Ever pondered how your English sounds to those who don’t speak the language while you’re vacationing abroad? Sure, you might recognize French, Spanish, or German even if you can’t understand them, but did you know non-English speakers can also recognize English in a similar way? What’s more, a recent video has left people astounded by demonstrating exactly how English sounds to those who don’t speak it.
Enter TikToker the Language Simp, or @languagesimp, a polyglot who’s in a prime position to showcase how English appears to non-native ears.
You can check out his rendition here:
@languagesimp Ever wondered what it’s like to not understand English? #english #languages #language #linguistics #USA #polyglot
Interestingly, it turns out we might sound like characters from the Sims when we speak English. Weird, right?
In a viral TikTok clip that has amassed over eight million views, @languagesimp delivers a stream of nonsensical gibberish that somehow resonates with the cadence and rhythm of English, yet it’s completely indecipherable.
For English speakers, the clip is somewhat disorienting. As one viewer commented, “I felt like I should understand what he was saying.” Another was in disbelief, “You are telling me people hear me talking like a Sim?”
“I feel like I understand what he’s saying, but I also don’t,” a third person added. The TikToker highlighted how English sounds to non-native speakers
Another TikTok user pointed out the peculiar effect: “This sounds right… but it’s not… ”
“For some reason I keep actually trying to comprehend what he’s saying and then realize he’s speaking literal gibberish not English,” wrote another.
“No cause if you don’t pay attention to what he’s saying it literally sounds normal,” noted a sixth commenter.
“This is what I hear when I disassociate,” someone humorously remarked.
The video didn’t just amuse; it also inspired many viewers to explore learning a new language, with one commenting, “This is why I’m learning another language.”
One astute viewer summarized the experience perfectly: “Its like hearing a conversation from outside: you know in what language they are speaking but you can’t actually tell what they are saying.”
“My train of thought, to try to understand what you actually said, derailed,” another added.
So, the next time you chat in English around non-native speakers, remember how it might appear to them. It could be an insightful or even humorous experiment to ask them what they hear. Perhaps the Language Simp really has accurately replicated our linguistic idiosyncrasies, or maybe it’s all just an amusing confusion. Either way, it’s a fascinating look into how language and perception intersect.