Is British English being Americanized?

[Torsten]

So, how big are those differences between American and British English really? Isn't it true that many British people watch a lot of TV shows and films that are made in the US?Let's say a British teenager watches a lot of 'The Simpson' or 'South Park'. Is it possible that this British teenager picks up some of the phrase he hears without being aware that those are actually 'American expressions'?

Who can really say what exactly 'British' and what is 'American' English is? If a Brit says 'truck' and 'shopping cart', is he still a Brit or does he become an American?

Do the following American based companies have large offices and subsidiaries in the UK? Google, Microsoft, Adobe, Apple, eBay, Dell, McDonald's, Subway, UPS.

Now, do you think that those American companies send some of their staff over to the UK? If so, do those Americans use American or British English when they speak to their British co-workers? What impact might this have on the English language if any?

Also, what language are most mobile apps written in? They get downloaded and installed tens of thousands of times every day. Do you really think that app developers create an American and a British version of their programs? Do you think that British users download and install only apps made in Britain and Americans install only apps that were made in the US?

In other words, do you agree with some British people who say that their language has been 'Americanized' for many years? If so, do you think this is a good or a bad thing?

TOEIC listening, photographs: Changing light bulbs

[Ralf]

Many questions at once, Torsten, maybe a few too many.

Here for an Irish perspective. Traditionally, Ireland is probably a bit less protective about the English language than England, and some people even embrace American culture/language as something downright positive. It's chic to sing like a 'Yank', and the watered-down TV accent may sound a bit more American than (BBC) English. Dublin is the main city of Ireland, one in four people live there. There are 24 postal districts in town, and the poshest part of town (D4) is the one that's setting the pace for the media. If you go to the main shopping centre in this area (in Dundrum), you here teenagers talk in what sounds like faux American accents, producing phrases such as 'that's like totally so not like it like', soft on the vowels with a funny Americanesque intonation. The Hollywood impact.

Do I resent it, or do I think it's odd? Yes and no. It's been like that for as long as I remember, and you can see it's somehow gaining momentum. More and more Americanisms make it into people's common parlance, and I think that's quite a normal development for a living language. Having lived abroad for 10 years now, I can tell that language is subject to subtle change, but it's not taking away too much from something that you could call a 'language identity', and I don't think it ever will. The different accents in Ireland, the indigenous idiosyncrasies as well as cultural mannerism are far too distinct to be ever in danger of being altered for good. And if? Nobody speaks like Shakespeare anymore either.
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[Dozy]

These are just my personal opinions/impressions.

[Beeesneees]

[Torsten]

[Alan]

Hi Torsten,

Your enlightened views I feel are falling on deaf ears. When a comment like:

[Torsten]

Alan, the underlying motives of this discussion are some of the basic fears and beliefs of all people. We all need stability, a feeling of belonging and control. We all want something that might be called 'national identity' and we want to be proud of our nation's' achievements. We don't want other nations to tell us what to do.

I think you will be hard pressed to find one single country where large parts of its population do NOT complain about the 'Americanization' of their language. Take the Germans for example. There are so many here who say that the German language is in danger of becoming extinct due to the Americans (not so much the British). I would say it's the majority of Germans who think like this, not just a few nationalists.

It's absolutely futile to try and fight the fact that language is constantly changing. There is no such things as 'Americanisms'. There is only new terms, new phrases, new expressions. They are neither American nor British. The French are unhappy about the way their language is being influenced by Americanisms. They introduced a law that forbids the use of such words like Facebook and Twitter in public. Fortunately enough, the words ‘english-test.net’ and ‘English For Winners’ are not on that list (yet)? Long live the institution of ‘freedom of speech’.

PS: I forgot to ask: Who exactly owns the English language?

TOEIC listening, photographs: Air hostess
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[Ralf]

[Cgk]

[Torsten]

Hi Ralf. I have an idea. I'll find the guy or company that holds the copyrights of the English language and buy them from him/them. Then I will charge anybody who uses it a fee and I will sue anyone who changes and/or reproduces/distributes it. Why own a book when you can own an entire language?

Let me know if you want to invest into this once-in-a-life-time business opportunity. If you don't want to invest you soon will need to buy a plan to use English just as you do with your utilities or phone. Act now and you will get rich overnight.

TOEIC listening, photographs: Subway tunnel
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[Alan]

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Hi Claudia,

Very sensible (no, that sounds patronising) very enlightened, well that sounds a bit the same but I hope you know what I'm on about. All I can say is that what you've written is a breath of fresh air. Let all those fussy pedants out there put that in their pipe and smoke it!

Alan
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[Torsten]

[Ralf]

[Ralf]

[Ralf]