|
|
 #2 (permalink) Sun Jun 13, 2010 21:31 pm British English vs. American English. |
|
|
Please activate Javascript in your browser to listen to this audio recording | 42 Listened |
I would say Pronunciation since US English simply says certain words different - Tomato and Tomato being the obvious
_________________
Any day you wake up on "the right side of the dirt" is a good day. |
|
Political Lurker
I'm a Communicator ;-)
Joined: 17 Jul 2009
Posts: 1924
|
|
| #3 (permalink) Sun Jun 13, 2010 21:37 pm British English vs. American English. |
|
|
I think the various variants of British English differ more from each other than standard American English differs from standard British English.
TOEIC listening, question-response: Didn't you use to work in sales? |
|
Torsten
Learning Coach
Joined: 25 Sep 2003
Posts: 15008
Location: EU
|
 |
| #4 (permalink) Sun Jun 13, 2010 21:42 pm British English vs. American English. |
|
|
But surely you have to be talking about mainstream UK and mainstream US English Torsten....?
I could take you to places in England were you couldn't understand a word people were saying....
there are places in the US the same as far as Im aware.
btw Torsten - how much did you bet on Germany ? :-)
_________________
Any day you wake up on "the right side of the dirt" is a good day. |
|
Political Lurker
I'm a Communicator ;-)
Joined: 17 Jul 2009
Posts: 1924
|
|
| #5 (permalink) Sat Jun 19, 2010 13:47 pm British English vs. American English. |
|
|
| Katty2010 wrote: |
| Since grade 1 I have studied in a british english school. After highschool I studied American english. There is major difference between accents as well spellings. Americans usually use slang language. I try to juggle between both. I would like to ask what do you think is the most significant difference between British English and American english language? |
The spelling differences between British and American English are not so great or noticeable that native speakers pay much attention to them. We are so used to seeing them that occasionally we may read 100 pages into a book before we notice whether it's British or American.
Your idea that Americans usually use slang is an unjust stereotype. In fact, the British use as much slang as the Americans do. It's common for non-native teachers of English to claim that everything British is "correct", while everything American is "slang", but that idea is far from the truth.
As Torsten mentioned, there's not that much difference between the standard forms of both nations' English. However, I would say that most Americans -- even uneducated ones -- ordinarily speak something closer to standard English than most of the British do. I hear "better" English from the cashier at an American drugstore than I typically heard on the street in London.
One thing I've noticed in my classes and elsewhere is that people who claim they learned "British English" in their own countries for many years don't speak anything like the British and can't understand the British well in natural speech. When they come to America, they're confused by our English, but they would be just as confused if they had landed in the UK.
Native English speakers don't care if you speak British or American English -- or French, German, Arabic, Indian or Chinese English -- as long as you are easy to understand. The only thing you should avoid is speaking an extremely aristocratic variety of British English, because then people in both the US and the UK will think you're funny. |
|
Jamie (K)
I'm a Communicator ;-)
Joined: 24 Feb 2006
Posts: 6646
Location: Detroit, Michigan, USA
|
|
| #6 (permalink) Sat Jun 19, 2010 18:53 pm British English vs. American English. |
|
|
| Jamie (K) wrote: |
As Torsten mentioned, there's not that much difference between the standard forms of both nations' English. However, I would say that most Americans -- even uneducated ones -- ordinarily speak something closer to standard English than most of the British do. I hear "better" English from the cashier at an American drugstore than I typically heard on the street in London.
. |
I agree with everything else you say, Jamie. I have to be honest and say that I also agree with you about the sorry way in which grammar is abused by many native British speakers too. However, I've also heard poor grammar used by Americans when I worked in the States. Perhaps to say 'most Americans... speak something closer to standard English' is unfair. I suspect it is more of an even keel.
_________________
Cheers m' dears! |
|
Beeesneees
Language Coach
Joined: 08 Apr 2010
Posts: 20428
Location: UK, born and bred
|
|
| #7 (permalink) Sat Jun 19, 2010 19:57 pm British English vs. American English. |
|
|
Hi Jamie,
That 'chip' is showing again in your remarks. How can you so wildly generalise?
Alan
_________________
English as a Second Language
You can read my ESL story Present Simple |
|
Alan
Co-founder
Joined: 27 Sep 2003
Posts: 14460
Location: UK
|
|
| #8 (permalink) Sat Jun 19, 2010 22:44 pm British English vs. American English. |
|
|
| Alan wrote: |
Hi Jamie,
That 'chip' is showing again in your remarks. How can you so wildly generalise?
