THE DIFFERENCES OF USING BRITISH AND AMERICAN ENGLISH
A PAPER
BY
ROY GUNAWAN REG. NO: 072202021
DIPLOMA III ENGLISH STUDY PROGRAM FACULTY OF LETTERS
UNIVERSITY OF SUMATERA UTARA MEDAN
Approved by
Supervisor
Drs. Syamir Marulafau,M.hum NIP. 195805171985031003
Submitted to Faculty of Letters University of Sumatera Utara
In partial fullfilment
Approved by
Head of Diploma III English Study Program
Accepted by the Board of Examiners in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the
D-III Examination of Diploma III English Study Program, Faculty of Letters,
University of Sumatera Utara
The Examination is held on the………
Faculty of Letters, University of Sumatera Utara.
Dean,
Prof. Drs. Syaifuddin, M.A, Ph.D. NIP. 196509091994031004
Board of Examiner and Reader
Examiner : Drs. Siamir Marulafau, M.hum
AUTHOR’S DECLARATION
I am, ROY GUNAWAN, declare that I am the sole author of this paper. Except
where reference is made in the text of this paper, this paper contains no materials
published elsewhere or extracted in whole or part from a paper by which I have
qualified for or awarded another degree.
No other person’s work has been used without due acknowledgement in the main text
of this paper. This paper has not been submitted for award of another degree in any
tertiary education.
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Name
: ROY GUNAWAN
Title of Paper
: The Differences of Using British and American
English
Qualification
: D-III / Ahli Madya
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: English
I am willing that my paper should be available for reproduction at the discretion of
the librarian of the Diploma III English Study Program Faculty of Letters USU on the
understanding the users are made aware of their obligation under the law of the
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ABSTRAK
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Thanks God for His mercy and goodness, and glory to the saviour, Jesus
Christ, for His love and guidance in leading me during my study as well as the
completion of this paper.
In this oppurtunity, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my beloved
supervisor, Drs. Siamir Marulafau, M.Hum, for his support, advice, encouragement,
patience welcome counsel and valuable constructive suggestion. And I would also
like to thanks my reader Dra.Hartisari, M.A.
I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the Dean of Faculty of Letters
Drs. Syaifuddin, M.A, Ph.D and the Head of Diploma III English Study Program,
Dra. Syahrar Hanum, DPFE, who had given me the great deal of knowledge from the
time I entered the Faculty to the presence of this paper. And I would also like to say
thanks all my lecturers for their valuable guidance, precious, thoughts and knowledge
throughout my academic years.
My deepest gratitude is do to my parents, I do love you Mom and Dad, my
beloved Brothers Ruvinus, Syafril, and my sisters Bonaria, Lenny and Sri. And all of
my families for the endless love, cares, thoughts, advices, prayers, and material
support during my study.
My special thanks are also expressed to my lovely girl, Nalasari, who always
support and give me motivation, as long as my study and the process of my paper. I
My warm thanks are also expressed to my close friend , Regina Tarigan,
Evalya Sari Purba, Rafael Pardosi, Anna Maria Barus, Mariati and my junior in my
Faculty, Hernida and Novita Sari who always support and give me advices to do my
paper. Thanks for your cares and prayers.
Finally, I realize that this paper is still far from being perfect. Therefore,
advice,constructive criticism and suggestion aimed at this paper will be warmly
welcome and highly appreciated.
Medan,
The writer,
Roy gunawan
TABLE OF CONTENTS
AUTHOR’S DECLARATION COPYRIGHT DECLARATION
ABSTRACT………... i
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS………. ii
TABLE OF CONTENTS………. iv
1. INTRODUCTION……… 1
1.1 The Background of Study ……… 1
1.2 The Objective of Study………. 2
1.3 The Scope of Writng………. 2
1.4 The Method of Writing………. 2
1.5 The Significance of Study………. 3
2. THE DIFFERENCES OF USING BRITISH AND AMERICAN ENGLISH………. 4
2.1 BUSINESS CORRESPONDENCE 2.1.1 Parts of Business Correspondence……….. 4
2.1.2 Business Letter in British……… 8
2.1.3 Form of Business Letter in British………. 12
2.1.5 Form of Business Letter in America……….. 16
2.2 GRAMMAR AND USE IN SENTENCE………. 17
2.2.1 List of Spellig in British and America………... 19
2.3 RANKS IN BRITISH AND UNITED STATE ARMED FORCES……… 21
2.3.1 Ranks in British Armed Forces……….. 21
2.3.2 Ranks in United State Armed Forces………. 22
2.4 LANGUAGE IDEOLOGIES……… 23
2.4.1 Language Ideologies in British……….. 23
2.4.2 Language Ideologies in America………... 26
2.5 PUNCTUATION………. 28
3. STANDARD ENGLISH AND DIALECTS……… 30
3.1 STANDARD ENGLISH AND DIALECTS 3.1.1 Standard English and Dialects in British………... 30
3.1.2 Standard English and Dialects in America……… 32
4. CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION……… 35
4.1 CONCLUSION……….... 35
4.2 SUGGESTION……… 35
ABSTRAK
CHAPTER 1 ITRODUCTION 1.1 The Background of Study
English that have cared for and extended in England general called British
English or knowable with received pronounciation. Whereas, English that have cared
for and extended in United States of America general called American English or
knowable with General American.
