ENGLISH MAGAZINE President
Dr. Gelasio Cardona Serna
Vicepresidente Dr. Gabriel de Jesús Acevedo
Rector
Dr. Juan Carlos Vergara Silva
Director: Dr. Monica Cuellar
Editorial Committee
Carlos A. Gutierrez Omayra Vargas C. Sandra Jaramillo Gladys Fuentes Javier Sanchez
Juan carlos barragan Jenny lagos
Aura carrero Henry castellanos Carlos delgadillo
Edgar Trujillo
Editors Sandra Jaramillo
Aura Carrero
Edition and publication
Instituto Superior de Pedagogía
Universidad Autónoma de Colombia
Design and illustration Cristy Soledad Pàez
Photography Sandra Torres
Electronic Edition Cristy Soledad Pàez
Contact
INVITATION
We’re pleased to invite you to
become a member of this magazine, as one of the
pioneers of this publication being a member of
provides you with a stellar opportunity to continue
increasing your abilities in the use of English Language
Writing is a trade in which every educated man,
woman, and child should be skilled. Writing is a trade,
which any one can master if he goes about it in the
right way. It is true that writing skill is often the only
trade of some people like the poets, novelists,
newspaper reporters and editors. These might be
called specialists in writing, and writing is their main
occupation and way of making a living. But writing skill
is a universal trade and it is necessary for every person
to know it to a certain extent.
A person will never regret the time he spends in
perfecting his instrument of expression. He should
work steadily toward the point where he may come to
have an abiding love for that which is lucid and
beautiful in expression by words. No matter how
practical the life he plans to lead, the power of writing
down his ideas in good English, in a way that will leave
no doubt as to what he meant and how earnestly he
meant it, will always profit him.
Finally we would like to thank you for taking the time
to read this letter and to consider being a part of this
project.
cont
ent
5 Editorial
English at the University
8 The importance of English
Monica Cuellar
9 English at autonomous university
English teachers
10 English discoveries
Sandra Jaramillo
11The world of English for specific purposes
Aura Carrero
Re-read 12Competence vs economics
Omaira Vargas
13 How to be a successful student Cristy Soledad Paez
14 What is Ning?
Gladys Fuentes
15 American English vs British English
Carlos Gutierrez
16 English: What for?
Eduardo Arias
17 How to make an oral presentation
Javier Sanchez
18 Linguistic mediators in the process of translation
Juan Carlos Barragan
19 The teacher we need, the teacher we have
Jenny Lagos
20 Puzzles and games
Henry Castellanos
21 Save to travel abroad
Carlos Delgadillo
22 Effective project work
Roger Neira
Students’ Corner
23 The age of stupid
Sandra Milena Castellanos Carrillo Level 5 Teacher: EDGAR TRUJILLO GIRALDO
24 Improving Business Vocabulary
Diego Andres Mondragon Guzman Level 4 teacher: CRISTY SOLEDAD PAEZ
English at
Autonomous
University
The University has focussed
its students into a high
quality of education
through a variety of
programs that let them to
be part of this process. A
year ago the Micro
component English was
born in the Head of Dr.
Sonia Roan and the
academic support Dr.
Monica Cuellar, since then
the program has grown
very fast, now We have
more than 2000 students in
all levels and all of them
are more than pleased with
the program because they
have been able to seize the
wonderful opportunities to
improve their knowledge in
a second language and to
be ready for their future
professional development.
Courses in the Micro
curricular component are
designed to be challenging,
interesting and
intellectually stimulating.
The emphasis in our
teaching is not simply in
improving your mastery of
the world’s international
Students Corner
Short but truly
stories…
A BAD DAY
One day I was drinking
a lot of rum with my
cousin when suddenly
three ugly men
grabbed us and
shouted at us “Give
me all your money”. I
told them that I did
not have any, so they
checked my purse and
stole what money I
had. As I went home
nervously, I began to
cry.
Marcela Padilla and
Jerson Mendoza
Level 3
One day I was in
front of the Hospital
speaking with my
mother when
suddenly I fell down
on the floor and With
the help of one of
the nurses
After the doctor
examined me he
told me, “You can go
home now, you are
fine”
but as soon as I
started walking I fell
down again, I was in
the hospital for a
week. They realized
I had a gastric ulcer.
