Many English people can't speak English?

[Justtristo]

English people will understand this. Ever listened to the youth of today? School standards must be really slipping. It's saddening to see people without a grasp of basic grammar.

Let me add some context. I have a German friend who I speak to and she is sometimes concerned about her grasp of the English language even though her English is perfect. To me, it feels really painful to have to tell her that her English is much better than a lot of English people I know. It's embarrassing to have to admit that because England is where the English language was born.

Maybe this is a bad analogy, but I thought of this just now: Germans speaking better English than English people is like the American Football team of the Russian Federation being better than the United States team at American Football. I don't want to suggest that German people can't be good at speaking or writing English. What I'm saying is, wouldn't it be odd if the Russians beat the Americans at their own game with no trouble whatsoever?

Many European countries invest heavily in learning the languages of neighbours but in England we can't even teach our own language properly, let alone the languages of our neighbours. That makes me awfully upset.

This, coupled with other things, especially in relation to foreign affairs, mean I am ashamed to call myself English. I know I shouldn't though, because Britain has done so much for me. And, just to be clear, I'm not expecting everyone to talk like the queen. All I want is for people to speak English clearly and not moan about immigrants, who may in fact speak better English than they do. Is that too much to ask for?

P.S. Some immigrants do have really poor English skills but loads of English people go to other countries expecting everyone there to know English. If it were me, I'd definitely make an effort to learn the local language even if I was going on holiday.

These native English speakers who are being derided for not speaking "proper" English. Are actually speaking in whatever dialect is native to their region or social group. Given that English is a native language in the British Isles, Canada, United States, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, not to mention various Caribbean islands. Therefore, such a diverse range of English dialects is inevitable.

[ignoramus]

I can't get over how some Aussie films are subtitled for US viewing...
Are we really that hard to understand?

[Thumpalumpacus]

As an American, I'm ashamed of the abysmal language skills of my countrymen.

But we subtitile Aussie films because y'all have a drawl that even stumps Texans.

[ignoramus]

As an American, I'm ashamed of the abysmal language skills of my countrymen.  

But we subtitile Aussie films because y'all have a drawl that even stumps Texans.

Had absolutely no idea!

While I remember, You know that chick in Breaking Bad who was negotiating the deals for the Germans..?
I watched her in an interview. She had the strongest Scottish accent, I could barely understand her.
Some singers are like that also.

It must be a mental thing?

[Thumpalumpacus]

No, it ain't you who's mental, it's the Scots.

[Thumpalumpacus]

The gal I broke up with not too long ago was from Ealing in London, very proud of her language, and now, y'all know me, I can bust out polysyllabic persecution when the mood strikes me ... we had a hell of a lot of fun me breaking her stones about her (mis)use of the language.

Well, I know I did. And I think she had fun too.

Okay, perhaps I know why we didn't work out.

[Justtristo]

I can't get over how some Aussie films are subtitled for US viewing...
Are we really that hard to understand?

The Broad version of Australian English "strine" is hard for other English speakers to understand.

[Nope]

...

The English language needs a plural form of the word, you. ...

It has one.  It is "you."  "You" is both singular and plural.  It works well for both.  If you need to make it clear that you mean more than one person, you can say "all of you," as in the sentence "all of you are invited to dinner."

Or you could say y'all which is shorter than 'all of you'

At least I no longer pronounce the word, can't to rhyme with ain't. Sometimes I can't understand very strong, rural accents of older people. Once a elderly man stopped my husband in the store and asked if we knew were the 'can o jaws' were. Neither of us had any idea what he was saying. Luckily a employee was close by and she said, "Oh the canning jars are on aisle...."

[Metis]

They really can't, you want to see some of the papers I mark from my students who grew up speaking English. Nothing short of horrendous. I'm aware my pronunciation is a bit off sometimes since I've got quite a strong accent. My written English still isn't perfect either, I do occasionally still mix up homophones ("Let's meat up for a coffee") but it's fairly rare now and usually only when I'm writing rough notes.

Not to offend anyone personally but I really don't understand why if I can reach this standard in less than three years why the British and Americans can't in eighteen. Plenty of other Europeans manage to become fluent in two, often three east of Germany and these aren't always smart people; I've even met illiterates who can speak several languages perfectly.

I can't say I know what happens in them but the state ran English speaking education systems must be terrible.

[Aoi Magi]

Language is an ever evolving thing, and as long as the involved parties understand each other, I don't think it matters much. What you feel to be the butchered version of english, is probably the current norm of the circle where the kids communicate most. From your perspective they are saying it wrong, but from theirs, you are doing it wrong.