English, as inclusive language of group has knowable as the Indo-European
group. The language group began from north India between European and Asian
continent.
The Nation Kinsfolk that uses language moves to all holes and corners of
European and India continent in thousand years lasting. The language actually
realizes radical amendment sothat nearly impossible we believe that english has a
good relation with French and Germany. However, it is a fact indeed this case
1.2 The Objective of Study
By writing this paper, the writer wants to explain what is the difference
between British and American English. The writer also helps the reader facing the
difficulty to distinguish British and American english so they believe to select the
pronounciation, spelling, gestures, and stucture between the both of this english.
1.3 The Scope of Writing
There are many things that can be discussed of British and American English.
The differences of each other are too real especially in using of the words. The words
are very different. For example, British uses lorry and American uses truck.
But in this case, the writer realize that he is far from perfect, so he limits this
paper in order to know the distinction of using British and American English and
“The Differences of Using British and American English” is the tittle of this paper.
1.4 The Method of writing
In writing this paper, the writer used some methods, such as library research,
and browse in internet. All these methods are really helpful in giving him the
1.5 The Significance of Study
I expect this paper is signicicant because:
1. It can be very useful for everybody who reads this paper especially the writer him
self and other english learners
2. It can be used as a references to understand and master to distinguish the
differences of using British and American English.
CHAPTER 2
THE DIFFERENCES OF USING BRITISH AND AMERICAN ENGLISH
2.1 BUSINESS CORRESPONDENCE 2.1.1 Parts of Business Correspondence 1. Date
▪ In British: 25th
July 1985
In America: July 25, 1985
In British, date written in natural rotation: Day/ Month/Year like the example
above. News paper and companies of America used form: Month/ Day/ Year. In that
case, there is a semi colon beetwen date and year.
Example: July 25, 1985
▪ All-Figure Dates
Many People used number as the substitute of month.
January is one, February is two and so on.
In British, in this system: 3.5.85 is mean 3 May 1985( May the third or the third
of May, nineteen eighty five).
In America, 3.5.85 is mean March the fifth or March fifth, nineteen eighty
2. Greeting or Saluation
Here are some examples in greeting or salutation:
▪Dear Sir,
▪Dear Madam,
▪Dear Sirs,
▪Ladies
As the substitute of Dear Sir, in America repeatedly use Gentleman that followed
by a colon. Likewise in gesture of Dear Sir, in British always followed by a semi
colon. Whereas in America always followed by a colon.
The gesture used in trade correspondence, in correspondence we always used Dear
Mr. Jones, Dear John, etc. The Gestures of Mr. Jones, Dear Mr.Hartanto may also
used in trade correspondence if the person ever we met before.
3. Messrs
Messrs is concise of French word” Messieurs” and used in front the name of
a firm or trading. Messrs ought to use address the letter for partnership only, not for
Consolidated Fiber Inc. We demand not use Messrs. For partnership if the company’s
name begin with The or name of people who was surnamed.
Examples:
Messrs. Jones, Smith & Co
Messrs. T. Horbart & Co
Sir Joseph Bloggs & Company
PT Eureka Aba
Consolidated Fiber Inc.
4. Ltd and Inc
Ltd is concise of Limited Liability Company. In America, Ltd called
corporation and then concised so Corp and Incorporated so Inc. Incorporated used in
America as the substitute of Ltd’s Word that used in British.
