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Axastradra  +  254051 Wed, 09 Aug 06 03:13 PM
My country used British Engish. My teacher, who study at USA since she was 17, said that their language is totally confusing. She said that she need half month to get along with that....Uk english is more specific, but my country spoke not only British english, but most of them speak BROKEN english!!!!!Wink [;)]
Joined on Mon, Jul 31 2006
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Grammar Geek  +  254177 Wed, 09 Aug 06 11:07 PM

You know, there is no SINGLE American accent. I've heard people who sound like a squawking goose lodged in their throat who are born-and-bred American speakers, and many more people with lovely enunciation. The same with British English.

Because I read so many Britich novels, I do sometimes get confused about spellings, because something that is a misspelling in AmE is correct in BrE.

Joined on Tue, Jan 10 2006
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Barbara, who answers in American English. My housekeeping skills attest to the truth of the second law of thermodynamics: Left to themselves, things get more and more random!
YoHf  +  254563 Thu, 10 Aug 06 10:25 PM
 Grammar Geek wrote:

You know, there is no SINGLE American accent. I've heard people who sound like a squawking goose lodged in their throat who are born-and-bred American speakers, and many more people with lovely enunciation. The same with British English.

Good point. Although I deeply loathe some American accents, I admit that some of them happen to be just as good as the British ones.

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Anonymous, 3 yr 93 days ago
I agree with you.I hate to change the subject but do you know how many people actually know English,and have you heard that English is supposed to be used by less than five percent of the world's population by 2050.As far as my research at least 2 billion people  know or have good knowledge of English.I predict English is destined to be the world's most spoken language.Thank you and I hope I didn't misspell any words!
monfrancom  +  258639 Wed, 23 Aug 06 07:31 PM

Reapply to inissial poughst. (though - poughst!)

Is this "arogant", or is it "arrogant", or is it "a-row-guant"?  To ask the question is to answer it!  The united statesians kept that trait from their "fore farthers".  As did the Quanadians.  With enuff  information (spoken in French gives "information"), u kan get bi.  Some body actually cares!

As one of this land (myyyyy fore farthers came to this land thousands of years ago crossing the Berring straight, and weren't even recognized as having a soul by the roman church -circa 1525- therefore justifying making slaves out of them - they got screwed though, because people of the First Nations were terrible slaves, disobedient and all! -so- they went looking to Africa for slaves) I have had english shoved down my throat from birth.  I was bilingual when I first went to school at age five.  Colonialism still rocks real hard here in Kanada!

I mean it's made its way to Québec (pronounced kouabeck by the english who refuse to say Kaybeck -which they could if they had the good will) where they will start teaching English when children start grade one at the tender age of 6 years old.  This, of course, proves that colonialism in this country survives to this day, and even among French Canadians who are assimilated -to varying degrees.

At this point in my life, I've gotten over it and am putting forth tremendous effort to assert myself by speaking English when it suits me and not when it suits the pretentious other.  So when the pretentious tell me to "speak white"  I say "f*** y**, is that white enough for you?"  And English folks in this country are still telling me to speak white.

After "Le déclin de l'empire américain" (http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=F1ARTF0002195), a friend suggested the overpowering ego of Americains came to them through the greeks who thought that THEY were the perfect incarnation of "man"! (Americains are those who live in the Americas even if united statesians do have a very big ego and Canadians are wimps)  Only big egos would fight over -ise and -ize.  Get a life.

But, to answer your question "Why American English?", it's called "ego"!  I mean, what else can it be: how do you justify calling a united statesian American when the latter namesake should actually refer to all those living on the two continents?  I mean, I'm an American since I live in Canada, but you would never refer to me as such since that word is reserved for united statesians.  The bottom line then, is that the English can simply never agree... wherever they come from!!!

Of course, you could replace the word "English"  and replace it with "people", and the statement would still be true!

All this being said, may I quote u? "Sorry for being a bit rude but this really gets me."

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Englishuser  +  258643 Wed, 23 Aug 06 07:51 PM
 Monfrancom wrote:

But, to answer your question "Why American English?", it's called "ego"!  I mean, what else can it be: how do you justify calling a united statesian American when the latter namesake should actually refer to all those living on the two continents?  I mean, I'm an American since I live in Canada, but you would never refer to me as such since that word is reserved for united statesians. 

You have a good point. Some people use North American English rather than American English.

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John Baker  +  262541 Mon, 04 Sep 06 02:44 PM

Why do you care so much...... if you don't like it that's ok , there are people that prefer american english.....

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Anonymous, 3 yr 78 days ago

Corrections  - I suppose it depends on how powerful a country is, and not simply because it's American. Nowadays the U.S.A is the most powerful and is also a very rich country, many people the world over want to learn its language. If America was a small and poor country, then this would not be the case. Maybe you would not even have heard about U.S.A English.So take ir easy and try to make your country the richest and most powerful one. BTW, english is not my native tongue, if anyone finds any faults, please point them out to me, thanks.

   Well I agree with you that America is one of the most powerful countries in the world, certainly in terms of military might and big business corporations. If it wasn't for the U.S.A speaking English some other language would be the world business language, so you have made a fair point. However the language evolved differently in the United States and some of the usage there is hard to comprehend. The word "gotten" for example, is spoken like 18th century Olde English, it was changed in modern English. I think the discussion is about personal choices and freedom of choosing the British style or the American style, it's the same language basically. Unfortunately the American way is not always the best, if it was life would be so much simpler, however the lasting impression one gets from most of the American media is that the American way is the best and the only way. I wish you the best of luck in your language learning, remember that English is a language not owned by any country, it's the peoples' language.

Anonymous, 3 yr 70 days ago
The main reason for the spelling difference's is that Naoh Webster wanted to simpify the language.  I mean really...do you pronounce the U in colour (color) or how does it sound when you say colonisation (colonization).  It sounds more like a Z instead of an S.  We also have to remember that languages throughout history changed and evolve through time.  Lets think about it, you are upset that American changed the spelling.  The Romans should be outraged with all of Europe for changing Latin which gave Europe all of its languages that we know today.  Accoding to you logic, we all should speak Latin because we butchered that.  English is not from England, it is a language that borrows from all over Europe...It has Latin, French, German, Whales, Scotish and many other words that have roots in another language. 
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