A question for people whose English is not their first language .
Wasn't sure what category to put this under but this seems appropriate.
For people learning English, how are your understanding skills when you listen to different accents, like English or U.K. accents, Australian accents, etc.?
For me, I grew up in California and pretty much have a vanilla American accent (at least it sounds "vanilla" to me) and even though I grew up speaking English, at times I may find it hard to understand heavy English or Australian accents (like in t.v. shows), especially when they talk fast. I'm wondering if that's the case for me, is it even more difficult for English learners?
Which brings up a side question, for English learners, is there a certain "English type" you pick up/learn from? For example, maybe just plain American English (which I feel is easier to pick up and understand compared, say, any variety of English accents from Europe).
8 Answers
From my experience teaching English and travelling around the world it has become clear to me that it is easier for a learner of English to acquire an American accent than any other.
This might be because there are more American films and news channels shown throughout the world than any other.
It could also simply be that more people have visited the USA than Britain or Australia for example.
Having said that there are so many "American" accents that it is difficult to choose one to emulate.
I love accents (we all have one) - my personal favourite is from Southern Ireland. That one, when spoken by a colleen, knocks me bandy. 
In Argentina we learn British English at school, although to be honest it really depends on the teacher, I remembered once I had a teacher that would speak with an american accent and would spell certain words like american does just because she liked it. But again, generally speaking we learn British English. Their main goals is their students to be able to speak with RP accent.
Now my problem is, I love RP accent, but american accent is less problematic to reproduce in my opinion.
I also find american accent easier to understand. Then there's some british people I can easily understand and others who have a stronger accent that makes it harder for me, let alone those who speak with slang words all the time! I think people from southern England are easier than those from the north.
About Australian, there're only 2 people I always hear that are from Austrailia, and I can understand them as long as they don't speak too fast.
Regarding Scottish, I think I've never heard enough of this accent, at least paying attention to it, to say anything about it.
And there's tons of other accents but the ones I hear the most are american and british. I'd have to hear more from the others to say something.
maybe just plain American English (which I feel is easier to pick up and understand compared, say, any variety of English accents from Europe).
Oh man ! You have opened up a whole can a worms here son
I prefer the " molasses accent " of the deep south ,Vanilla has no guts to it.
I like an accent with a bit of character to it, like the rich dark plummy accent
of an educated pom, or the broad melody of an Irish colleen , or a Geordie
now that is an accent that can conjure connive and cajole , but not romance you.
. No for romance I will go for an Irish accent every time , although a Latina with
an English accent is a bit of a turn-on .
It is a great pity that we here in the land of OZ do not have a distinctive accent ,
no we have more well rounded vowels and an open delivery easily understood
by all well educated types
Which may leave the Californian Vanilla chompers totally in the dark
What do you mean vanilla?
In my opinion as Spanish native speaker, the people (here) used to understand better the British English. Not American and of course not Australian.
It is true that most of the TV series and films are from US, but in Spain the foreign films and series has been dubbed since the TV started, and we have learnt british English at the school.
People say I don't have much of an accent although I can take up the accent of wherever I have lived (down South, the Boston, etc) if I am not careful. I have heard that people from Spain and Europe should learn British English and that people from South America and Mexico should learn American English. Of course, each particular person who is a native English speaker believes that they do not speak with an accent and to their ears, the English sounds just fine.
What do you mean by an American Accent? When I first came to the US, it was to California. I learned my English in California Schools. By the time I was In High School, bring as light-skinned as I am and very light brown hair, most people assumed that I was a native born Gringa. And I assumed that I knew American English perfectly. Then as I travelled to States such as Texas, Arkansas and later on the Southeastern states I found that there were about as many varieties of "American English" as there are varieties of Spanish.
There were some places where I couldn't understand anything that people said to me. That was in Mississippi. When in Massachusetts I learned that you Pahk you cah in the Hahvahd Yahd. In other words no "r" where you expect them. But then people up there pronounce Cuba as "Cuber" and such. Later on in college linguistics class we learned that in areas where the "r" is suppressed where it should be heard you hear it where it shouldn't be heard. Then it is called the "intrusive 'r' ." Oy vey, such a language. Then I found out about British, and the varieties thereof. Some --like "the King's" English, is very easy for me, but some of the Cockney and others are like Japanese to me. I think I understand Japanese better.
I don't have too much difficulty with Scottish or Irish. The Irish sounds very pleasant to me.
Now lets Talk about Australian. I watched reruns of Steve Irwin's program where he as a naturalist and curator of a big Zoo, used to show his adventures in capturing crocodiles, and snakes and whatever. He would speak directly to the camera and I could understand everything he said. I was so proud of myself. His accent was sooo pleasant to me. I loved it.
On one program he and his staff were going to go after a big crock so he started barking instructions to his staff on what they were going to do and how to do it. Again It was Japanese!!! I looked at my mom and allí estaba yo, bocabierta!! ¿Qué lengua diabólica es esa? ¡Ay chihuahua! It was then that I realized that he, when speaking to his American audience was using vocabulary that we would understand, and
trying to be as understandable as possible for an American audience. Muy funny! 
I really loved this guy. Too bad he's gone. This saying is what I live by.
There are several Irish accents & strong similarities between some of these and some American accents. Believe or not, occasionally if can be difficult for a non-Irish Brit to distinguish between Irish & American (historically many Irish left Ireland to settle in North America, thus the N.American accent was strongly influenced by Irish English).
That said, some of the rural Irish accents are extremely hard even for a non-Irish Brit, & I've heard the same is true of Scots, although being Scottish I can understand most Scots accents very clearly (albeit I can appreciate why non-Scots find them confusing).
Canadian, Australian & South African are usually ok, but the Indian English accent can be difficult for Brits.