Jonathan Acuña and
language, but also in developing
your critical and intellectual
thinking across a wide range of
subjects within the field of
English Studies
The micro component has
professional teaching staff
which currently includes more
than forty five teachers from
different universities in
Colombia as well as
postgraduate teachers in English
methodology, education
management and those who are
certified by the common
European framework of
reference(C.E.F.R) and there
are some who speak more than
one language.
Teaching methods vary from
course to course but usually
comprise a combination of
lectures and seminars. We
regularly review our teaching
programs in order to make
improvements and to offer the
best possible range of choices to
our students. At the end of each
course, students are encouraged
to contribute to the review
process by submitting their own
evaluations of our courses.
Our courses:
They provide extensive
systematic and well integrated
practice in the productive and
receptive skills necessary for
successful communication in
both oral and written forms of
the language.
This course uses a systematic
learning of grammar and
vocabulary is balanced with
practice in communicative
language use and particular
attention to details of spelling
and pronunciation.
Offers opportunities to
practice oral expressions skills
thorough practiced oral
presentations, at the same time
the levels are divided in
General English (levels 1, 2
and 3) and E.S P English for
specific Purpose (legal
English, business English and
English for engineers levels 4
and 5)
Our levels promote the
development of portfolios,
webpages, e-brary and special
software “discoveries” all of
this to offer our students the
best English classes they have
ever had before.
English Teachers!
We “as and English Micro curricular
component” are ready to offer Autonomous
university students the best English classes
they have ever had before.
ENGLISH? WHAT FOR?
Nowadays, it is mandatory in Colombia to Study
English in all Colombian universities because
of globalization. Despite English is necessary to
acquire new technologies and knowledge,
many students do not realize its importance to
improve their opportunities in life and they do
not see it will help them to get what everyone
wants in their lives. Happiness.
Many students only want a diploma and to
study the minimum. They believe happiness is
found satisfying their primitive senses and in
easy life without studying enough. It is part of
our culture which hasn’t permitted us to become
a great country despite our great wealth,
resources and people’s creativity.
It is evident English gives students more
opportunities in life. But, how it helps students
to get their happiness? First, to learn English is
an opportunity to strength self-esteem and
discipline because to learn English is not an
easy matter. You need to study at least two
hours at home for each hour in class and
besides that you have to speak
in a foreigner language in front
of your classmates so you are
exposed to make mistakes in
front of them and mock. It
implies each English student
has to defeat its fears and
defeat the “osos’s culture”. But
it will be extremely difficult for
students to do it without
teacher’s help. Teachers have
a relevant roll in the society
especially if we want a change
in our society. Teachers have to
encourage students to do what
they fear and besides that we
have to get our students to
understand we are humans so
we are not perfect. It is natural
to make mistakes in a learning
process. We have to quit to the
hypocrisy of our culture which
pretends perfect people and
mock about people’s natural
mistakes. Secondly,
English permits to see the world
from a different point of view
and requires a mental change.
When you can see the world
from a different perspective you
will be able to understand
others and so you will give
arguments in order to get
someone to get your point of
view instead arguing without
them as Colombians usually do.
In our culture many people tend
to use violence instead using
valid arguments. If we encourage our students
to see life from different points of view we will
help them to build their happiness because they
will develop new skills to talk to people and they
will get to defeat themselves and so they will
get better relationships and our country will
have the opportunity to develop
itself without violence.
It implies sacrifice, discipline, constancy, faith, and imagination amongst others. To
learn a different language develops student´s brains because when you have to do
an effort of this kind you develop new connections between your neurons which
permit students to get new ways to do things and see the problems and their
solutions.
It means students will be able to develop non conventional thought and so they will
be able to give revolutionary solutions to problems in their own lives at home and at
work. Finally, English helps students to develop their patience, self-esteem and
concentration.
To learn a different language requires lots of hours of work, self-criticism, faith in the
future, concentration and persistence. If you want to learn English you have to
understand English is not pronounced in the way it is written, you have to listen
many conversations and dialogues to get to pronounce words in the right way, and
each individual have to persist in its aims and speaking in front of its classmates to
develop its speaking skills.
