I found this video about some common differences in words in British and American English and I thought they were interesting. Here is the link..http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GwbpY4eNOgE. It relates to language in an interesting way, which is why I chose it. Even though the two countries speak the same language, you could say they speak two languages based on the differences in pronunciation of certain words and in some words altogether.
What I found most interesting is that these words are some of the most common everyday objects, yet they are still different in the same language somehere else. Personally, I thought that words such as "pants" or "movie" were universal to all English. I was obviously wrong. I agree with the video because I have seen the same phenomenon occur with Spanish in Puerto Rico and in Mexico. It did make me want to learn more about the topic; it made me wonder if some of the common words I use in English could potentially offend someone from Britain.
If I were to travel there, I would have to become a bit more familiar with their common words! The same would be true for other international travelers.
I recently travelled with a group through Aisa and was fascinated by the differences in language between a guy from London, a couple from Australia and 2 sisters from New Zealand. The girls from South Island were so difficult for me to understand I had to make them repeat over and over, a "bed" became a "bead", etc.
ReplyDeleteIt is funny how similar, yet different the words are. It is so weird how hardly anyone puts thought into the way languages are set up. I have a cultural communications class at GCC and we talk about things like this all the time. It is very interesting. I really enjoy the British accent it sounds so neat.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing some of the differences that exist in English. We'll be looking at more of them later in the semester. Cheerio!
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ReplyDeleteI plan on visiting England someday too. I guess I'll have to study their slang before I go. No one likes looking like a tourist! haha
ReplyDeleteThat's an interesting concept. It's all that "dialect" fun. Which should actually be pretty entertaining once we get to it in class.
ReplyDeleteWow! That video was too interesting and funny. It is really funny how something so ordinary in our country is used completely different in another. Thanks for sharing.
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