ENGLISH LANGUAGE DIFFERENCES
When most people hear of the English language, they usually think of the United Kingdom, the United States, or other common English-speaking countries. But English is a global language used by many people all over the world.
If you are planning to study English for your professional career you should choose the right English variant to be sure that you will understand your colleagues.
English speaking countries
English is one of the most speaking languages in the world. It counts around 1,5 billions of speakers all over the world, which is 20% of the Earth’s population. This 20% are not limited to only American and British English, the language is different from one county to another.
USA, Great Britain, Australia and New Zealand are all English speaking countries. They are located in different parts of the world and the English language differs in each country. It differs in many ways such as different vocabulary, spelling, and accent. There are also a lot of countries where English is not the official language of the country or considered as a second language.
Choosing the right English variant
This strategic decision requires some careful consideration. If you are planning to work abroad, you should choose the right English variant to be sure that you will be able to understand and to speak with your colleagues.
There are standard written forms that will be clear to all English speakers but, as we said, English is various all over the world. A native US English speaker might not identify with a text written in UK English and vice versa.
Your decision will depend on some questions, such as:
What country are you targeting?
What forms of English do people use in this country?
What is your purpose for learning English?
Vocabulary
The first difference you may notice is a different vocabulary. One word can have different names in different English variants. You need to pay attention to words that you use, because it even may cause you problems.
For example, in British English, we say Flip-flops, in American English it is Slippers, but in Australian we will say Thongs. Thong in British English is a piece of underwear or the bottom part of a bikini with a very narrow part at the back that does not cover the bottom. To avoid such situations, make sure you are aware of the vocabulary differences.
Spelling
In different types of English words are spelt differently. Writing a formal letter to your colleague, make sure you are not making any mistakes. The good thing is that British and Australian English share the same spelling, but it is different from American English.
For example, -or and -our.
In British and Australian English we write colour, but in American English, we write color.
Accent
The most obvious difference between British English, Australian English is in accents or pronunciation. This difference is especially noticeable in /r/ sounds, vowel sounds or intonation. Watch different videos to better understand different English accents.
These differences can be frustrating and difficult, but it is not as difficult as it may seem.
Have you ever wondered which English accent you should learn?