To be a student and a teacher is not an easy matter. It requires a lot of love,
patience and wisdom. Teachers and students have to remember what Sidney Harris
once said about education “The whole purpose of education is to turn mirrors into
windows”
EDUARDO ARIAS
ENGLISH TEACHER.
A great man once said: “A great man is
someone who defeats others, but the greatest
is the man who can defeat himself”. Besides
that, English helps students to strength their
spirit, because if you really want to learn a
language you will have to study at least two
hours at home for each our in class.
When we think about going abroad on a pleasure, studies, business, or any other purpose, the first
barrier that anyone would worry about, is “language”. No matter how rich, how influent, how
smart you are, or the number of visas you may have. Language is the vehicle which takes you
anywhere.
Just imagine yourself going out along the street in a new country where everybody around you are
speaking English and even people stop near you and ask questions every now and then, and you
feeling completely frustrated because of your incapacity of interacting at least for a couple of
seconds with anyone, or going into that store which sells your favorite products an being unable to
express what you want to buy, just because it is not exhibited in the show window! Well “my dear
fellow” (as people use to say in Trinidad and Tobago) Thank God you are bilingual.
Think about how awesome it is when you are driving in a huge city like Atlanta, with the largest
airport in the world, wide and crowded streets, and people who hardly walk along the streets and
you don’t want to waste time making a wrong turn at the next traffic light, so you stop your car
and ask the driver next to you about how to get to somewhere faster and they give you an answer
right away, and you realize that you can do that because you master English language.
You may go to a concert, a cinema, a doctor’s office, an ice-skating rink, a restaurant, a bar, a
disco, a mall, or any other public place in Toronto or Mississauga (in Canada) and interact with
anybody around, because can you speak English.
One day you decide to take a master’s program in England, Australia, United States. Canada or
New Zealand and you don’t have to put it off for years until you learn English, because you already
know it!
Beyond this, a lot of entertainment industry is being developed in English speaking countries.
Many would like to be able to understand the words of their favorite songs, hear what Brad pitt’s
voice really sound like, or be able to read Shakespeare, or harry potter, or even One hundred years
of Solitude (by Gabo) in the English version
So I could conclude that English is the key to open the doors you need to be successful in life.
Carlos Julio Delgadillo R English teacher
ENGLISH.
[Escriba el subtítulo del
documento]
THE WORLD OF ENGLISH FOR SPECIFIC PURPOSES
“ESP”
English for Specific Purposes or
English for Special Purposes ESP, is
one of the most important areas of
English teaching, the ESP began to
grow from 1960 and now it is an
useful area of EFL teaching.
ESP is an excellent way to teach
English in specific conditions. What
do you do?, what do you study?
What are your needs when you
learn English? ESP means English
for engineers, lawyers, secretaries,
nurses, English for business, for
each field of study or work.
The material that is worked in ESP
has to be according to the different
topics or to the different groups
that are being worked. Technical
glossary, specific expressions and
real contexts are worked in ESP;
the study skills and all the activities
are organized in order to work with
a specific methodology that can be
different from that of General
English.
Authors like: Tony Dudley-Evans,
Tom Hutchinson and Alan Waters
have worked about ESP, they are in
contrast with some ideas about
ESP, their ideas can be different
about the exactly definition, the
group or ability range, but the
important is the way how they
think about ESP as an approach, a
method based on the learner´s
reason for learning.
The English Teachers at UAC are
working in ESP, so we use this
approach or this method, and it is
necessary to be creative, rigorous
and precise in order to focus the
needs of the learners.
I want to finish this writing with a story that shows the EPS world. These are some acronyms used in the story:
ELT (English Language Teaching) ESL (English as a Second Language)
EFL (English as a foreign language) EOP (English for Occupational Purposes)
ESP (English for Specific or special Purposes) EBE (English for Business and Economics)
EVP (Earned Value Professional) VESL (Vocational English as a second Language Program)
EAP (English for Academic Purposes)
´“The city of ELT”
Once upon a time there was a city called ELT. The
people of ELT led a comfortable, if not extravagant,
life, pursuing the noble goals of literature and
grammar. There were differences, of course: some
people preferred to call themselves EFL people, while
others belonged to a group known as ESL. But the two
groups lived in easy tolerance of each other, more
united than disunited.
