7/6/2010

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