What version of English language do you prefer and why? I like American English. What about you?

rembrandt
Hi,
You didn't say why YOU like the American English.

Froilen, I just like the way American speech sounds(and hate British accent). And I suppose the 1st one is more simple grammatically.
e.g. am: color; br: colour etc.
As far as I know, some British grammar rules have already been changed to American.

rembrandt

1st one is more simple grammatically.
e.g. am: color; br: colour etc.

I agree. The only thing is this is not grammar in your example; it's spelling

I like American English, it's definitly esier than English in pronunciation and rythm as well. I think, the understanding and sort of similiraty in nature to one or the other nationality put you much closer to imitating the language of that people. It works with me at least or you need to be a great actor or just be talented or just learn phonetics.

As for me I study American English. I didn't choose it, it happened by accident. Just the language center I came to was American. But I think I'm lucky to study there. For me American English sounds much more decent than British. But I have nothing against British at all. There is no reason to hate it or something. I find it funny and cool. But sometimes I have troubles trying to understand spoken speech of the Brits. BTW I like to watch Russia Today, they have a lot of correspondents speaking British English.
Also I know the fact russian companies that deal with british companies dont want to hire interpreters with american accent.

FroilenThere's nothing strange in the fact that our companies dislike Amer.Eng. 'cause in most schools and universities of Russia people are tought Brit. English))) And I've seen enough that teachers often punish students for americanisms(I'm not an exception).
Speaking 'bout my attitude to British pronounciation: Brit. variants of such words as "car", "dance", "castle"(letter "a") and "better", "water", "letter"(without flapping) make me sick. I can't explain this.

rembrandt

make me sick.

Sounds funny.
How can ANY language or accent make anybody sick? Why? What is the reason for being sick? It's just a different language, that's it.
Take it or leave it.

Мила I can't just leave it. It pursues me since 8 years old. Firstly in school and now in the University. x) As I wrote above, we're tought Brit.Eng. Thanks to the lecturers they don't correct me any longer when I speak American.

rembrandt
The subtext of my sentence about the companies is that the Brits themselves don't like american English and our companies just want to please them.

Standard English is ok and easy to understand whether it's American, British, Australian or even Indian (check out Dr. Suresh from Heroes), it's just that in Britain there is a lot more variety in how people speak than in the US, i.e. there are lot more accents in the UK, some of which are quite different from the RP standard and this situation causes quite a bit of confusion among learners of English. With American English everything is clear, you study General American you hear it in movies and with BE it's a total mess most of the time, you study RP and then all you can understand is BBC World Service and when you watch a British film, often as much as 80% of what they say in there goes right over your head because of the weird accents they use in there. I think it's the inadequacy of the majority of text books that still focus on RP, even though in real life BE it's virtually non-existent.

mentor

in Britain there is a lot more variety in how people speak than in the US, i.e.

Are you joshing me?!

Are you joshing me?!

no I'm serious, some UK accents can be mutually incomprehensible, and as for the US while there is some variety there, generally someone from NY won't have much difficulty understanding someone from Atlanta, at least to he best of my knowledge

no I'm serious, some UK accents can be mutually incomprehensible, and as for the US while there is some variety there, generally someone from NY won't have much difficulty understanding someone from Atlanta, at least to he best of my knowledge

That's true. I read that just 300-400 yrs ago people from different regions of Britain couldn't even understand each other because of essential difference is dialects.

mentor
What is Standard English and RP standard you mentioned?
Do ordinary people speak them?

I don't know, if you take someone from New Orleans speaking with a cajun accent and have them try to talk to someone from Maine or some of the islands on our Outer Banks, they might have trouble.
[www.youtube.com]

(yes, it's based on French! We bought a big chunk of the country from France, called the Louisiana Purchase, in 1803 [en.wikipedia.org] )

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Very interesting historical facts) I like history of America.
I've noticed English is very similiar to French and very different at the same time. I study both of them. There are a lot of words with the same spelling and with different pronunciation. When I started learning French, my English went smoothlier and I began to understand some things I couldnt get before. I can say French facilitated my understanding of English.

Hello Everyone.
I know only Brit English. And I guess I know it very bad compared to you. Can anyone say me is it really differences between Brit and Amer? Is there no chance to learn both of them? or is it?
I think I'm very young to make serious decision about this but I would like to know your advice.
So I've started learn Brit 'cause there is good "HeadWay" course and "English grammar in use". Using these books I've risen English level I have now. Is it bad or not I sometimes just don't know.
Froilen
Yes English took many words from French, German and others. Many words from these lang. have been changed to several one with different meaning. For example: history and story have different meaning but similar etymology. But lang. these words have come from really slept my mind...