Now it happened that the city was surrounded by
high and legend had it that the land beyond the
mountains was inhabited by illiterate and savages
tribes called Scientist, Businessmen and Engineers.
Few people from ELT had ever ventured into that
land. Then things began to change. Some of the
people in ELT became restless. The old city could not
support its growing population and eventually some
brave souls set off to seek their fortune in the land
beyond the mountains. Many of ELT were shocked at
the prospect. It was surely no place for people
brought in the gentle landscape for English literature
al language.
But, as it turned out, the adventurers found a rich a
fertile land. They were welcomed by the local
inhabitants and they founded a new city, which they
called ESP. the city flourishes and prospered as more
and more settlers came. Soon there were whole new
settlements in this previously uncharted land. EST and
EBE were quickly followed by EAP and EOP (the letters
confusingly also known EVP and VESL). Other smaller
groups took on the names of the local tribes to found
a host of new towns called English for Hotel Staff,
English for Marines Engineers, English for Medical
Science and so on. A future of limitless expansion and
prosperity looked assured.
But as with all things the reality proved less rosy. A
number of people at the frontiers were forced to
abandon their settlements and return to the larger
cities. Many settlers, who had come to the newly
developed land because ELT could no longer provided
them with a living, longed for the comforts and
certainties of the old city. Others were confused as to
where their loyalties lay: were they still citizens of
ELT? Was EAP an independent city or a suburb of
ESP?. Did the people of English for Medical Science
owe allegiance to EAP, EOP or ESP? Worst of all, there
were even examples of groups from ELT being
transported against their will to the new territories.
Added to all this, the scientists, Businessmen and
other tribes were becoming more demanding. Some
became to resent the interference of the settlers in
their area; others complained that the promised
benefits had not materialized. The future in short
began to look, if not gloomy, then a little confused
and uncertain for the brave new world of ESP´.
Taken from “English for specific purposes” by Tom Hutchinson and Alan Waters. 1987
Aura Carrero English teacher
this movie is based on the examples that show the ranges we
have generated pollution and some solutions difficult to
implement but very necessary to get something fairly good for
the planet to recover, is shown in one example the level of
pollution per person in each of continents resulting in the U.S. and
Europe more pollutants is necessary that the lower their level of
contamination to balance the world in a positive way, but these
rather than accept his actions are shielded by the absurd claims
that the greatest destroyer of nature is poverty and what to do is
increase the supply and demand.
in spite of the absurd ideas of those who have the power we must
personally perform actions to lessen the pollution from our homes
and at all times in our daily lives contribute to the recovery of land
actions as simple as not littering to the street , Recycling and even
planting trees.
Name: Sandra Milena Castellanos Carrillo
English 5
Teacher: EDGAR TRUJILLO GIRALDO
THE AGE OF STUPID
The age of stupid documentary is a reflection of what will happen in the future if
damaging the planet we continue the way we have been doing. This documentary is
about a man of the future showing the catastrophic consequences of the
disproportionate damage of natural resources who committed the man and realize
that in spite of the poles are thawing, the rivers are polluted and dying animals
damaging the ecosystem are in that way and yet we do nothing to prevent it, unlike
large corporations and developed countries are seeking ways to disguise their damage
with adds that generate consume no matter the environmental consequences that
bring these products, but looking for a capital increase for some few and increasing
poverty of many.
Who is responsible for creating and developing the curriculum? Some
professionals from different disciplines might say that it is the responsibility
of educational institutions and teachers. But that cannot be the case for an
English program. Students must be involved because language is how they
express their world, their thoughts and feelings.
They need to understand why teachers do what they do in class, how it is
relevant, and how to improve by themselves. Students learn, as Stenhouse
in Posner (1999) says “, through their own experience in the world, taking
what they know, so they can think and understand the world instead of
repeating it.” Students must not just be taught repetition of words,
sentences, knowledge.
¡The teacher we need, the teacher we have!
Adults, men, women and children from all walks of life, with different
likes, needs and interest, on the lookout for new experiences or maybe
not yet with any life project, all live in Colombia. They go to English
class and wait for the magic that will let them communicate in English.
