Differences in American and British Vocabulary: Implications for International Business Communication

2000 ◽  
Vol 63 (4) ◽  
pp. 27-39 ◽  
Author(s):  
James Calvert Scott
Keyword(s):  
Intercultural Communication ◽  
International Business ◽  
English Language ◽  
American English ◽  
Business Communication ◽  
English Speakers ◽  
Shared Meaning ◽  
British English ◽  
Time Result ◽  
Different Cultures

American English and British English vocabularies have diverged over time, result, ing in lexical differences that have the potential to confound English-language intercultural communication. The differences derive from the need to adapt the meanings of existing expressions or to find new expressions for different things and to borrow expressions from different cultures. Separation and slow means of com munication also cause differences and encourage one side to retain archaic expres sions that others have abandoned or modified. The differences in vocabulary can be grouped into four categories: the same expression with differences in style, con notation, and/or frequency; the same expression with one or more shared and dif ferent meanings; the same expression with completely different meanings; and dif ferent expressions with the same shared meaning. These differences in vocabularies affect understanding of all varieties of English. To bridge differences in Enghsh language vocabularies, international business communication teachers and trainers must devote more attention to English as the dominant language of international business, create awareness of important vocabulary differences that have the potential to confound intercultural communication, and develop and teach strate gies for bridging the vocabulary differences of English speakers.

scholarly journals THE FUNCTIONING OF YIDDISH BORROWINGS IN AMERICAN ENGLISH

2021 ◽  
pp. 50-56
Author(s):  
Ульяна Александровна Ульянова
Keyword(s):  
English Language ◽  
American English ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
English Speakers ◽  
Gradual Change ◽  
Information Communication ◽  
Frequency Of Use ◽  
Functional Features ◽  
The Common ◽  
Game Performance

Введение. Рассматриваются заимствования из языка идиш в американском варианте английского языка. Данный пласт заимствований представляет особый интерес, так как вопрос о систематизации заимствованных идишизмов и их комплексном описании является до сих пор нерешенным. Цель – описать структурные и функциональные особенности заимствований из языка идиш в американском варианте английского языка. Материал и методы. Материалом исследования послужили заимствованные глаголы kibitz и schmooze из языка идиш, которые относятся к разговорной лексике. Основные методы исследования – метод лексикографического и контекстуального анализа, а также описательный и сопоставительный метод. Результаты и обсуждение. Заимствованные лексемы schmooze и kibitz, являющиеся элементами лексико-семантического поля «Вербальная коммуникация», в современном английском языке обладают отрицательной коннотацией. Анализ словарных дефиниций и этимологии показал, что значение заимствованного глагола в английском языке не совпадает со значением глагола в идише, так как в процессе заимствования произошло постепенное изменение в семантике заимствованных слов. Исследуемые глаголы исторически связаны с семантикой информирования (передачи информации). Значения заимствованных глаголов объединены общей видовой семой «вербальное воздействие» (скрытое или явное). У глагола to schmooze было выделено несколько вариантов значений: беседовать, манипулировать, воздействовать, устанавливать полезные связи. Значения глагола to kibitz также были разделены на предметные области: делать иронические замечания, комментировать, следить за игрой, поучая играющих. Сдвиг в значении глагола schmooze основан на фоносемантическом эффекте, который производит звукосочетание schm-. Изменение значения глагола kibitz связано с высокой частотой его употребления в момент его появления в американском английском языке. На основе данных толковых словарей и словарей сленга было установлено точное время появления лексемы schmooze (1897 г.) и приблизительное время для лексемы kibitz (1910–1927 гг.) Несоблюдение норм литературного языка идиш, особенно если идишизмы используются не евреями, является причиной существования разных вариантов написания заимствованных лексем в английском языке. Заключение. Выделены особенности лексикографирования заимствований в академических толковых словарях и словарях сленга, проанализированы варианты значений заимствованных слов. Полученные результаты свидетельствуют о необходимости разработки комплексного подхода к описанию заимствований из языка идиш и их регистрации в разнообразных словарях. Introduction. Borrowings from Yiddish language in the American English are considered. This layer of borrowings is of special interest in the English language as the question of systematization of borrowed words from Yiddish and their complex description has not been solved yet. The aim is to describe the structural and functional features of borrowings from the Yiddish language in the American English. Material and methods. The research material is borrowed verbs from the Yiddish language, which belong to the colloquial vocabulary (to kibitz and to schmooze). The research methods are lexicographical and contextual analysis, as well as descriptive and comparative methods. Results and discussion. The borrowed lexemes schmooze and kibitz which are elements of the lexico-semantic field «Verbal communication» have negative connotation in modern English. The analysis of vocabulary definitions and etymology has shown that the meaning of borrowed verbs in English does not coincide with the meaning of the verbs in Yiddish, as in the process of borrowing there was a gradual change in the semantics of borrowed words. The initial meaning of the verbs in Yiddish is connected with information (communication of information). The meanings of the borrowed verbs are based on the common seme «verbal influence» (hidden or obvious). The verb to schmooze has several different meanings: to talk, to manipulate, to influence, to network. The meaning of the verb to kibitz has been divided into several categories: to make ironic comments, to comment, to give intrusive and unrequested advice while watching a game, performance. The shift in the meaning of the verb to schmooze is based on the phonosemantic effect, which is produced by the sound combination schm-. The change in the meaning of the verb to kibitz can be explained by high frequency of use when it appeared in American English. Taking into account the information from academic and slang dictionaries, the exact time of appearance of the lexeme schmooze (1897) and the approximate time for the lexeme kibitz (1910-1927) has been established. Non-conformity with norms of the Yiddish language when the Yiddish borrowings are used by non-Jewish English speakers is the reason of multiple variants of spelling of borrowed words in the English language. Conclusion. The research has focused on the peculiarities of lexicography of borrowed words in academic and slang dictionaries. The results prove that it is necessary to develop an integrated approach to the description of borrowings from the Yiddish language and their description in various dictionaries.

