We are quite lazy in the UK - we tend not to learn a language. French is usually taught from 11-14 in schools.
I'm from Northern Ireland. The accent is quite unusual. It isn't anything like the stereotypical "Oirish" accent (at least to our ears!!!) - and is notoriously hard to copy as many actors have found....I don't think I've heard anyone really pull it off yet. Brad Pitt's was laughable - not as bad as Tommy Lee Jones in "Blown Away" though. Liam Neeson is from N.Ireland and he has held onto his though he tends to disguise it or tone it done in some films - but being an actor he speaks quite clearly so it isn't an issue. Some people from Southern England can't understand us - some documentaries set in N.Ireland have had subtitles when broadcast across the UK.
We are quite lazy in the UK - we tend not to learn a language. French is usually taught from 11-14 in schools.
I'm from Northern Ireland. The accent is quite unusual. It isn't anything like the stereotypical "Oirish" accent (at least to our ears!!!) - and is notoriously hard to copy as many actors have found....I don't think I've heard anyone really pull it off yet. Brad Pitt's was laughable - not as bad as Tommy Lee Jones in "Blown Away" though. Liam Neeson is from N.Ireland and he has held onto his though he tends to disguise it or tone it done in some films - but being an actor he speaks quite clearly so it isn't an issue. Some people from Southern England can't understand us - some documentaries set in N.Ireland have had subtitles when broadcast across the UK.