Word Power

American English

vsBritish English

Vocabulary

BrE toilet/WCAmE rest room

/bathroom

BrE trousers

AmE pants

BrE sweets

AmE candy

BrE football

AmE soccer ball

BrE sitting room

AmE living room

BrE holiday

AmE vacation

AmE BrEpantscandy

restroom bathroom

soccer ball

holiday

sitting room

film

trouserssweets

football

toilet/WC

vacation

living room

movie

Spelling

BrE BrE Rules

programme

colourtravelle

r

centre

metre

humourskillfu

l

-er vs -re

-or vs -our-l- vs –ll-

-ze vs –ze/-se

-m vs -mmekilogramme

AmE

meter

realize

humorskilful

kilogram

AmE

organize organise

realize realise

center

organize

colortraveler

program

Guess

•favourite theater

neighbor kilogram jewelleryrecognise

Grammar

Sam just went home.

Sam’s just gone home.

That skirt fit badly.

That skirt fitted badly.

Hello, is this Wang Li? (on the phone)

Hello, is that Wang Li? (on the phone)

I live on Zhenning Road.

I live in Zhenning Road.

Call me at 5555 5678.

Call me on 5555 5678.

I often watch TV on the weekend.

I often watch TV at the weekend.

• 1 I play basketball on weekends.

• 2 Please call me at 328921.

• 3 I have just lost my pen.

• 4 Hello, is that Hallie?

Find out if the statement is in American or British English. Then change it to the other form .

I play basketball at weekends.

Please call me on 328921.

I just lost my pen.

Hello, is this Hallie?

AmE

AmE

AmE

AmEBrE

BrE

BrE

BrE

AmE vs BrE• There are some differences between

them in :

• Vocabulary • Spelling• Grammar

Read the following dialogue carefully, and find out if the underlined sentences are British or American English.

• Sam: Hi David .How are you? • David: Fine, have you just come back from New

York? • Sam: yeah, I just came back here. • David: How was your summer holiday, Sam? • Sam: Excellent, during my summer vacation I joi

ned a soccer ball club.• David: Good! I also practised playing football this

summer too. • Sam: Ok. Please call me at 33543165 if the stu

dents’ union organizes a soccer ball match. • David: Good idea! You may call me on 2568227

5.

BrE

AmE

AmE

BrE

AmE

BrE

Change the underlined words and phrases from American to British English. Then ,practise the new dialogue with a partner.

Li Hua: Hello, (1) is this ____ Dai Jun?Dai Jun: Yes. Hi,Li Hua, how are you?Li Hua: I’m okay now, but I just had the worst morning ever!Dai Jun: What happened?Li Hua: I went to the shopping (2)center ______ near Huaihai Road, to change the new shoes I bought, the ones that (3)fit ______ badly, for bigger ones.

One saleswoman was in the (4) bathroom _____ and the other was watching a TV (5) program _______ behind the counter.

that

centre

fitted

toiletprogramme

Neither of them would help me! Finally , I got help, but they only had the shoes in a (6) color _____ I didn’t like. I wanted to complain, but when I asked to see the manager, they told me, ‘Oh, sorry, (7) she just went home _________________.’Dai Jun: what a terrible shop! What did you do ?Li Hua: They gave me a number to phone the manager (8)at _____ , so I called when I got home. Now I feel a bit better, but I still don’t have new shoes!

colour

She’s just gone home.

on

Pair work

Suppose that you’re Annie from London, Britain, and your partner Hallie from California, America. This time Hallie has just come back from New York. She met Annie in the street.

• Hallie: Hi Annie. How are you? • Annie: Fine, have you just come back from New • York? • Hallie: Yeah, I __________here last Monday.• Annie: How is your winter holiday, Hallie? • Hallie: Excellent, during my winter_______ I • watched a movie called ‘Parent Trap’ and I • loved it. I love movies. • Annie: Oh, it sounds interesting. You know, I love • _____ too. We can watch them __weekends • later.• Hallie: Ok. Please call me at 8768 9645 if you get • any news.• Annie: No problem! Call me __ 65795431.• Hallie: Ok. See you!• Annie: Goodbye!

came back

vacation

films

at

on

Homework:

1.Try to collect more words or expressions which are different in British English and American English in the three ways.

2. Talk with your group members after class which language you prefer and why.

3.Go to the following websites to get more information about American English and British English

http://esl.about.com/library/weekly/aa110698.htm

www.aasky.com/english/