On Sun, 25 Jan 2004 16:07:06 +0100, martin wrote:

On Sun, 25 Jan 2004 14:23:31 GMT, Anne Jackson
wrote:

I found (in London) that no matter what the (American) _accent_ is,
the mode is usually LOUD!

I've noticed the same about some British and most other nationalities
when they are on holiday abroad. There is still a type of Brit., who
thinks shouting makes up for not being able to speak a foreign
language.

Or speaking very slowly. :-) I took a holiday on a French-speaking
island and it was frustrating in the *extreme* to be an intelligent
person facing other intelligent people with virtually *no* way of
communicating. *So* humiliating to have to resort to sign language and
gestures. "Loud" doesn't work. "Slow" may permit someone with a year
of language instruction to grasp the essence, but other than "please
pass the potatoes" is inadequate for meaningful conversation.

I believe it's a sort of instinctive reaction to think LOUD or slow
will overcome the barriers. It just *can't* be that we have no way to
communicate.