Do Americans speak English or American?

Автор: Кеммер Анастасия
ученица 11«Б» класса МОУ СОШ №6
г.Куйбышева, Новосибирской области
Руководитель: Казакова Е. В.
учитель английского языка

except, of course, language.” Oscar Wilde “America and

England are two great nations separated by the same language.”

Bernard Shaw

same language or two different languages?
Do the USA possess

their own language?

фонетические особенности

scholars who regard American English as one of the dialects

of the English language. This theory can hardly be accepted because a dialect is usually opposed to the literary variety of the language whereas American English possesses a literary variety of its own. Other scholars label American English “ a regional variety” of the English language. It is necessary to find out whether or not American English in its modern stage of development, possesses those characteristics which would support its status as an independent language. A language is supposed to possess a vocabulary and a grammar system of its own.

- autumn - fall

- cold snap (“a sudden frost”) - to think - to guess - blue-grass (“a sort of grass”) - ill, unwell - sick - sun-fish (“a fish with a round
flat golden body”)

historical

Americanisms

proper

In American usage these words still
retain their old meanings used by the first English migrants whereas in British English their meanings have changed.

On American soil the first English migrants were faced with a lack of words to describe all new things. Such words were formed.

words have developed new meanings and they are traceable

to the development of American ways of life.

in most cases, it differs in a few details.

British

English: American English:

honour honor
colour color
theatre theater
centre center
catalogue catalog
programme program

These groups of specifically American borrowings reflect the historical contacts

of the Americans with other nations on the American continent.

typical of both British and American English. Yet, this type

of word structure seems to be especially characteristic for American word-building. The following shortenings were produced on American soil, yet most of them are used both in American English and British English.
mo (for moment)
g. m. (for grandmother)
cert (certainty)
b. f. (for boy-friend)
gym (for gymnasium)

verbs “will” in American English and “shall” in British English

in the first person singular and plural of the FIT
The substitution of the Past Indefinite Tense for the Present Perfect Tense
(Am. Eng.) I saw this movie.
(Br. Eng.) I’ve seen this film.

The grammatical system of both varieties is actually the same, with very few exceptions.

or fall as much as that of BE.
American voices have

a higher pitch.
There are differences in the pronunciation of vowels and consonants:
AE {æ} – BE {а:} in class, last, bath;
the omission of { j } in AE – produce, stupid;
{ r } is sounded in all words where this letter appears: farmer, bird, hurt, tear.

The pronunciation of British English and the pronunciation of American English are similar.

all essential features, identical with that spoken in Great Britain.

In spite of all borrowings and newly invented words, American English is not a new language. American English and British English develop as variants of the English language constantly influencing each other.

the America» - г. Минск, издательство «Вышейшая школа» , 1997
Костина

Е. А. «About the USA» - г. Москва, издательство «Московский Лицей», 2001
Антрушина Г.Б. English Lexicology
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