a quick look at british and american english - copy

8/11/2019 A Quick Look at British and American English - Copy

1/7

Page 1

BRITISH AND AMERICAN ENGLISH

1. Introduction

It is fact that one can only know language (the ability to speak and communicate) by

studying individual languages, such as British English or American English. Why is

English? Is it the only language that makes up the world? Crystal (1997 :5) has stated

that there is the closest of links between language dominance and cultural power-base

whether political, military, or economic. No language can make progress as an

international medium of communication. Why English becomes a global language has

little to do with the member of people who speak it.

English language dominance and power result the status of the language as anofficial

language of a country to be used as a medium of communication. If not, it has been made

a priority in a countrys foreign language teaching even though this language has no

official status. A more recent framework for describing the different statuses of English

in the world is that of Kachru (1985) in James (1998 : 39-40) who distinguishes three

sorts of English. Firstly, English of the I nner circle: British, American, Canadian,

Australian and New Zealand. These are the older Englishes, usually equated with native

speaker English, and are the original nor provider for those learning English as a second

language. Secondly, English of the Outer circle, including Indian, Malaysian, Zambian,

Singaporean and many more such colonial varieties. Thirdly, it is Expanding cir clewhere

English as taught and spoken with no colonial links, including Russia, Brazil, Japan.

Here, there are no local norms developing, and the norms are derived from the Inner

circle.

British English is the form of English used in the United kingdom. It includes all

English dialects used within the UK. American English is the form of English used in the

United States. It includes all English dialects used within the US. British and American

English are the reference norms for English as spoken, written and taught in the rest of

the world. As what George Bernard Shaw, a playwright, once stated that American

English and British English are two countries divided by a common language.

This topic is centered on American English and British English. Each has much in

common besides the differences, of course. It is true that no language is a uniform

systemwithout any variation in what its speakers consider correct either in practice or

when judging another speakers performance. In fact variation is so much a part of

language that it could be claimed that there are as many varieties of language as there are

speakers of it. In spite of obvious degrees of variation, those language varieties must have

sufficient features in common for the different speakers to be able to communicate

successfully.


2/7


3/7

Page 3

The nature of language can only be understood by closely studying the characteristics

of individual language. Language is meant to be listened and understood. We are not surprised

when what we say is understood. Quite the contrary, we are surprised if we are not. Lets

imagine the following situation : Gary, an Australian, and Christie, a visitor from England, are

somewhere out in the country. Suddenly they notice a black-and white bird :

Christie : look at that strange crow.

Gary : Thats not a crow, thats a magpie

Christie : A magpie isnt that big!

Gary : I know, your European magpie isnt, but this is what we call magpie in Australia.

Quite clearly, both Gary and Christie look at the same scenery, the same reality. But the

way they interpret that reality differs. What one thinks big may regard as rather small for the

other. However, this difference does not make us stop learning the language. It is a matter ofchoice which one you prefer. You are entitled to decide whether your English is American or

British. The essential point to hold is to grasp strictly the natures of language you choose. If it is

British, you must know its features well, and so is American. The difference is natural and it can

be explained through language itself for clarity and understanding. Yet, the serious

understanding of the differences may lead us out of misunderstanding for what we think natural

could be unnatural at the other. One wont say :Hi! Nigger, its nice to seewhen greeting a first

time meeting without understanding the cultural sense of the rude sense in the word nigger.

4. British English and American English: the differences.

Difference in VocabulariesBritish English American English

B road Rural road

Car park Parking lot

Lorry Truck

Pavement Sidewalk

Roadworks Construction zone

Pants (underwear) Pants

Crips Potato chips

Film Movie

Autumn Autumn, Fall

Biscuits Cookies

An American man: Nice pants!

A British woman : How could you see my pants?


4/7

Page 4

American man : Sure, I can see your pants, between your legs.

A British woman : OhAmerican, we call this trouser in British.