And I have one more wish =) If you'll have find an error plz reply me. I'm just trying to learn English well... but I'm stupid and it's hard =)

Serzero2007
The main difference you can see right away is pronunciation. I've been studying American English for two years now and I can't switch to the Britain way of pronunciation if even I wanted to. There are some significant differences in grammar and spelling. I don't know if people ,speaking both versions, exist, I haven't heard of them. I'm afraid you will have to make a choice if you want to study seriously. Once choosing one of the two variants, you will stick to it further on. Is it bad or not? It's up to you.
We associate each version of the english language with the definite country. Britain English with England and American English with the US. I think every person just choose what country he likes more, what country he feels deeper and then makes his mind about the version. That's the way I feel about how it should be. Any language ,at any rate, reflects culture of a county where it is spoken and the way of thinking of its population. I can hardly imagine a person who hates America, going on speaking AE. The same thing about England.
I want to underline, it's my view on it.
P.S.
I think you never should call yourself stupid, neither to another people, nor to yourself in your head. You might be undestood wrong))))

Thank you.
It sounds good. I've not got any good pronunciation experience now - so I'm able now to choose... I think it'll be England variant.
Ok I'll never call myself that way. What does it mean in wrong understanding?)
Thx once more.

I don't know if people ,speaking both versions, exist,

check out Gwyneth Paltrow in Sliding Doors.

Froilen

I don't know if people ,speaking both versions, exist,

I can speak both Am. and Br. English. But my case is, I guess, unusual. The reasons are that I had been studying Br.Eng. for many years but changed my mind some time ago. So I haven't forgotten Br. pronounciation completely. Also recently I can hear both versions in approximately equal amount from different sources. But, of course, it's not easy for people who learn just one version of English(as you do) to speak the way they weren't tought.

You all give me more and more question to find answer ))
rembrandt
Does It mean that there is able to know both of them?

If you find any mistake in grammar plz correct.
Thank you.

Serzero2007
What means "there is able to know both of them"?
Actually, the gap between Br. & Am. is not as huge as it seems to be. If you know, for example, British, it's not difficult to learn American grammar and words. But it's difficult to train pronouciation(in some cases impossible). E.g. one of our lecturers has been to the USA many times and knows English perfectly but she can't speak without accent.

rembrandt
Serzero2007
You discuss teaching Brit. English at our schools if as everybody who finished school knows Brit. English and you additionally to it learnt also Am.British.
I say both of you have a lot of space to learn the basis before starting learning one or another accent or dialect. So you shouldn't worry if Br.English or Amer. is easier. You have to get to basic common knowledge before to become linguists.

What means "there is able to know both of them"?

Was it Br. English or Am.one?
rembrandt I must confess your English is better thought, notwithstanding if it is Brit or Am
I just believe that Am.English has less accents and dialects probably that's why it is easier to understand.

You all give me more and more questions to find answers to.
Does that mean that it is possible to know both of them?
If you find any mistakes in my grammar, please correct.

There are so many errors in your grammar that I think learning both versions should be at the bottom of your list. After all, knowing both just gives you twice as much opportunity to make grammatical mistakes! =:^)

tourist
1) I think you didn't quite get the idea. I was tought British at school. And I'm tought British at University(tranlator is my 2nd speciality). But I try not to apprehend it 'cause I like American more. So I learn American be myself against lecturers' wishes)))
2) There was not a single word about what language is easier.
3) I'm not a novice and I have "basic common knowledge".
4) Write correctly, please. It's quite difficult to understand what you actually meant.

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There are so many errors in your grammar that I think learning both versions should be at the bottom of your list.

To whom it is addressed?

To whom it is addressed?

Whoops, that was a stupid thing)))

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I know - my English is so bad so that I've come here and start to talking on it to improve knowledge.
If you can show me that's wrong in my message.
Take into account that I'm 16 old only (I learn English ) and cause of that I cannot speak as good as you speak. But I'm interested to know all about that stuff before I can choose my own way to learn. Do not think I'll learn both of them at the same time? - not; Now It's just topic that I want to speak about and maybe I want to know a little bit more about it.
Thx)
Plz correct my grammar mistakes - I know that these mistakes exist)