ESL and dialects (inspired by the Banner Competition)

[Sualtam Lugh]

Car park instead of parking lot eh?

In Canada we use Parking lot, but we use honour, and armour and colour. ANd I would never call the Americanized english language english. Call it broken english. The lack of ties to Britian has done to to the english language what the lack of ties Quebec to France has done to their french language. **** France, go Broken Québecois french any day.

[Deleted User 1]

Here in Kentucky we have it pretty bad for the most part. Slang is thrown about all over the place.

Our English teachers are great, though. During my stint in high school, all of my English teachers tought the language perfectly. They even mentioned the differences in color and colour, armor and armour, etc...

There's English, American English, and then there's Kentucky English, which is a whole other ball park.

I mean... ball lot?

[?Guile?]

us americans are just lazy so we took out a few letters.
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Jus Don't Mess Wit Me...

[nightrider]

Here in the US we don't have many books changed like that, or at least the ones I don't read. I have read many books (for school and for pleasure) from the UK that have not been changed at all, however I never read any Potter books. Saben, I do not appreciate you calling my language "stupefied" because the American society has chosen to spell words differently or use different phrases then your own. There are terms from Britain and England that do not make sense to me like "water closet." I don't think that American English is any better then true English, but I also don't feel that it is inferior. By your logic it's saying that current English is the stupefied version of the English that authors like Shakespeare used, on the grounds that it is modified to some extent.
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"The hood ornament on your car is for telling you where you're going. The rear-view-mirror is for showing you how good you look while you're getting there." David Lee Roth

[Saben]

Yup, I enjoy Shakespearean English and do think that modern day English is also 'stupified', I mean the difference between 'thee' and 'thou' is the same as the difference between 'me' and 'I'. I fully support the King James version of the Bible as opposed to the modern day simplified versions, just as I am deadset opposed against any simplification of Shakespeare or other classic works. As for simplifying the language for international usage (I agree that English is hard for non-native speakers to learn) I think everyone should just use Esperanto.

[Edge Riou]

I personally speak English and I was wondering if English is the most different language compared to the other world-wide languages (and yes, I find it sad that I do not know this question).
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[Njord]

In Kuwait English is our second language. It is one of the basic classes in our schools. What we really study is the British English. However, we are more influenced with the American English, because of the American movies that we see.

Speaking about Kuwaitis, we are influenced by the American English more than the British English; however, we are in need of British English speakers, since the majority of foreign people in Kuwait use the British English.

I remember once in high school we had to write about the differences between both of British and American English. What we get in conclusion that the American English is a lot easier to teach and learn than the British English, because of its words that are easy to remember and pronounce.

By doing this report, we got a few tips about how to make the British English easier to learn. One of the points was to use the British words more in our discussions and daily lives.
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[Shrew]

[Gwendal]

[kuwaizair]

I "can't even get english right" so I think I'd be sad trying to learn somthing else.
I can't even learn the language of math.
but who knows, I was classiflyed all through out school, and no one, then those who saw I wasn't a halfwit didn't ask if I wanted to learn somthing.
I had friends who's GPA or whatever was so high, always they -had to take a language-.

so heres idiot me with poor poor english and a speech problem (any language out there that dosen't have a lot of S's and Sh sounds?)
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few runes short of a set of 27

[Jurhael]

As a Greek/American, I use American English and speak American English. My Greek mother does too, but she's lived in America for about 27 years, so she probably used to learn by British English until she moved to America when she was 18.

I'm not going to get thrown off by British spelling though as it's little different than American anyway. Centre=Center. Gray/Grey OHHH! Hard! But, I did get thrown off by "Water Closet" until I remembered how "WC" was used for bathroom. So, I'm assuming that Water Closet=Potty?

Then again, in the US itself, it's not uncommon to have something like spigot, faucet and fountain mean the same thing.

[Seakida]

Wow, I always thought that this forum was american dominated, I stand corrected.
Well for all you who dislike the american-english language, I kneel down for your roasting. I am just a naive 15 year old American.
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-Mercanary Leader of Eastern Muse-

[Elc]

As Pyroflame pointed out, in Canada we pretty much use a hybrid of English and "American". Through-out my life, I've don't believe I've ever used "car park" though I have used "car port". I also spell colour, etc. with the "u" though with the "s"/"z" variation on some of the words I usually use a "z" ("zed", not "zee". I only use "zee" when it's part of an official title, such as "ZZ Top")

[Daniel Blackhand]

Being an American I have to say that all of the rules and structure in the English language is very difficult. Most Americans can speak it very well, but the average American has a hard time following all of the rules when we have to write with it. And the words with multiple meanings when used differently is staggering to me.
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[Schala-Kid]

i bake biscuits, not cookies. (yet american english has perveresed the word cookie to mean something completly different). i take an elevator, not a lift. i eat tomahtoes, not tow-may-toes. i like the colours of the rainbow, no particular color.

the economic implications of having to translate and change text books in not justified: all of the text books at my uni, while at times localised in Subject content, are not altered to suite our british system.

while it irks me, i understand that it would be a waste of resources. people in america at the printing press would be "irked" re-doing a book in what they consider "Crazy" english. there would be unjustifiable costs involed in sending a "different" edition to press. after all, the MAJORITY of words and expressions are common between the two english systems. plus, whatever doesn't sell in america can get shipped off to "crazy" english speaking places, or just hit the press with the american edition. wouldn't want to give the job to "english" printers to modify it. keep jobs in america and maintain the american economic "superiority" (dominance)

ooh, let's not get into that shall we. :shock:

yet the spelling in text books do not irk me. what does is when idiots expect you to conform to their system. my ex was american, and he was bothered by my english words. his american i would only play up once he started criticising *he liked doing that a lot to me* anyway, no. i speak the way i speak, and i will not expect anyone to change, or constantly comment on how "bad" it sounds, unless you do it first.

of course, i could giggle a little, because it is something different. but i wouldn't go so far as to kick up a fuss, call it a "disgusting" accent, and what not.


afterall, we Australians have the "sexiest" English accent. (so it would appear, but i prefer the british accent)

the biggest place i noticed a "uniformity" amongst english is in singing. watching Australian Idol, i was indeed irked that it appears when ANYONE sings, it defaults to american pronounciation. i can't change it either. the only time it changes is in goth, rock or punk songs, where a non-american accent adds GREAT effect, or people who will not give in: suprisingly, listen to the 'musical' garbage that is the Spice Girls.

the reason the "americanisation" of singing is that it's seemingly unconcious. for those who did not learn american, adopting an American accent involves straining our more relaxed voices to change pitch to "anal" range, and tone to "pleasant".

I'd rather sound harsh than (sickeningly) saccharine. yet i Totally understand what an american says. i just can't stand those who think we got it all wrong. I don't think you got it wrong either. it's just a difference of bitter unresolved resentment towards britain, haha!