Why? They’re not sure, but they are aware of the technological
revolution, globalization and other challenges that are difficult if not
impossible to master without English.
While other subjects are of course important in professional and
academic life, English is different. English is used to obtain
knowledge; it is goal and process, aim and tool. Because of its
criticality, its duality, the role of the English teacher is being constantly
questioned. As English teachers, we constantly ask “What is the
objective of our classes? What books should we use? What are the
best resources for our classes? What is the best way to evaluate
students, processes and skills? How should we design tests? Are
they even necessary? Do we really know the answers? Maybe the
student, who may know better, should be given the opportunity.
Perhaps this is the reason that in Colombia, as in the rest of the world,
a new method was encouraged: students must learn by themselves.
Schools and universities accepted the challenge “to guarantee the
survival of a variable environment, with the capacity of being adapted
and integrated to that setting in a creative way and learning
continuously” (Colciencias1994:52). However, the results were not
always successful because teachers knew how to teach a language
but not how to teach students to learn. Some assumed that the
learning process was the student’s responsibility. A new curriculum
and a new methodology has been required.
Who is responsible for creating and developing the curriculum? Some
professionals from different disciplines might say that it is the responsibility
of educational institutions and teachers. But that cannot be the case for an
English program. Students must be involved because language is how they
express their world, their thoughts and feelings.
They need to understand why teachers do what they do in class, how it is
relevant, and how to improve by themselves. Students learn, as Stenhouse
in Posner (1999) says “, through their own experience in the world, taking
what they know, so they can think and understand the world instead of
repeating it.” Students must not just be taught repetition of words,
sentences, knowledge.
They must be taught how to repeat procedures, to learn more outside the
class than in it. For this, the English student needs a secure teacher,
autonomous, with high self-esteem, able to follow his or her own life project
as tutor and professional and able to lead students to their own way of
learning, making them autonomous learners.
These teachers have emphasized that, in the words of Little (1990) in
Benson (2001), “Autonomy is not self –instruction or learning without a
teacher; it does not forbid intervention or initiative on the part of the teacher
and it is not something that teachers do to learners.” They provide students
with tools for them to steadily begin control over their learning. That’s the
teacher our students need; that’s the teacher Autonoma University has.
What is Ning?
Ning a Social network to promote students’ communication in English by Gladys
Fuentes Camargo, English teacher level 2, 4, 5 ( legal English)
Working with social networks our students can encourage their communication in
English, for this reason some English teachers of Autonoma University have decided to
create a virtual community in order to support the real English classes with videos and
other important resources in one social network called “Ning”. Although, Ning is a
social platform, we are trying to implement their use as an e-portfolio because it can
offer many benefits in our students for instance: It provides a personal online space
where they can gather, organize and access a great variety of resources needed for them according to their strengths and weaknesses.
This social platform allows students to keep on contact with their teachers all the time,
to support each other in the development of their learning processes, and to
practice the different topics and grammar functions seen in each class and also exchange information with their classmates.
Finally, I have noticed with this virtual community when my students keep on working
in autonomous way in Ning platform, they become confidence, improve their
vocabulary, pay attention to the employ of some rules and use new expression when
they want to express their opinions, thoughts or create their virtual works to the English Class. It is an excellent tool.
Techer: Gladys Fuentes
Mediators in the process of translation
By Juan Carlos Barragan
he phenomenon of migrations is
transforming the countries all over
the world into a multicultural ones, where persons of different languages,
religious backgrounds and cultures live
together side by side. To know the other person's historical, cultural and religious
background is certainly one of the
fundamental aspects towards knowing the history of towns. How is it possible to
know one culture learning from itself?; it
might be possible throughout being
bilingual or interpreter. Paul A. Kolers (1973) discusses the relation between
bilingualism and translation in his article
"Translation and Bilingualism" mainly considering the lexical level of translation
and the role of bilingualism. He uses
bilingualism to examine some general questions in the use of language and to
learn more about how the human mind
handles different kinds of information, he
also emphasizes the human factor in translation by humans comparing it with
machine translation, pointing out that there
is no satisfactory translation machine.
