American English: features

The school program includes the study of traditional British English. Nevertheless, for traveling and professional activities this is not always enough, since there is also American English with its own characteristics. And our article will be devoted to them.

History of the formation of American English

The indigenous population of North America is the Indian peoples, who were the bearers of several varieties of autochthonous languages. In addition, on the continent, several enclaves for the residence of Roman-speaking peoples (mainly Spaniards and French) were formed. From the 17th to the 18th century, a large-scale campaign was carried out on the British colonization and resettlement of migratory groups, which were joined by minor groups of Germanic peoples.

Of course, given that the bulk of the population was still British, English quickly became the main one on the continent. Nevertheless, the languages of other peoples had a significant influence on him, so that American English acquired some characteristic features.

The influence of other languages on the American lexicon

The life of the colonists in the United States had a huge impact on American English. So, truly British words were reinterpreted and got a fundamentally new meaning, and on the contrary - English archaisms, which have long been out of use, are still actively used in the US (for example, fall - autumn). It should be noted that some Americanisms are also gradually becoming part of the British everyday life.

In view of the multinational nature of the state, American English acquired certain lexical features:

1. Spanisms are common in the southwest of the USA. So, for example, such famous words as rancho, tacos, guacamole and others got to the Americans from the Spaniards and the Spanish Indians.
2. Gallicisms (derived from French and other related languages) are basically chancellarisms. Their distinctive feature is the suffixes -eе and -er. Examples are words such as employee, employer.
3. The presence of Germanisms is a consequence of the influence of the German language (albeit inessential). These are basically the converted words (dumb -dumn).

American and English: differences in pronunciation

It is worth noting that residents of the United States and Misty Albion often can not understand each other. This is due to the fact that different phonetic features characterize American and British English. The differences are as follows:

• While pronouncing the diphthong "ou", Americans round their lips more strongly than the British, due to which the sound turns out to be a long one;
• In the USA, "e" is pronounced with a wide open mouth;
• In the American version of the pronunciation of the sound "ju:" the first part of it practically drops out, and therefore the speech becomes softer;
• In the USA, in most cases, instead of the sound "a", a wider "æ" is pronounced;
• Americans pronounce the vowels as if "in the nose";
• If the British version of the sound "r" in oral speech is omitted, then in the US it is spoken, due to which the language seems more rude.

American accent

British and American English differ significantly in accent. If the inhabitant of Foggy Albion hears the speech of a resident of the United States, then, most likely, he will not understand a word. And vice versa - a measured British speech may seem completely incoherent to the American. This is due to the nuances of pronunciation. Thus, the American accent is characterized by the following features:

1. Intonation carries a serious meaning. Sometimes the meaning of the sentence changes depending on which word is stressed. The sentences always highlight the most important words.
2. The American language is characterized by a reduction in vowel sounds in those places where the intonation is reduced. If the word is at the end of the sentence, then it is pronounced in full, regardless of whether it is stressed or not.
3. Special attention should be paid to the pronunciation of double vowels. In the event that after a long sound there is a sonorous consonant, it is singled out intonationally.

It is worth noting that the features of American pronunciation does not necessarily memorize by heart. Having been in the medium of native speakers, you will quickly begin to understand the speech and learn to speak the same way as the residents of the United States. If you do not plan a trip, then watch more often American films and shows in the original.

Myths about American English

For many people who have started to learn English, it is a surprise that there is not only a classic British, but also an American version of the language. The second, by the way, involves a lot of misconceptions and myths, namely:

• Many people think the American language is wrong. But if we talk about the British, they, rather, can be outraged by the peculiarities of pronunciation in Scotland, than in the US.
• There is an opinion that the American language arose as a result of the distortion of the British language. In fact, in the United States, it is the classical language used by Shakespeare (unless, of course, pronunciation is taken into account). But in England, many words and rules passed into the category of archaisms and came out of use.
• If you think that American pronunciation is too complicated, then you are mistaken. A special feature of the accent is that the ligaments are strained much less than the British. This is due to the fact that until a certain moment Caucasian children were brought up by illiterate negresses, who had a special manner of speaking (simply, as if singing). That's what the Americans adopted.
• It is not true to assume that the US has a simplified grammar. In fact, it is the same as in the UK. But with the American option, many get acquainted with songs, TV shows and television shows, where rules are often neglected.
• It is a mistake to think that there are some significant differences between the American and British versions of English. Of course, there are certain features in both writing and pronunciation, but this does not mean that residents of London and, for example, New York will not be able to understand each other.

What option to teach?

If you decide to study English closely, the first step is to decide which option you will be studying. The American version of English is most often needed by those who decided to travel to the United States. He is also often taught for business purposes. Learning the American language is best with its native speaker. If you are new to this business, then start with the classic British version. Having mastered it, you will quickly understand the specifics and peculiarities of the language spoken in America.

American English by the Pimsler method

In school and student years, everyone was taught English or another foreign language. Many even try to do it themselves on books and audio recordings, but rarely it is successful. This does not mean that you do not have the abilities, you just need to be able to find the right approach. So, it's best to learn American English using the Pimsler method.

This patented technique is a kind of memory training. You are offered text and sound materials, which provide dialogues on the most necessary for everyday and business communication topics. You do not have to learn boring rules. You just need to listen carefully and repeat. You quickly enough master the speech structures, pronunciation, as well as intonation of the American language. In total, the project consists of 90 lessons with a total duration of 15 hours, but, having already mastered the first 30, you can freely communicate with Americans at an elementary level.

conclusions

In the school and university program most often include classical British English. Nevertheless, there is also his American version, which has received no less widespread throughout the world. It differs both in terms of pronunciation, and in some lexical and grammatical features.

Of course, if you do not plan to move to permanent residence in the US, then it's better to start with the British version. If you want to learn American English, then it's best to use Dr. Pimsler's technique.