Nonstandardized Englishes in Mainstream Literacy Practice

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patriann Smith
Keyword(s):  
Literacy Instruction ◽  
English Language ◽  
American English ◽  
English Speakers ◽  
Literacy Practice ◽  
Standard American English ◽  
Mainstream Classrooms ◽  
Cultural Boundaries ◽  
English Speaking ◽  
The Many

The term Englishes refers to the many different varieties of the English, and represents both standardized and nonstandardized forms. Nonstandardized Englishes is used to refer to Englishes that do not adhere to what has been determined to be Standard English within a given context, such that they are referred to as dialects, Creoles, or New Englishes (e.g., African American English). Standardized Englishes is used to refer to the counterparts of the nonstandardized Englishes that have been typically adopted for use in literacy classrooms (e.g., Standard American English). The field of literacy has addressed nonstandardized Englishes by either focusing on the nonstandardized varieties in isolation from standardized Englishes or by advancing literacy instruction in mainstream classrooms that emphasizes dialect-English speakers’ mastery of standardized Englishes. This approach reflects standard monolingual English ideology and traditional notions of the English language. Operating based on standard monolingual English perspectives implicitly reinforces the view that standardized Englishes and their users are privileged and that speakers of nonstandardized Englishes and their users are inferior. In addition, adhering to traditional notions of English based on their geographical and nation-based use, as opposed to their function based on school, offline, or online contexts regardless of geography, reinforces the concept of the English language as a system and fails to emphasize its communicative and contextual purposes as demanded by our postmodern era of globalization, transnationalism, and internationalization. A translingual approach to Englishes can serve as an alternative to current ways of thinking about literacy instruction because it addresses the needs of both standardized and nonstandardized English-speaking populations. Literacy instruction reframed based on this approach is critical for students’ successful interaction across linguistic and cultural boundaries in the context of the 21st century.

