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Curious in southern U.S.A.
Message de aislynn posté le 22-10-2005 à 06:01:21 (S | E | F | I)
This may be aniave naïve question, but here it goes. How much difference is there really between English and American English. I'm an American (if it isn't obvious 
) and have heard "English" only on BBC, etc. But if some person is trying to learn english as a second language, are the two englishs really that different to learn? I always thought that the differences only are found in terminology, not actual grammar. Is that incorrect? Curious in southern US. Thanks!
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Edité par traviskidd le 22-10-2005 19:51
Message de aislynn posté le 22-10-2005 à 06:01:21 (S | E | F | I)
This may be a
) and have heard "English" only on BBC, etc. But if some person is trying to learn english as a second language, are the two englishs really that different to learn? I always thought that the differences only are found in terminology, not actual grammar. Is that incorrect? Curious in southern US. Thanks!-------------------
Edité par traviskidd le 22-10-2005 19:51
Réponse: Curious in southern U.S.A. de jier, postée le 22-10-2005 à 10:43:27 (S | E)
Hi !
When we learn English over here, we mean British English of course.
And American is just considered as a regional dialect with minor differences in spelling and pronunciation.
When travelling in the USA, I've never been handicapped by the fact of speaking British English with a French accent !
Does that answer your question ?
Have a nice weekend.
Jier
Réponse: Curious in southern U.S.A. de romanne, postée le 22-10-2005 à 14:53:29 (S | E)
Hello,
In France students learn British English mainly, but they are also used to hearing American accents and they are told about the differences between American English and British English. For example they learn how the Americans say an elevator, or holidays, etc... They know that there are spelling changes ( labour / labor , civilisation / civilization ) .
There are also differences in the use of the present perfect and the past simple. You say : I just arrived , whereas British speakers say : I have just arrived.
But as jier said they are minor differences.
Réponse: Curious in southern U.S.A. de minimitch, postée le 22-10-2005 à 19:35:12 (S | E)
Hello,
Well, the case of the BBC is a bit more complex since it's considered as the "purest" English that should be spoken.
It's not really British English (I work in England, and a very few of them speak that way), it's what is called "non localized English" which means "the English that most of the people can understand without difficulties".
Talking about what Frenchmen learn at school : between British and American English, the main differences mostly concern vocabulary and the spelling of words (often pronounced the same way). BUT it's higly recommended that you keep using the same type of Englsih throughout a text or a conversation ; in other words, you cannot mix them up.
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Edité par minimitch le 22-10-2005 19:36
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Edité par lucile83 le 23-10-2005 07:33
Capital letters please !
Réponse: Curious in southern U.S.A. de laydown009, postée le 25-10-2005 à 12:41:13 (S | E)
Hello, for " curious in southern U.S.A." i wonder how 's the different between British english and American english as they are the same english .
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