Culture - How Americanisms are killing the English language So it turns out I can no longer speak English. This was the alarming realisation foisted upon me by Matthew Engel’s witty, cantankerous yet nonetheless persuasive polemic That’s the Way it Crumbles: The American Conquest of English. Because by English, I mean British English. Despite having been born, raised and educated on British shores, it seems my mother tongue has been irreparably corrupted by the linguistic equivalent of the grey squirrel. And I’m not alone. Whether you’re a lover or a loather of phrases like “Can I get a decaf soy latte to go?” Speaking on the wireless in 1935, Alistair Cooke declared that “Every Englishman listening to me now unconsciously uses 30 or 40 Americanisms a day”. As a nation we’ve been both invaded and invader, and our language is all the richer for it But how did this happen and why should we care? The first American words to make it across the pond were largely utilitarian – signifiers for flora and fauna that didn’t exist back in Merrie England.
Discussion Social networking can be too dangerous for young people and should only be available to adults. Examiner: So, now we’re going to have a short discussion. You’ve got one minute to take notes and prepare together for a two-minute discussion. Remember to listen, take turns and explain your opinions. Kelvin: So, shall I start first? Melissa: Sure. Kelvin: Yeah, so we need to discuss whether social networking can be dangerous for young people and whether they should be only available to adults. Melissa: I disagree with that statement because I think young people can keep contact with old or new friends on their social network and it can develop their good relationships and it can increase their self-esteem. Melissa: I see your point, but I think it can give the teenagers a chance to notice who is good and who is bad and to try to learn how to protect themselves from these guys. Kelvin: That’s true, yes. Kelvin: Yes.
The History of the English Language, Animated By Maria Popova The history of language, that peculiar human faculty that Darwin believed was half art and half instinct, is intricately intertwined with the evolution of our species, our capacity for invention, our understanding of human biology, and even the progress of our gender politics. From the fine folks at Open University — who previously gave us these delightful 60-second animated syntheses of the world’s major religions, philosophy’s greatest thought experiments, and the major creative movements in design — comes this infinitely entertaining and illuminating animated history of the English language in 10 minutes: Complement with these 5 essential reads on language and the only surviving recording of Virginia Woolf’s voice, in which she explores the beauty of the English language.
Weird facts about the English language. English surprises us all the time with some of the coolest and strangest features that it manifests. It has been the largest language to have been thoroughly studied, revealing more about the peculiarities of this language. I came to you today with some of the strangest facts that research has revealed about English. Aside from being a language where one drives in parkway and parks in a driveway, recites in a play and plays in a recital, here are some other facts about English: You may find this odd or unbelievably ridiculous but it isn't the language of the motto of the British Crown either, it is French: "[Mon] Dieu et mon Droit".... 2. You might have heard of this before, but if you haven't, it's your lucky day. If you look carefully at the numbers, a pattern immediately emerges. Neat, huh! 3. Here is a cool demonstration that shows what I'm talking about. 1. The meaning changes completely based on the word you stress. 4. 5. 6. With this last fact I conclude my article.
Information gap activity Examiner: So, you’re planning a trip to the cinema together. You’ve got some information about films but your information’s not complete. Ask your partner to find out the missing information. Kelvin: So, the first film is Karemon but I don’t know the show times for it. Melissa: Let me see, it’s at one o’clock in the afternoon and 6:30. Kelvin: So, what is the ticket price for adults? Melissa: It’s 80 dollars. Kelvin: And the next one is Mr and Mrs Jones. Melissa: They are both international spies. Kelvin: International spies, wow! Melissa: It’s a comedy. Kelvin: Comedy. Melissa: The robot has taken over the world. Kelvin: Taken over the world, wow. Melissa: The ticket price is 75 dollars. Kelvin: 75 dollars. Melissa: It’s my turn. Kelvin: It’s a romance film. Melissa: I see. Kelvin: As you know, his country’s under attack so he has to fight and save his country. Melissa: He’s very brave. Kelvin: It shows how King Robert V became England’s greatest king. Kelvin: It is a horror film. Melissa: Yeah.
I spent a year in the UK, and I still use these British slang words - Insider In the year I spent living in London, I picked up some British slang words that I still find myself using back home in New York. Wonky, dodgy, and many others have become mainstays in my vocabulary.I've also started referring to French fries as "chips" just like my British counterparts.The Brits have so many slang words that are a part of their everyday speech that some hardly seem like slang at all.Visit Insider's homepage for more stories. I lived in the UK for just over a year, and moved back to New York last month. There are a few things I miss about living across the pond, and one has to be the British language. Yes, I know it's still English — I'm talking about their slang words. The British have a way of using words to describe things that are often indescribable. Though I may no longer live there, I've brought a bit of London back home with me in my language.
BBC Comedy - If Siri was Scottish. □ Talk about yourself Examiner: Hi. What’s your name? Kelvin: My name is Kelvin. Examiner: Kelvin, OK. So, Kelvin, I’m going to ask you a few questions. Kelvin: I think I like economics most because I can study different kinds of demand and supply theory and I can use it in my daily life to observe the market. Examiner: OK. Kelvin: Actually, I don’t like physics too much because I need to calculate many difficult questions and all those mathematics words. Examiner: I see. Kelvin: Yeah, sure. Examiner: OK, and what would you like to study there? Kelvin: I think I would like to study something about business. Examiner: OK, that’s great. Melissa: My name is Melissa. Examiner: Melissa? Melissa: Yeah. Examiner: Hi, Melissa. Melissa: I’ve got no sisters and brothers. Examiner: And your dog? Melissa: Yeah! Examiner: Great. Melissa: I like mathematics the most because I think it’s satisfying to calculate the solution. Examiner: OK. Melissa: And English, I think, because it’s fun to learn a language. Examiner: Great, OK.
Games With Words: Which English? Is Throw me down the stairs my shoes a good English sentence? The answer depends on where you live. Many people in Newfoundland find that sentence perfectly grammatical. By taking this quiz, you will be helping train a machine algorithm that is mapping out the differences in English grammar around the world, both in traditionally English-speaking countries and also in countries like Mexico, China, and India. At the end, you can see our algorithm's best guess as to which English you speak as well as whether your first (native) language is English or something else. In this quiz, you will decide which sentences are grammatical (correct) and which are not. Do not worry about whether the sentence is formal or 'proper' or is what you learned in school. Focus on your gut instincts. This experiment is being conducted by researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. About the research: This experiment examines people's knowledge of English grammar. Calculating score...