his cloak. The North Wind had the first try; and, gathering up all his force for the attack, he came whirling furiously down upon the man, and caught up his cloak as though he would wrest it from him by one single effort; but the harder he blew, the more closely the man wrapped it round himself. Then came the turn of the Sun. At first he beamed gently upon the traveller, who soon unclasped his cloak and walked on with it hanging loosely about his shoulders; then he shone forth in his full strength, and the man, before he had gone many steps, was glad to throw his cloak right off and complete his journey more lightly clad.

Persuasion is better than force.

Suggested tasks for advanced learners of British English

After sufficient practice of the recordings, you may find it useful to try the following rather difficult activities. Mark intonation in the text of the fable from the book Aesop's Fables. Then try to read the fable with the patterns of stress, rhythm and intonation that you hear in the recordings above.