Example:
In British: Turner & Sons Ltd
In America: Consolidated Fiber Inc
5. Complimentary Close
In British, complimentary close in trade correspondence is” Yours faithfully
or Yours sincerely” which followed by semi colon. Complimentary close must be pin
with salutation. If you begin the letter “with Dear Sir”, end it with “Yours faithfully”
and if you begin with “Dear Mr. Smith” end with use “Yours sincerely”. Use Yours
sincerely when you ever met with the person that you have written on the letter, or if
you hope to meet him immediatelly. The both of complimentary close will snatch
almost of the business letter that you will write . It certain, there are many else of
In your business job, sometimes you will write letter for people that you have
believed. As manager in your own company or another company. In that case, you
may send the letter that have typed as usual, with salutation that have written of your
own hand and as the substitute of yours sincerely you may use with best regards.
In America, yours faithfully is seldom used. Sometimes, also used Trully
yours, Yours very trully, and faithfully yours gestures.
6. Esq
Esq is concise of Esquire which shape an old title, it means that person is
gentleman. Now, Esquire is seldom to use. We consider that all of people are
gentleman, so we use expression”Mr” when we adressthe letter. If we write “Mr.
John Smith, Esq” this form will be wrong. Use one of the word like John Smith, Esq
or Mr. John Smith. In America, Esquire used in the end of gentleman full name and
begin the colon first, if the letter will bewitch for consul of America or consul of
2.1.2 Business Letter in British
The form of this letter typed on paper that has a letterhead. However, The
company’s address is not printed right at the top of paper page or only plain paper
that you used , typed sender’s address at the top of right corner. A letter that every
row of the word typed begins from left line except the date, it is called blocked style
and this model is very populer now because it is easy to type.
Any companies still used indented style for their letters. It means that the
first row in every pharagraph begin more far from the left line than another rows or
the other word, at the first row there is a space in every pharagraph.
In this business letter, there are several parts. They are:
A. Refference Number
If you reply the letter that has refference number, write it down on the left like the
form and usually two or three spaces at the bottom of letterhead of that company.
Example:
Your refference: ST / 7-1 / VII / 95
This system will easy someone else to look for the letter in their archives and our
refference number EA-SU-G/VII/85, typed two spaces at the bottom of their
refference. After letter number it is not necessary put on point. It is normally, when
reply letter to write down the date in your own letter.
Example:
Dear Sir,
B. Date
The date typed in two or three spaces at the bottom of letterhead, in a row with
your refference. But do not type until outside the right line and the date is not
necessary point.
C. Inside Address
Inside address is the same address in cover of letter because the cover of the letter
perhaps will be throwed away by the letter receiver staff who opens the letter. If he or
she does not write down inside address, so none of us will not know for whom the
letter will be pointed. Inside address typed in one; two or three spaces at the bottom
of refference number.
D. Salutation
Salutation is the same meaning with greeting that must be typed at the left line,two
or three spaces at the bottom of inside address. For formal letter that we will send to
government department, you may used: “Sir, Madam or Gentleman.”
E. Subject of Letter
Subject of letter is the same meaning with subject heading that typed at the left
line, two or three spaces at the bottom of salutation. For the greater part of people,
write subject heading in capital letter and it usually give underline. If the letter is
F. Signature
Signature is certainly done by hand. However when you sign the letter, typed your
name at the bottom of signature. Thus, person who reads your letter is not necessary
spend much time to guess your name out of your signature.
G. Body of The Letter
Body of business letter usually typed in one space, with double spaces among the
pharagraphs. If the letter is short, you may used double spaces with extra space or
among the pharagraphs. If the letter is long, you may continue the letter in another
paper. The sheet of continuation paper must be numbered. Do not continue your
letter in the back part of first page, because writing will visible behind the paper and
destructive form letter. Beside that, reader, who receives the letter may guess that
your company is unable to prepare an extra paper or not bonafide.
H. Enclosure
Enclosure is addition that sent in a same cover as business letter. It may in
cheque, phamplet, sample and so on. Sometimes, enclosure more important than
letter. If you send a ticket of exhibition show, you put into a short letter to indicate
who sent the tiket. The kinds of letter called covering letter or way bill. In that case
above, ticket is more important copies and way bill, it can not be put show together
Several offices sent many phamplets, photos for human or companies of
their demand. If we send the way bill, it will spend much time, energy and our lay out
of money. The salutation send compliment slip, that is a little piece of paper that
named and the companies address. When you enclose something together with the
letter, probable enclosers will be lost when the letter opened. That is why you must
type the enclosure. On the lowest left corner of your letter, two or three spaces at the
bottom of name and profession or at the bottom of copies. If the enclosures is very
important, you may write down the explanation.
