Hello, MyEC Learners (and Teachers)!
Let's have a survey. If you're going to master or learn the English language, would you focus on American English or British English? Why?
There are some differences to consider in terms of pronunciation, spelling and expressions.
Note that there are other varieties of English such as North American, Australian, New Zealand English and so on. This topic is presented for observation purposes only.
Please share your thoughts and rational answers on the comment below. Thank you!
My best regards,
Robbie
Replies
Hi, Sir Jeffrey,
I noticed whenever I watch videos of ESL teachers on YouTube about teaching English, there are some contradicting comments if the speaker is American or British. Preferably it points out his or her accent.
I agree with you on the second paragraph. I found listening and watching English as an effective tool to acquire the language. I've tried them several times. It's funny that I unintentionally mixed both accent when I recorded a news article on my phone, specifically the words "can't" and "and" which have different pronunciation. In any case, thanks once again for your valuable comment.
Robbie
@ Zer Ray
Thank you for sharing your views about this topic. I think, it doesn't hurt to learn many varieties of English as long as we choose what's suitable to us and be consistent in using it whether in writing or speaking. Happy learning!
Likewise here, British English is taught on all education levels. Like it or not, we had to learn and master it. However, in university, the system is a bit lenient as students can choose which version to use as long as they are consistent in terms of the language usage. I personally have no strong liking on either version so I am kind of neutral. I would say my English is mixed although my accent sounds more to British than American.
@ Arif
Thank you for sharing some information about this topic. That at least gave me an idea as to what variety of English is being taught in your country.
@ Sir Jeffrey
Thank you for taking the time to share some information about you, as an ESL teacher. I agree with you, language has changed over time and new words are added to the dictionary. I found the British English as a challenging opportunity to learn. I was a bit torn as to what to keep on studying since American English is very popular in my country primarily due to colonialism. A lot of American shows are aired on national TV (though there are some British TV shows that are becoming popular these days such as "Reign" and "Downton Abbey"). Another thing is that business processing outsource companies are mostly from the U.S.
Anyway, I'm glad to know your perspective about this topic! Thanks again!
Cheers,
Robbie