Quote:
Originally Posted by Caerula
I guess, you have to seperate american and british english.
It seems to me, that the british english is generally more formal than the american. Correct me, when I´m wrong :-)
In school, we learned the british "oxford" english. But now, I´m mixing all sorts of english languages LOL I know, there are definitely differences between both, american and british.
@ Columbine: In this context, it would be very interesting to know how big this difference actually is. How is it for you to talk with Americans? I could imagine, that it´s maybe the same thing as if I spoke as German to an Austrian, isn´t it?
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I'm not entirely sure, especially as 'British' English and 'American' English both cover a huge range of dialects and convention. My talking to someone from Connecticut would be a whole different scenario to a Newcastle resident talking to a Texan. Oxford English is generally considered one of the most formal, academic accents.
I have a midlands accent; pretty neutral as things go, wavering on a south-west accent at times, which is a bit more distinctly rural. I also tend to speak quite correctly; but there's ~plenty~ of people around here who don't.
Compare; "Hey, you locked me out" with "'ere, you'm locked I out!"
"Me and Mum went shopping today and~" with "Me and my mem, right, we was shopping today~"
Certainly, British English tends to be considered as more 'old-fashioned'. I've been told that using 'whilst' and 'thus' in essays is 'archaic' by American professors, but that's utterly acceptable (even expected) in the UK.
Asides from differences in word-use (faucet vs tap) and difference in meanings ('natty' in the UK means smart and fashionable, 'natty' in America means dirty and unkempt) i didn't notice a great deal of stylistic difference. American's will apologize when expressing sympathy, which British people don't tend to do, and compared to my particular group of British friends, my American friends use a smaller variety of words. I think in some situations American English is actually more formal than British English; some of my American friends have said that they wouldn't call their friends parents by their first names unless explicitly told to. It's all Mrs. X and Mr. Y. I know all my friends parents by their first names.
Generally speaking, unless I say something that is very dialectic/colloquial, there's not much confusion. I tend to have an easier time understanding Americans than they do understanding me, because of course, much more American English media makes it to Britain than British media makes it to the USA.
Bottom line; it really depends on the American. I've met some with truly incomprehensible accents (Minnesota accent, oh dear god...), others sounds aren't so different. To be honest, I found in terms of directness, personality had more to do with it than the language.