Difference in Spelling

British English American EnglishBehaviour Behavior

Organise Organize

Cheque Check

Colour Color

Centre Center

Pyjamas Pajamas

Forwards Forward

Towards Toward

Rightwards Rightward

Flavour Flavor

Difference in Pronunciation

British English American English

laugh /lahff/ laugh /laff/

pyjamas /pdja: mz/ pajamas /pdjmz/

phyton /paith/ phyton /paitho:n/

propaganda /propgnd/ propaganda /propgnd/

twaddle /twadl/ twaddle /twa:dl/

better/bt/ better /btr/

24/7 /twntifo: svn/ 24/7 /twnti for svn/

Difference in Grammar

British English American English

Collective Nouns take plural verbs

Ex:

The Committee are unable toagree

The army are on their way

The team take their seats

Collective Nouns take Singular

verbs

Ex:

The committee is unable to agree

The army is on their way

The team takes their seats

Have you gotForm

Ex:

They have got a wonderful

Do you haveForm

Ex:

They have a wonderful house


5/7

Page 5

house

We havent got a TV

Have you got a meeting today?

*Note: Both British English and

American English use have andforms do, does, did when referring

to habit.

Ex: We dont often have time to talk

We dont have a TV

Do you have a meeting today?

Conditional SentenceEx:

If you would leave now, youwould be on time

If I would have cooked thepie, we could have had it for

lunch

Conditional SentenceEx:

If youd leave now, youd be ontime

If I Wouldve cooked the pie, wecouldve had it for lunch

Verbs

Ex:

FitFittedFitted

LightLighted - LightedEx. In a sentence:

Have you got it? (BrE)

I have just/ already/ arrivedhome

I have already eaten

Verbs

Ex:

FitFitFit

Light - Lit - litEx. In a sentence:

Have you gotten it? (AmE)

I arrive home

I already ate

Shalland WillForm

Ex:

I/we shall be happy

I shant gothere

Shalland WillForm

i/we will be happy

I shall not go there (Shant isalmost never used in AmE)

Transitive orIntransitive Verbs

Ex:

We are agreed between the

parties

The workers protested againstthe decision

Transitive orIntransitive Verbs

We agreed the parties

The workers protested thedecision

Statement of Intention Involves toSeparate Activities

Statement of Intention Involves toSeparate Activities


6/7

Page 6

5. Closing

American English and British English are standard international English

languages. Their varieties are taught in most English as a second language orEnglish as a foreign language programs all over the world. It strengthens the sense

that differences or varieties are not hindrances to know what language is. The block

can be explained through language to avoid misunderstanding. So, the choice is on

the learners decision in the sense of preference whether it be American English or

British English. What needs to hold is the consistency of formal usage of the

language that s/he has chosen.

It is agreed that no one version is correct; however, there are certainly

preferences in use. As the saying goes: The color of the orange is also its flavor :

color is American spelling and flavor is British. This is of course not always easy.The decision is on your hand, it is not a matter of good or bad, American English is

not much better than British English and vice versa. They are both have their

priorities in terms of being standard English for all language learners.

Ex:

I go and take a bath

Come and see what Ive bought

Ex:

I go take a bath

Come see what I bought

Prepositions and AdverbsEx:

Monday to Friday

Monday through/to Friday

Monday till Friday

People standing in a quee

Prepositions and AdverbsEx:

Monday through Friday

People standing on line

People standing online

Dates

Ex: The eleventh of July

July the eleventh

Dates

Ex: July eleventh

July eleven


7/7

Page 7

6. References

Crystal, David. 1998.English as a Global Language. Cambridge : Cambridge University Press.

Heffernan, James A.W and John E. Lincoln. 1986. Writing : A college Handbook. New York :

Norton and Company.

Kachru, B. 1985. standards, codification, and sociolinguistic realism : the English language in

the Outer Circle in R. quirk and H.g, Widdowson (eds), English in the World : Teaching and

Learning the Language and Literature. Cambridge :Cambride University Press.

James, Carl. 1998.Errors in Language Learning and Use : Exploring Error Analysis. London :

Longman

Kuiper, Koenraad and W. Scott Allan. 2004. An Introduction to Enmglishlanguage : Word,

Sound and sentence. New York : Palgrave Macmillan.

Paul, Peter. 2000. Linguistics : a course material for Undergraduate students. Medan

:SekolahPascaSarjana, USU.

a quick look at british and american english - copy

Documents