Monday, October 27, 2014

American English? World English!!!

[American English]According to the report from Wikipedia, the use of English in the United States is a result of British colonization. The first wave of English-speaking settlers arrived in North America during the 17th century, followed by further migrations in the 18th and 19th centuries. Since then, American English has been influenced by the languages of West Africa, the Native American population, GermanIrishSpanish, and other languages of successive waves of immigrants to the U.S.

This following picture not only shows the difference of vocabulary and spelling in American English and British English, but also shows that how many people are real British English speakers.
[English education]However British English as spoken and written in the Commonwealth of Nations, with the exception of those Commonwealth countries which have developed their own distinctive dialects such as Australia and Canada. Half of the population of native English speakers has written American English. People in Korea, Japan, and Taiwan, are learned by American English.
[Canadian English and Australian English]Chief among other native English dialects are Canadian English and Australian English, which rank third and fourth in the number of native speakers. For the most part, Canadian English, while featuring numerous British forms alongside indigenous Canadianisms, shares vocabulary, phonology and syntax with American English, leading many to recognize North American English as an organic grouping of dialects. Australian English likewise shares many American and British English usages alongside plentiful features unique to Australia, and retains a significantly higher degree of distinctiveness from both the larger varieties than does Canadian English.
As a student major in English language and literature, I begin to realize that the predominance of American English in English education has led a lack of awareness of other world English. So why we have been taught American English only since childhood? I am always curious about this question. After growing up, I began to realize that not only American English, but also The British English, Australian English and so on. Nowadays almost all the students through the world learn English in terms of English is widely learned as a second language and it is an official language in many world organizations. It has already made us seem uniformly. Actually we have lots of choices about learning English.
Secondly, for me I love The British English very much. I took a course, phonetics, last semester and I began to know how the Received Pronunciation is. Actually before taking this phonetics class, I had always thought that American English is the most popular way to talk with other western country foreigners. Obviously there are lots of people, like me, are into other world English.
           The following link will show you the difference between American English and the British English. It is really funny, enjoy it!

However, we were taught American English since we were very young. In a way, an idea that American English is the best, the most popular way in communicating with western foreigners is speaking American English. This kind of idea has been implanted in our mind unconsciously. I even heard that some people think Australian English is very rustic. Whereas, all off the language is beautiful. It is not a right or wrong question. None of us has a right to judge any other language. The following links will show you that how interesting and attractive other world English can be.

May be this video is more funny, and the British man from this video, 영국남자, I know he is very popular recently. He also shows the different accents between American English and British English with his American friends. Hope you can enjoy it.
Then, I am willing to talk about the variety of language and culture. The British English is spoken and written almost in the United Kingdom, with an estimated 64.1 million inhabitants. It means that people, who are really British English speakers is very limited. May I infer that one day British English will totally be replaced by American English? Will it means that the variety of cultures, especially the diversity of languages may weaken seriously in the future? Compared to the quantity of American English, I feel so sad about the amount of British English speakers.
In addition, this following link will show more difference between American English and British English in details.  
So why not learn some other world English instead of American English only. In terms of this article, if you get some new information about world English and begin to curious about world English I will be really appreciate. 

Sunday, October 12, 2014

Infographic


My partner and I chose the topic that the person we respect most. We both chose the person, who are not the famous people, but the closest person to us. We try to compare them in their characteristics, hobbies, occupations, etc. So we made our info graphic be parted clearly. Instead of real pictures of them, we intended to the cartoon pictures. For me it may express a kind of lovelier and more acceptable meaning to readers. In addition all the information of my grandpa, I chose the green color in order to emphasize that he was a soldier. Not a solemn feeling, but more active, and more vital. This following link is that some information about personality. Enjoy it. I wish you will find your personality from there and wish all of you be a respect person of others. http://www.aistudy.com/psychology/personality.htm

Saturday, October 4, 2014

Express my opinions of the movie 'Saving Mr. Banks'

Today I'd like to give some opinions of a film, called 'Saving Mr. Banks'. It is a typical Disney film, talking about family and love, centered on the development of the 1964 Walt Disney Studios film ‘Mary Poppins’.


           The heroine played by Emma Thompson, actually she is a writer too in real life. In this film she played Mrs. Travers, who is the original author of ‘Mary Poppins’, and she did not want to sell her book to the Disney.
On account of that she has to go on live she went to L.A. reluctantly in order to meet Walt Disney (played by Tom Hanks). I still remembered that when she arrived at the airport firstly in Los Angles. She has always been annoyed and impatient after boarding, and when she landed she has became to glance at all the American, passed by her. Compared to the American people who dressed casual, Mrs. Travers dressed with green tailored suits, very clean. In addition Mrs. Travers always walking fast, it seems like that she has some urgent things to work out. Walking out from the gate in the airport, she met the driver, who was a really nice guy, always with a big smile. On the contrary, Mrs. Travers almost not had any conversation with him. She just gave the trunks to him and said that she hate the smell of Los Angles, it is just full of glory and sweat. This simple sentence tells that Mrs. Travers was completely disliked America, and we can clearly see that the kind of national pride of this British woman (obviously it turned out that she was Australian later). Personally I like these details, they dealt with. It tells us clearly about the different ways they carried things off between the British and the American.
           Beside that you know, the story about family is never goes out. I was so touched by the scene that Ginty found a couple of pears in order to give them to her father. Unfortunately his father had gone while she back home. Even Ginty grows up (Mrs. Travers) she still hates pears. The hurt given in the childhood could not been forgotten easily. 
          For me this movie tells me that cherish the time when you with your family. In addition, the most cherished thing can be recorded by the movie or letters is just wonderful.

           I wish that you can have a look at this movie in your spare time. Maybe you will be moved by it too.
This link is the trailer of 'Saving Mr. Banks' Enjoy it!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5kYmrjongg