Excample:
Enclosure: Insurance of Policy No. LB 1250429
If the enclosure is smaller than letter, you may use stapler and stap on the upper left
corner.
I. Margins
Bussines letter must have space in every edge. Margins make the letter more
neat and let to make note for the reader and if the letter holed with punch before
archived, none of the writing will be fault or lose because holes include in margins.
Left margins is very important. The distance must three centimeters, content large
read the letter without bring out side it from the archive. Right margins a half wide of
left margins. Right corner is not straight, because every typing row length is different
2.1.3 Form of Business Letter in British Letterhead
Your ref :
Our ref :
Inside address
Salutation
Subject of letter
Complimentary close
Signature
Job title
cc:
Encl.
date
2.1.4 Business Letter in America
In the form that more extreme, every unit of the letter like heading, inside
address, body pharagraph typed on the left. But this formation inclining give a letter
is too heavy on the left will be interested. That is why most of companies use a
change of block style, that allow decided indentation. If we write letter on a paper
without heading, the only sender address typed on the right corner above and devoted
in order to straight with right margins.
Inside address and several of salutations belong to title whatever it. That has
by receiver of the letter. If the receiver has no another title, use Mr, Mrs or Miss. Mr
and Miss always used and concise of Dr allowed fullfil. Many doctors prefer to use
Mr in salutation, thus many of Proffesor and the person in academic enclose. If we
know they prefer to the system, it certain ought to follow it. If we do not know they
prefer or not, we better use their title. Many companies and proffessional bodies may
be used Dear Sir or Mr. Johnson salutation in their opening letter and take on inside
address complete two to five rows at the bottom of signature straight or equal with
left margin.
Kinds of this letter may use as a formal personal letter, depend on all
information that needed for carbon copy in business letter. If basic cases that worked
in the letter concerning special part of company, it is necessary to know that attention
typed two rows at the bottom of inside address and two rows at the bottom of
Example: John L. Jones, Inc.
1782 west 48th Street
New York 38, New York
Attention: Personnel Department
Gentleman:
Two form of complimentary close in business correspondent nowadays
which often used in United States of America are Sincerely yours and Yours truly
where both of them may be changed like Very truly yours and Yours sincerely.
Formal correspondence or correspondent together with appointed prominent people
may use respectfully. Only the first letter of first word written with capital letter and
gesture as the whole always followed by a semi colon. Signature for business
correspondence, always written at the top of name that typed. Title or position of
people who signed the letter often shown at the top of name that typed.
Example:
Sincerely yours, Sincerely yours,
J.L. Jones, Inc
John Smith John Smith
The main purpose of business letters is give the information to the receiver.
But business correspondent also fill up by carbon copy or copies, a note of cases or
trade occupation which done and decision that invented, by name and address of the
letter receiver. Date, name and proffession who writes the letter,it had been a
common to show initial of the writer and type written on the left margin, two rows at
the bottom of the writter proffession. Initial of writter replaced for the first( for
example, the writer of letter is john Smith and typewritten is Linda Bancroft).
JS/LB
JS:LB
JS/lb
2.1.5 Form of Business Letter in America Letterhead (heading of the letter)
Attention:
Subject:
Salutation
Complimentary close
Signature title or position
Writer’s and Typist’s initials
dateline
2.2. GRAMMAR AND USE IN SENTENCE
Grammar is the rules in a language for changing the form of words and joining them
into sentences.
Here are some examples usage in sentences:
(B) British English
(A) American English
1. (B) The children were playing in the street
(A) The children were playing on the street
2. (B) It is twenty miles trip
(A) It is a twenty mile trip
3. (B) He did not come back straight away
(A) He did not come back right away
4. (B) I can not come, as I have to work
(A) I can not come, because I have to work
5. Is it going to rain?
(B) I expect not
(A) I guess not
6. (B) I have not gone to work now
(A) I do not have to work now
7. (B) John suggested that she should come
8. (B) Have you finished your home work?
(A) Are you through with your home work?
9. (B) He finished his studies at the SMA Remaja in 1984
(A) He graduated from the SMA Remaja in 1984
10. (B) I learnt Japanese for two years
(A) I studied Japanese for two years
11. (B) Mind the dog
2.2.1 Lists of Spelling in British and America
As we know, British English is soo different with American English. The
difference can be seen in pronounciation, spelling, and gestures. In this part, I will be
mentioned several words that different between British and American English.
