Question
Updated on
24 Dec 2018
- Japanese
-
English (UK)
-
English (US)
Question about English (UK)
A couple of my online English teachers from England said to me like,
" It's lovely you learn English not American English!"
or like,
"It is great you get to know the difference of language between English and Americans!"
or,
"In English, we wouldn't use that. It's very American."
I mean..
What does this mean?
American English is also called English,isn't it?
and my teachers call british English as " English"
and call English spoken in the States as "Americans" or " American English"
but
I thought and I believe that both called English.
If they call American English "American English",
for me, British teachers' English is British English,isn't it?
A couple of my online English teachers from England said to me like,
" It's lovely you learn English not American English!"
or like,
"It is great you get to know the difference of language between English and Americans!"
or,
"In English, we wouldn't use that. It's very American."
I mean..
What does this mean?
American English is also called English,isn't it?
and my teachers call british English as " English"
and call English spoken in the States as "Americans" or " American English"
but
I thought and I believe that both called English.
If they call American English "American English",
for me, British teachers' English is British English,isn't it?
" It's lovely you learn English not American English!"
or like,
"It is great you get to know the difference of language between English and Americans!"
or,
"In English, we wouldn't use that. It's very American."
I mean..
What does this mean?
American English is also called English,isn't it?
and my teachers call british English as " English"
and call English spoken in the States as "Americans" or " American English"
but
I thought and I believe that both called English.
If they call American English "American English",
for me, British teachers' English is British English,isn't it?
Answers
Read more comments
- English (UK)
@Miki_J people in America say they speak English. People in the U.K. say they speak English. Both statements are correct.
When you discuss the differences between how English is spoken in the U.K and America, you'll hear the terms "British English" or "American English".
I wouldn't get too caught up in it.
Highly-rated answerer
Was this answer helpful?
- English (UK) Near fluent
- Thai
@Miki_J They are both English but Americans and British people seem to not like each other’s English.
My British teachers are also like that.
I also believe that they are both Englsih
Was this answer helpful?
- English (UK)
- English (US)
That's right. Most Japanese learners tend to learn American English so they can communicate in a standard way. Both Americans and British people are proud of and prefer their dialect of English, and want people to speak their style of English, so your English teachers from England were probably happy to hear your using their dialect. Since American English was created based on British English, it's likely that the people in England consider British English to be the original English, and therefore they don't need to add "British" at the beginning.
By the way, while Japanese language learners are generally aware of British and American English, did you know that these are just a few of the many dialects in the world? There is also Australian English, NZ English, and Canadian English. In addition to this, there are many countries around the world which use English as an official language, creating Philippino English, Kenyan English, and Malaysian English. There are other countries who are trying to teach their people English to be able to communicate internationally. This creates the dialects of Chinese English, Saudi English, and Japanese English. However as you know, dialects are not only limited to pronunciation. If you've ever heard the phrases "grow up the economy" or "service" to mean something is free, these are features of Japanese English.
Now you might be thinking that these are all just dialects, and not standard English like British and American. But did you know that even within England, the range of dialects are so different that sometimes people can't understand eachother? This is especially true when you compare the northern and southern parts of England or America.
To summarize, there are many many different dialects in the world, of which British and American English make up a tiny fraction. English people are proud of British English, and that's ok!
Highly-rated answerer
Was this answer helpful?
- English (US)
- English (UK)
It really depends on what you mean by the difference. When America had its revolutionary war and became its own country. The commissioned Noah Webster to craft their own version of the language. He did this by taking the letter u or if words. Color is American colour is British. Neighbour British neighbor is American. As far as the rules of grammar etc there is not much difference. What you are likely thinking of are slang words that later became common usage. Or things that came along after the split. Trunk of a car VS the boot of a car. Despite being Canadian and speaking more of the American dialect. When I'm in the UK people always tell me I sound "posh". It's because I don't use a lot of slang words. That is the major difference. If you learn English well, the version you speak matters a lot less.
The thing to remember if you want to be able to be understood by the most amount of people. Is spell British but speak American. The British basically spread their version of English through colonialism. So more places that speak English use their spelling. Canada, South Africa, Honduras, Australia basically anywhere they had a colony. The spoken version was spread through US television so more people will recognize their expressions and slang.
Was this answer helpful?
- English (UK)
To think is when you are thinking that moment but I do think is when you have thought before and that you can do it
Was this answer helpful?
[News] Hey you! The one learning a language!
Do you know how to improve your language skills❓ All you have to do is have your writing corrected by a native speaker!
With HiNative, you can have your writing corrected by native speakers for free ✍️✨.
With HiNative, you can have your writing corrected by native speakers for free ✍️✨.
Sign up
Related questions
Recommended Questions
- Are these sentences natural? Please rephrase them. Than you. CDE is a YouTuber. He speaks ov...
- Does it sound natural? I think great about it.
- "We walked to the station in 10 minutes." This sentence was on a textbook, and it said it mean...
- Is "handout" formal? and May you teach me the formal word "handout"
- Recently I heard a story on a podcast about how a teenager went snowboarding with his friends at ...
Topic Questions
- How do you say "2m x 1m" in English? ex. I would like to buy a small rectangle area rug 2m x 1m.
- (at an ESL class) "Please check your answers against your partner's ones." Hello! Do you thin...
- Is “hands down” a synonym for “definitely” or “absolutely”?
- 📍Do these have the same meaning and sound natural? The perception of how the word sounds like wo...
- These revisions maintain the same meaning while providing a smoother flow to the sentences. Is t...
Newest Questions
- Is this okay to say? If I were you I bought that car. I know that is grammatically incorrect b...
- I would like to communicate with an English-speaking girl to improve my English. Please respond i...
- • How often do you see (each other)? • We are seeing (each other) right now. (1) like We (a man ...
- (Before the ESL teacher is going to play a CD) ”Let's practice these words' pronunciation to the...
- A: "Since when have you liked baseball?" B: "Since I was 16 years old." Hello! Do you think t...
Previous question/ Next question
Thank you! Rest assured your feedback will not be shown to other users.
Thank you very much! Your feedback is greatly appreciated.