Throughout history of translation, there have always been found the fact that
machines cannot replace what linguistic
meadiators do in the process of translation
and interpretation; the reason for this is the complex structure of languages and the
fact that the meanings of words have more
than one interpretation depending on the context in which they are used, and a
machine cannot make this distinction. In
addition to, (Catford 1965:20) focuses on is the fact that the way bilingual people
interpret words is different from the
dictionary translations of the same words.
Kolers explains this situation through a psychological approach: "Our words are commonly used in contexts, in situations
that are defined both by their physical
characteristics and by our habits, attitudes,
dispositions, and intentions toward them.
These cognitive and emotional conditions affect the way we interpret a word when
we hear it or see it; they affect the
meaning we give to the world" (Kolers 1973: 283). In conclusión: Many Experts
point out that bilingualism is a necessary
condition for translation activity, the role of the linguistic mediator helps lots of
but proficiency of the language is an
essential issue to be mastered. Interpreters
do not translate words, they do translate ideas.
Source: Cambell S (1998) Translation into the second language, Longman England
Toury) Toury, Gideon (in press). "Translation as a Means of Planning and
the Planning of Translation: A Theoretical Framework and an Exemplary Case".
Forthcoming in:
Proceedings the International Conference "Translations: (Re)shaping of Literature and Culture",
Bogaziçi University, Istanbul, eds. Saliha Paker et al.
T
How to Make an Oral Presentation
Here are some things you can do to make
an effective oral presentation.
Be prepared.
Know your audience and greet
them
Be positive.
Don't read your presentation. Talk
to your audience. Use your notes as
prompts
Provide examples. Add appropriate
anecdotes and humor to drive home a
point.
Use visual aids and use your hands
Maintain eye contact. Shift your eye
contact around the room so that
everyone feels that you are talking to
them.
Actively involve your audience.
Build in some simple and quick
activities for your audience so that
they are actively involved in your
presentation
Use your voice effectively. Vary the
tone of your voice and be careful not to
talk too quickly. Don't shout or whisper
Javier Sanchez Carrascal
18
ENGLISH LANGUAGE
COMPETENCE Vs. ECONOMICS AND
CEFRL According to the regulations of the CEFR… in the globalization, the English
language takes an important role in the development of many countries in the
global economy and in the international culture with the use of a common
language..
Let us begin by discussing several facts that support the importance of the
English language in Economics at the FUAC.
On the market side, the use of the English language is quite simple as the
economy is increasing at huge steps due to the different changes concerning
international markets and becoming this language in the most underlying
feature, the CEFR, has very well defined the levels of the English language as
the international standards.
As we can notice in the scales, to reach the highest levels means to get the
highest position in a company, if in the job market we need to compete with
this competence that nowadays is not the English of just a few countries but of
the most.
On the part of the employment side, business transactions, finances,
international affairs and relations; all that demand both, a professional career
and a basic and advanced knowledge of the English language.
Since the international standards control not just the functioning of the planning,
organization, staffing, budgeting, of any kind of company, enterprise, or institution, to
mention some; the CEFR makes an assessment of the English competences for the
worldwide context in the English language, and it is our role, to provide the graduate
students at the FUAC, with this competence.
As Colombia has taken part of the National Bilingual Program from the Ministry of
Education to fulfill the requirements of the CEFRL, the FUAC goes behind to get it.
For the above said, the FUAC, to contribute with this proposal and to improve
the quality of the programs, has established for the students, the English
language competence in Level B1 and in the very near future the level B2 as
the minimum one for all the graduate students who will immediately enter in
the international markets.
Economics? Certainly, the FUAC offers this program.
Economy? Yes, definitely, our economy is changing.
Economic? Yes, the world needs economic prices to be consumers.
Economist? Yes, graduate students become Economists.
Omayra Vargas C. English Teacher
Use of the Present perfect In British English the present perfect is used to express an action that has occurred in the recent past that has an effect on the present moment. For example: I've lost my key. Can you help me look for it? In American English the following is also possible: I lost my key. Can you help me look for it?