British English American English
By post By mail
Air srew Propeller
Lorry Truck
Wind cone Wind sleeve
Angry Mad
Chest of drawers Bureau
Timber Lumber
Visiting card Calling card
Wallet Bill fold
Water tap Faucet
Straight away Right away
School fellow Schoolmate
Wind screen Wind shield
Break one’s journey Stop over
Stop the night Stay over
English that be pronounced in America is different from English that be
pronounced in England that the language has been developed in the different place. It
is a characteristic of language that sure will get a change. Because of that, we can not
say English that be pronounced in one place is better than English in the other places.
There are several words will be explained below, They are:
♦ Draught: Draught is a flow of cool air in a room or other enclosed space. In British
spells ‘Draught’ but in America is ‘Draft’.
♦ Draft: Draft is a system in which proffessional teams in some sport choose players
each year from among college students. In British spells ‘Draft’ but in America is
‘Checkers’
Ground Floor: Ground Floor is the floor of a building that is at the same level as the ground outside. In British Spells’ Ground Floor’ but in America is’ First Floor’
2.3. RANKS IN BRIRISH AND UNITED STATE ARMED FORCES 2.3.1 Ranks in British Armed Forces
2.3.2 Ranks in United States Armed Forces
General of the Air Force
2.4 LANGUAGE IDEOLOGIES 2.4.1 Language Ideologies in British
`The research reviewed by Woolard and Schieffelin(1994) focuses over
whelmingly not on differences, but on commonalities underlying language ideologies
in Britain, France, Canada, and United States and elsewhere, thus allowing different
practices in speech communities of various types to be interpreted within a more
general theoretical framework. Against this back drop, my purpose here is to explore
differences in the way language ideologies manifest themselves in public life and in
the beliefs of individuals about language in two English speaking countries: Britain
and United States. While we need to acknowledge similarities in People’s belief in
the standard language ideology or in the passion with which issues of correctness are
debated. It is also clear that there are differences, as axemplified above. Indeed, it is
hard to imagine a long running moral panic in the United States with all the
ingredients of the great grammar debate discussed by Cameron(1995). Equally, it is
hard to imagine the British press focusing over many years on an English Only
movement or reacting quite as savegely as their American counterparts to the idea
that Black English should have a role in classroom, as in the Ebonics affair. Later in
this chapter I consider the sociohistorical underpinning of current language ideologies
Woolard(1989) has commented on the strong and ‘visceral’ nature of
language attitudes. In Britain the strongest gut reactions emerge in response to social
class or class related stereotypes, while in the United States they emerge in response
to race and ethnicity, as illustrated above. In making the distinction, however, we
need to acknowledge that the focus on race and ethnicity in the United States is
mediated by class; Affrican-American Vernacular English is essentially a working
class black variety.
‘Foreign accents’ also seem to more subject to negative evaluation than in
Britain, unless associated with prestigious groups-generally north Europeans, as
pointed out by Lippi Green(1994) among others. For example, to the bemusement of
many non-Americans in the University community, the ‘unintelligibility’ of overseas
Graduate student Instructors is a regular source of undergraduate grievance In 1996
objections were vociferous enough to impel a senior administrator of the University
of Michigan to react in a fashion which bears the hallmark of an ideologically driven
response.
Specifically, British GSIs were not thought to be in need of special
assessment and remedial instruction, while monolingual English speaking Irish
students were. A major instantiation of American language ideology thus presents
itself overwhelmingly as a negative and sometimes demonstrably irrational attitude to
languages other than English, and by association to English spoken with a foreign
accent. Spanish and Spanish-accent English and viewed with particular disfavour.
longstanding political conflict, most clearly visible in the so called ‘English Only’
movement.
The lobbying effort known as US English emerged in the early 1980s and is
currently in 1997 particularly active, although its precise objectives are not clear.
