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British english vs American english Not all english is made equal. Despite the fact that all english speakers can understand each other (by and large), english spoken in the various english-speaking countries varies dramatically, in terms of vocabulary, sentence structure and grammar. For the purposes of this article, we will look at British, American and Australasian english. Although it might be thought that english spoken in the Austrlasian countries is very similar in style and structure, there are differences between australian and New Zealand english, as well as between British and Australasian english. Problems may arise for students in these countries. In terms of day-to-day vocabulary, flip flops are called ?jandals? in New Zealand and ?thongs? in Australia; what would normally be known as red/green/yellow pepper in Britain would be called a ?capsicum? in Australasia; ?crisps? in Britain are known as ?chips? in Australasia, and what British people call ?chips? are known as ?hot chips? Down Under ? no one will have a clue what you're talking about if you ask where the ?crisps? are in a supermarket! Americans refer to ?crisps? as ?potato chips? and ?chips? as ?fries? ? ordering food as a foreigner can be confusing!Other different pieces of American english vocabulary include:?sneakers?, ?vacation?, ?jelly? (for jam), ?fall? (for autumn), ?pacifier?, ?gas?, ?elevator?, ?freeway? and ?sidewalk?, to name but a few. It is fair to say that the American english vocabulary is well worth learning separately, especially if students intend to work or travel there, or are already studying there. Aside from the vocabulary differences, Americans and Australasians form their sentences differently to British people. Inflection and intonation is different, too. This can be confusing for a learner of english, particularly at the beginning of their studies. When teaching english, we as teachers cover emphasis and stress on various syllables and parts of the sentence. While British speakers generally follow the standard rules, Americans and Australasians place stresses on different parts of the words, phrases and sentences. For example, whereas the majority of British english speakers will primarily raise their voice at the end of questions, Americans and Australasians raise their voices at the end of the majority of their phrases and sentences. This can be very confusing for english students and if not covered correctly, it could prove to be difficult in everyday life, particularly if students are living and learning in one of these countries. In this instance, it would be necessary to adapt the classes and lessons to make students aware of the differences in British, American and Australasian english, spending the most time studying the commonalities of the language spoken in the country in which the lessons are being taught but still covering British english rules and habits. Another consideration when thinking about the differences between American, Australasian and British english is accents. Even for native english speakers, english spoken in different accents in different parts of the globe can prove difficult to understand, so it is fair to say that a student of english would share the same difficulties, if not experience them more. It is my opinion that being able to hear and understand different accents is a matter of being immersed in them. It may be that a student of english learns english in Australia, comes to understand the nuances and accent of australian english and then moves to America or Britain only to be encountered with a new accent and a new set of nuances to pick up and understand. This does take time, but with confidence in their ability and a good understanding of basic rules and grammar, an english student will be able to navigate their way through different countries' accents. It may take some time or it may be very easy, but accents must be understood through being immersed in the language of native speakers. In conclusion, British, American and Australasian english has many variations. Some of these can be taught, some of them can't, but primarily, understanding and grasping the differences between english spoken in different english-speaking countries is something that is best done by gaining as much experience of language from being around and conversating with native speakers.
