Two Varieties Of English
Two Varieties of English
While both versions of the language have the same roots, the last 400-odd years have produced some pretty strong variation in the English language that can seem worlds apart. Both British English and American English are commonly taught in schools around the world. These two varieties of English are mutually understandable, but depending on the region, American and British English have large differences in spelling, vocabulary, and pronunciation.
One difference is spelling. Some words are spelt one way in Great Britain but spelled another way in the United States. A person goes to a British theatre but to an American theater. British students theorise, analyse, and socialise, whereas American students theorize, analyze, and socialize. Therefore, the differences often come about because British English has tended to keep the spelling of words it has absorbed from other languages, while American English has adapted the spelling to reflect the way that the words actually sound when they're spoken.
A second area of difference is vocabulary. Some words in one dialect may have a completely different meaning in the other, or vice versa. For example, the word college names two very different types of schools in Great Britain and the United States-pre-university level in Great Britain and university level in the United States. In addition, British university students live in halls on campus and in flats off campus, but American students live in dormitories on campus and in apartments off campus.
Finally,
All in all, students of English will notice the differences between the languages used in Britain and in the Unite States, yet they are still learning the same language. The written forms of British and American English vary surprisingly little, while the most noticeable differences will be in the spoken form of British English. Winston Churchill once said: “England and America are two countries separated by a common language.” True then, true
While both versions of the language have the same roots, the last 400-odd years have produced some pretty strong variation in the English language that can seem worlds apart. Both British English and American English are commonly taught in schools around the world. These two varieties of English are mutually understandable, but depending on the region, American and British English have large differences in spelling, vocabulary, and pronunciation.
One difference is spelling. Some words are spelt one way in Great Britain but spelled another way in the United States. A person goes to a British theatre but to an American theater. British students theorise, analyse, and socialise, whereas American students theorize, analyze, and socialize. Therefore, the differences often come about because British English has tended to keep the spelling of words it has absorbed from other languages, while American English has adapted the spelling to reflect the way that the words actually sound when they're spoken.
A second area of difference is vocabulary. Some words in one dialect may have a completely different meaning in the other, or vice versa. For example, the word college names two very different types of schools in Great Britain and the United States-pre-university level in Great Britain and university level in the United States. In addition, British university students live in halls on campus and in flats off campus, but American students live in dormitories on campus and in apartments off campus.
Finally,
All in all, students of English will notice the differences between the languages used in Britain and in the Unite States, yet they are still learning the same language. The written forms of British and American English vary surprisingly little, while the most noticeable differences will be in the spoken form of British English. Winston Churchill once said: “England and America are two countries separated by a common language.” True then, true