In British English the above would be considered incorrect. However, both forms are generally accepted in standard American English. Other differences involving the use of the present perfect in British English and simple past in American English include already, just and yet. British English: I've just had lunch I've already seen that film American English: I just had lunch OR I've just had lunch I've already seen that film OR I already saw that film. Have your finished your homework yet? OR Did you finish your homework
American English Vs. British English
If we talk about Written forms of American and British English as found in newspapers and textbooks vary little in their essential features, with only occasional noticeable differences in comparable media. This kind of formal English, particularly written English, is often called 'standard English An unofficial standard for spoken American English has also developed, as a result of mass media and geographic and social mobility. British and American English are the reference norms for English as spoken, written, and taught in the rest of the world. Most of the differences in lexis or vocabulary between British and American English are in connection with concepts originating from the 19th century to the mid 20th century, when new words were coined independently.
Speakers of British English are likely to understand most American English terms, examples such as 'sidewalk', 'gas (gasoline/petrol)', 'counterclockwise', or 'elevator (lift)', without any problem. Certain terms which are heard less frequently, copacetic (satisfactory)', are unlikely to be understood by most British English speakers. While there are certainly many more varieties of English, American and British English are the two varieties that are taught in most ESL/EFL programs. Generally, it is agreed that no one version is "correct" however, there are certainly preferences in use. The most important rule of thumb is to try to be consistent in your usage. The following guide is meant to point out the principal differences between these two varieties of English.
British and Americans have
different ways of
pronouncing and spelling
certain words but this
doesn’t necessarily interfere
with communication
Possession There are two forms to express possession in English. Have or Have got Do you have a car? Have you got a car? He hasn't got any friends. He doesn't have any friends. She has a beautiful new home. She's got a beautiful new home. While both forms are correct (and accepted in both British and American English), have got (have you got, he hasn't got, etc.) is generally the preferred form in British English while most speakers of American English employ the have (do you have, he doesn't have etc.) The Verb Get The past participle of the verb get is gotten. American English. Example: - He's gotten much better at playing tennis.
Many vocabulary items are also used in one form and not in the other. One of the best examples of this is the terminology used for automobiles. AmericanEnglish-hood British English - bonnet AmericanEnglish-trunk British English - boot AmericanEnglish-truck British English – lorry For a more complete list of the vocabulary differences between British and American English use a British vs. American English vocabulary tool.
Differences in Vocabulary
Prepositions
VOCABULARY
Probably the major differences between British and American English lies in the choice of vocabulary. Some words mean different things in the two varieties for example: Mean:(American English-angry,bad humored, British English - not generous, tight fisted) Rubber: (American English - condom, British English - tool used to erase pencil markings) There are many more examples (too many for me to list here). If there is a difference in usage, your dictionary will note the different meanings in its definition of the term.
There are also a few differences in preposition use including the following: AmericanEnglish-ontheweekend British English - at the weekend AmericanEnglish-onateam British English - in a team AmericanEnglish-pleasewritemesoon British English - please write to me soon Past Simple/Past Participles The following verbs have two acceptable forms of the past simple/past participle in both American and British English, however, the irregular form is generally more common in British English (the first form of the two) and the regular form is more common to American English. Burn Burnt OR burned Dream dreamt OR dreamed Lean leant OR leaned Learn learnt OR learned Smell smelt OR smelled Spell spelt OR spelled Spill
spilt OR spilled
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Spelling
Here are some general differences between British and American spellings: Words ending in -or (American) -our (British) color, colour, humor, humour, Words ending in -ize (American) -ise (British) recognize, recognise, patronize, The best way to make sure that you are being consistent in your spelling, is to use the spell check on your word processor (if you are using the computer of course) or memorize spelling rules and choose which variety of English you would like. As you can see, there are really very few differences between standard British English and standard American English. However, the largest difference is probably that of the choice of vocabulary and pronunciation
By Carlos A. Gutierrez
Spelling
Here are some general differences between British and American spellings: Words ending in -or (American) -our (British) color, colour, humor, humour, Words ending in -ize (American) -ise (British) recognize, recognise, patronize, The best way to make sure that you are being consistent in your spelling, is to use the spell check on your word processor (if you are using the computer of course) or memorize spelling rules and choose which variety of English you would like. As you can see, there are really very few differences between standard British English and standard American English. However, the largest difference is probably that of the choice of vocabulary and pronunciation
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