Alan |
Alan
Be very careful - all generalizations are dangerous (including this parrot docs :-( ) 
_________________
Any day you wake up on "the right side of the dirt" is a good day. |
|
Political Lurker
I'm a Communicator ;-)
Joined: 17 Jul 2009
Posts: 1924
|
|
| #9 (permalink) Sun Jun 20, 2010 20:33 pm British English vs. American English. |
|
|
nice parrot! :p!
I think Mr.Alan, Jamie is correct to some point. At the end of day no matter how a person twist their tongue their accent reflects their country or mother tongue.
_________________
Just a confused kid... trying to live through twists & turns of life!
------
Everything Is Temporary! |
|
 Katty2010
I'm here quite often ;-)
Joined: 16 Apr 2010
Posts: 964
Location: GaintPeach
|
|
| #10 (permalink) Sun Jun 20, 2010 20:41 pm British English vs. American English. |
|
|
You say 'to some point'. What basis do you have for saying this?
Alan
_________________
English as a Foreign Language
You can read my EFL story Progressive Forms |
|
Alan
Co-founder
Joined: 27 Sep 2003
Posts: 14460
Location: UK
|
|
| #11 (permalink) Sun Jun 20, 2010 20:56 pm British English vs. American English. |
|
|
| Katty2010 wrote: |
nice parrot! :p!
I think Mr.Alan, Jamie is correct to some point. At the end of day no matter how a person twist their tongue their accent reflects their country or mother tongue. |
Well Kathy - I think what Alan is too much of the gentleman to say is......
In a context of learning English
Oxford English is king, and probably always will be.
Its the creator if you like... all roads will always lead back to the Heart of England
England = English
Simple really when you think about it.
Imagine someone in Quebec etc etc
Imagine someone in Switzerland or Austria etc etc
IMHO Its a fundamental contradiction in terms to suggest otherwise.
_________________
Any day you wake up on "the right side of the dirt" is a good day. |
|
Political Lurker
I'm a Communicator ;-)
Joined: 17 Jul 2009
Posts: 1924
|
|
| #12 (permalink) Wed Jun 23, 2010 6:34 am British English vs. American English. |
|
|
| Beeesneees wrote: |
| I agree with everything else you say, Jamie. I have to be honest and say that I also agree with you about the sorry way in which grammar is abused by many native British speakers too. However, I've also heard poor grammar used by Americans when I worked in the States. Perhaps to say 'most Americans... speak something closer to standard English' is unfair. I suspect it is more of an even keel. |
I'm not saying that Americans don't abuse grammar (often without knowing it), but I think I'm right in the sense that you can go anywhere in the United States and understand almost everyone. There is a small percentage of geographically or socially isolated people who speak dialects that some people can't understand, but in general almost everyone's speech is close enough to the standard for perfect intelligibility. We don't have that thing you have in Britain, where you can go from town to town and not understand people. |
|
Jamie (K)
I'm a Communicator ;-)
Joined: 24 Feb 2006
Posts: 6646
Location: Detroit, Michigan, USA
|
|
| #13 (permalink) Wed Jun 23, 2010 7:11 am British English vs. American English. |
|
|
That is a completely different issue to "most Americans -- even uneducated ones -- ordinarily speak something closer to standard English than most of the British do." You now appear to be talking about accent and diction as much as you are about dialect.
Speakers with a broad local/national accent may well be difficult to understand, but that can be the case even if they are speaking using standard English. Perhaps you are talking about 'received English' which a much smaller section of the populace uses?
'From town to town' also paints a false picture, as it indicates a quite restricted geographical area. I don't believe anyone living in one region would have any difficulty understanding the speech of those in their neighbouring areas, even given a difference in dialect. 'From one end of a country to the other' would be more accurate.
Of course, all bets are off if you are talking about the street language of the modern 'youf' which appears to be totally unintelligible in both the UK and the US (but which has its roots in the US)!
_________________
Cheers m' dears! |
|
Beeesneees
Language Coach
Joined: 08 Apr 2010
Posts: 20428
Location: UK, born and bred
|
|
|
| What does that mean? | Dissertation Structure Essential Components of Your Project. |
Download mp3