Broadly speaking, it opposes the use at all official levels of languages other than
English. Although it originated as and remains essentially an anti-Hispanic, anti-
immigrant coalition, it is hostile also to official educational provision for the needs of
AAVE-speaking children, as shown by its interventions in the ebonics debate which
became particularly acrimonious in January 1997. Associated with right wing
political groups, US English has an extremely high public profile, characteristically
eliciting and expressing intemperately strong, irrational and polarised reactions. For
example, Cardenas presents a moderate and carefully argued case for initial
instruction in Spanish for Texas children who are monolingual when they start
school. Citing a somewhat geographically and historically challanged but supposedly
2.4.2 Language Ideologies in America
American social and linguistic history and linguistic historiography presents
even to the casual reader a very different picture from the dominant one in Britain. In
the early twentieth century we find both a parallel and a contrast to the British
situation. The parallel lies in the widespread but intemperately expressed fear of
engulfment. However, the groups which are seen to threaten the social fabric are not
an urban proletariat speaking varieties of English rooted in historically established
dialects, but immigrants who are speakers of languages other than english.
While the United States is inherently a multiculturaland multilingual nation,
the historical roots of an ideological focus on monolingualism and assimilation run as
deep as the corresponding British focus on class and rank. In this section, I will
attempt to pull together several different starnds of relevant sociohistorical
information, referring freely to Crawford’s (1992) comprehensive collection of
readings on the official English controversy. I shall consider later the issue of
African-American Vernacular English (AAVE), which seems to be underpinned by a
rather different but sometimes interacting set of sociohistorical developments.
Before the nineteenth century, national multilingualism and personal
bilingualism were generally accepted in the United States as a fact of life, for several
compelling reasons. First, there are two colonial languages other than English in the
United States: Spanish has been spoken in the South West and Florida for more than
400 years, and antedates English speaking settlements in these areas; French was
spoken in parts of the North East (particularly Maine) and the South. Second, a large
number of indigenous American languages were spoken. Finally, the large Cerman
population of the United States has a particularly long history of effective
2 .5 Punctuation Quotation
The most obvious punctuation difference between the two versions in the way
quotations are marked. The original American version uses quotation marks (“xx”),
while the British version employs inverted commas (‘x’). American and British
English also uses inverted commas and quotation marks differently, respectively,
when marking a quotation within another quotation.
For example:
• U.S’’Oh, is that your suit?’’ I said. ‘This is the first I ever heard about it’
• U.K’ Oh, is that your suit?’ I said. ‘This is the first I ever heard about it’
Commas
In general, the British version had more commas than the American one, as can be
seen in the table below
The British Version The American Version
1.Broke off, ceasing to compel my
attention
2. Days, under sun and rain
3. afternoon, and when
4. went toward the little office, mingling
immediately
1.Broke off ceasing to compel my
attention
2.Days under sun and rain
3. Afternoon and when
4. went toward the little office mingling
5. Discussing, in impassioned voices,
whether
6. The evening too would be over
5. Discussing in impassioned voices
whether
6. The evening, too, would be over
Hypens
Another noticeable difference is the use of hypens
The British Version The American Version
1. Anti-climax
10. A seventeen year-old boy
1. Anticlimax
CHAPTER 3
STANDARD ENGLISH AND DIALECTS
3.1 Standard English and Dialects in British
Dialects and accents vary between the four countries of the United Kingdom,
and also within the countries themselves. There are also differences in the English
spoken by different socio-economic groups in any particular region. The Major
divisions are normally classified as English which comprises Southern English
dialects, Midlands English dialects and Northern English dialects, Welsh English and
Scottish English.
The various British dialects also differ in the words that they have borrowed
from other languages. The Scottish and Northern English dialects include many
words originally borrowed from Old Norse and a few borrowed from Gaelic, though
most of the structure and common words are conservative Anglo-Saxon. Following
its last major survey of English Dialects (1949-1950), the University of Leeds has
started work on a new Project. In May 2007 the Arts and Humanities Research
Council awarded a grant to a team led by sally Johnson, Professor of Linguistic and
Phonetics at Leeds University, to study British regional dialects.
Johnson’s team are sifting through a large collection of examples of regional
slang words and phrases turned up by the “Voices project” run by the BBC, in which
they invited the public to send in examples of English still spoken throughout the
The BBC Voices project also collected hundreds of news articles about how
the British speak English speak English from swearing through to items on language
schools. This information will also be collated and analysed by Johnson’s team both
for content and for where it was reported. Perhaps the most remarkable finding in the
voices study is that the English language is as diverse as ever, despite our incresed
mobility and constant exposure to other accents and dialects through TV and radio.
