Jennifer: Hi there. Welcome to Question and Answer of the week, the programme in which we help to answer any questions you have about English. I'm Jennifer, and with me in the studio today is Li.

Li: 大家好。

Jennifer: We've had a question from Peng Xiao, in Harbin. He says: "All the English programmes have been trying to teach us received English. However, when we talk with foreigners, they are more likely to speak English with strong local accents. As a result, I can't understand anything. What should I do?"

Li: It's often difficult. 彭晓同学说，很多英语教学节目都教授标准英语口音，但是当你和真人说话的时候却发现很多英国人都操着浓重的口音，这怎么办?

Jennifer: Thank you for your question, Peng Xiao. Accents are a great part of any language, they make it interesting and colourful. In the UK, there are many different accents, which vary from town to town.

Li: That's right. 英国各地有不少不同的口音，听上去大不一样。

Jennifer: Even if your mother tongue is English, it can often be difficult to understand certain accents, especially if they are strong. Often, there are also regional dialects; words and phrases which are only used in a specific place, and not common to English as a whole.

Li: 英国各地的方言dialects 也很多。这对学英语的人，甚至对人国人都很困难呢。

Jennifer: We'll talk shortly about what you can do when you are faced with an accent you cannot understand, but first of all, let's listen to some examples of regional accents across the UK. Here are some of Great Britain's winning Olympic and Paralympic athletes, talking about their experiences.

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Andy Murray: I played a really, really good match today, it was quite tough conditions, very windy but really tough conditions but I did well. That was number one for me, biggest win of my life and this week's been incredible so far.

Jessica Ennis: I am so shocked, I can't believe it. After the javelin, I knew I was on for a good score and that medal, but I couldn't let myself believe it until I crossed the finish line of the 800m.

Greg Rutherford: The most amazing feeling in the world. This has been a long Process, and I thought I was going to jump further than that but I don't care, I'm Olympic champion, who cares?

Danielle Brown: It's unreal. I can't explain what I'm feeling, just so many different emotions.

Jennifer: So we heard there from Olympic and Paralympic gold medallists Andy Murray, Jessica Ennis, Greg Rutherford and Danielle Brown.

Li: I must say, those are really hard to understand! 这些人讲话不仅与速快，而且夹杂着浓重的地方口音。在这种情况下，你说该怎么办呢?What should you do if you do not understand?

Jennifer: People often speak quite fast, so you can say "Could you speak a little more slowly, please?"

Li: 你可以让讲话的人说得慢一些"Could you speak a little more slowly, please?"

Jennifer: You could also say, "Could you repeat that, please?"

Li: 你还可以让讲话者重复一下"Could you repeat that, please?" But Jen, what if they repeat, or speak slowly, and you still don't understand?

Jennifer: The best thing to do is to admit that you don't understand. Perhaps you could say "I'm very sorry, I'm having trouble understanding. Could you explain what you mean?"

Li: 最重要的就是承认你没有听懂对方的口音，然后让他们帮你解释一下他们说的话到底是什么意思。

Jennifer: Speaking and listening are some of the most difficult parts of learning English, but the more you practise, the better you'll get.

Li: Practice makes perfect! 熟能生巧。You could try listening to British radio, where you will hear a variety of different regional accents.

Jennifer: Well Peng Xiao, I hope we've answered your question. Give it a go, and most importantly, don't be afraid to make mistakes!

Li: 说得好，要敢于尝试，不要拍犯错误。如果其他同学也有英语学习上的问题，请随时来信我们的电子邮箱是question.chinaelt@bbc.co.uk.

Jennifer: Join us again next week. Bye for now!

Li: Bye!