Work by the team on this project is not expected to end before 2010. When covering
the awarded of the grant on 1 June 2007, the independent started:
Mr. Upton, who is Professor of English at Leeds University, said that they
were very pleased and indeed,”well chuffed” at receiving their generous grant. He
could, of course, have been “bostin” if he had come from the Black Country, or if he
3.2 Standard English and Dialects in America
Recall that standard languages in colonial settings are something very
different from standard languages in Europe, where aristocratic models and deeply
entrenched social class differences favour the development of institutionally
prescribed standards and the emergence of class rather than ethnicity as the chief
basis of social and political cleavage. How than does this affect the relation between
language and class and class oriented discrimination in the United States? Labov’s
description of New York as a sink of negative prestige (Labov 1996) suggest that we
need to address this question.
Preston (1996) makes some relevant comments and the popular belief in a
neutral variety of spoken American English which can be identified as the best
English. Demonstrating the lact of agreement amongst professional linguists on the
locus of such a variety, he notes that even influential textbook writers do little more
than present their personal beliefs as linguistic fact. Certainly there does not exist in
America a focused and identifiable class accent corresponding to Received
Pronunciation in Britain, although some might argue that network American and the
famous Brahmin accent of Boston are candidate varieties (Wolfram 1991). As noted
earlier, network American differs from RP in a number of respects, chiefly in being
an unmarked, mainstream accent, from which localized features have been eradicated,
and ( despite its name) in its lack of institutional support. Boston’s Brahmin accent on
support accorded to RP, or its nationwide geographical distribution.Nor has it been
associated with the operation of a nationwide ‘accent bar’.
Preston (1996) tackles the question of where the best English is spoken by
examining Americans perceptions of distinctive speech areas in the US and of the
‘pleasantness and correctness’ of the varieties thus identified. An important and very
general perception of all Preston’s informants is the unique status of the American
South as a distinct linguistic and cultural area. Revealingly, one Carolina informant
represented linguistic divisions in terms of the Civil War: south of a diagonal line
running across the United States from North East to south West southerners are to be
found; elsewhere reside ‘damn yankees’. A michigan informant identified much the
same area, but labelled it as southern with the pejorative description ‘hill billy’ in
parentheses. The Great Lakes area was marked off with the legend ‘midwestern
English’ described parenthetically as normal.
While judgements such as this provide evidence of widely held perceptions of
a neutral, levelled variety in the Northern Midwest, there was little agreement on a
single locus of the most correct variety. For example, Southerners identified the
Boston area of New England while Michigan speakers identified their own variety as
the most correct. However, agreement on the least correct variety was much more
striking; judges from he South, Michigan and Indiana all agreed that this might be
found in an area of the South and New York City. We have seen that the
sociohistorical scaffolding which supports such beliefs is extremely culture specific
It seems reasonable to suggest that the beliefs reported to Preston derive from the
major historical divisions outline, notably the Civil War conflict between an
urban,progressive north and a rural, conservative, slave owning south. The status of
New York City as the first destination of the poorest immigrants may well be the
source of its negative image.
The judgements of Preston’s informants reveal beliefs quite different from
those current in Britain. In America the urban dialects of industrial cities generally do
not seem to be as stigmatized as the speech of the South, which is associated not only
with an historic and divisive conflict but with rural poverty. As we have seen, British
attitudes to urban industrial accents are particularly negative and are rooted in class
CHAPTER 4
CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION
4.1 Conclusion
Based on this study, the writer comes to conclusion as follows:
♦ British and American English are very important for people as an international
language be use everywhere they go in the world.
♦ British and American English have many differences like, the differences in
spelling, structure, ranks in armed forces, business correspondence, dialects and
punctuation.
♦ Spelling is the act of forming words correctly from individual letters.
♦ Stucture is a thing that is made of several parts, especially a building: a stone, brick,
wooden structure.
♦ Dialects is the the characteristic of a group of people spoken a language in one area.
♦ Punctuation is the marks used in writing that divide sentence and phrases
4.2 Suggestion
By completing this paper, the writer him self suggest the reader of this paper
to pay attention to study British and American English because both of them are very
different language. I expect this paper will be useful, especially for english learners,
because without a good knowledge about British and American English, they will be
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Gowers, Ernest. The Complete Plain words. London: Her Majesty’s Stationery Office, 1986.
Gandart, Hyacinth & Hughes, Richard & Michael, Jessie. Towards Better English Grammar. London: Fajar Bakti Sdn, 1984.
http//th 2010).
Bex, Tony & Watts, Richard. Standard English. London and New York: Routledge, 1999.
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