A rose by any other name? Learner English and variety–status labelling: the case of English in South Korea

English Today ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 32 (4) ◽  
pp. 56-62 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jae Jung Song
Keyword(s):  
Popular Culture ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
American English ◽  
English Speakers ◽  
Indian English ◽  
Negative Attitudes ◽  
British English ◽  
Outer Circle ◽  
The Face ◽  
Inner Circle

One of the major achievements of Braj Kachru's (1991) ‘liberation linguistics’ is that it has squarely placed Outer Circle varieties such as Indian English, Nigerian English and Singaporean English on a par with Inner Circle varieties such as American English and British English – in the face of negative attitudes, ranging ‘from amused condescension to racist stereotyping’ (Bruthiaux, 2003: 160). Following in Kachru's footsteps, many scholars have demonstrated that these Outer Circle Englishes are legitimate varieties of English, with distinct characteristics and with growing numbers of native speakers (e.g. Deterding, 2007; Jowitt, 1991; Sailaja, 2009). Indeed these Outer Circle English varieties are increasingly used, in respective countries, not only as the major or default medium of communication but also in the context of important domains such as education, media, government, literature and popular culture. The Kachruvian perspective has also given rise to the ‘egalitarian’ view that Inner Circle English speakers are no longer the only ones who can lay claim to the ownership of English. Outer Circle English speakers are now thought to be as much custodians of English as Inner Circle English speakers are.

scholarly journals LINGUO-CULTUROLOGICAL RESEARCH OF THE ENGLISH AND RUSSIAN PHRASEOLOGICAL UNITS IN BUSINESS DISCOURSE

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (34) ◽  
Author(s):  
D.M KHUCHBAROVA ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Intercultural Communication ◽  
English Language ◽  
Research Work ◽  
Business Communication ◽  
Modern World ◽  
Business Relationships ◽  
Economic Discourse ◽  
Sociocultural Factor ◽  
Business Discourse ◽  
Research Findings

In the present research work, the authors conducted a linguocultural study of English and Russian phraseological units, verbalizing business relationships and compared both linguocultures in the framework of national mental attitudes. Business communication, being the main sociocultural factor of a modern world, supports intercultural communication. In the research work the authors focused on phraseological units used in business communication. The research objective is to identify the types of metaphors in the English-language publicistic texts of economic orientation and to describe the specificity of their realization. The originality of the study is conditioned by the necessity to study the metaphor as an efficient mechanism of communication and a discourse-formative factor. The research findings allow the authors to identify the basic sources of metaphors and to reveal their modifications in economic discourse.

scholarly journals Social acquisition context matters: Increased neural responses for native but not nonnative taboo words

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katherine Sendek ◽  
Grit Herzmann ◽  
Valeria Pfeifer ◽  
Vicky Tzuyin Lai
Keyword(s):  
Visual Recognition ◽  
American English ◽  
Social Contact ◽  
English Speakers ◽  
Neural Responses ◽  
British English ◽  
English Speaking ◽  
Late Positive Complex ◽  
Taboo Words ◽  
Native Dialect

AbstractThis study examined whether the context of acquisition of a word influences its visual recognition and subsequent processing. We utilized taboo words, whose meanings are typically acquired socially, to ensure that differences in processing were based on learned social taboo, rather than proficiency. American English-speaking participants made word/non-word decisions on American taboo (native dialect), British taboo (non-native dialect), positive, neutral, and pseudo- words while EEG was recorded. Taboo words were verified as taboo by both American and British English speakers in an independent norming survey. American taboo words showed a more positive amplitude of the Late Positive Complex (LPC), a neural correlate of emotionality and social processing, compared with British taboo words and all other word categories. Moreover, in an item-wise analysis, LPC amplitudes of American taboo words were positively correlated with their taboo ratings. British taboo words did not show this effect. This indicates that American participants, who had very limited social contact with British English, did not have the same perception of social threat from British taboo words as they had from American taboo words. These results point to the importance of social context of acquisition in establishing social-affective meaning in language.

scholarly journals TERMS OF DESIGNATION OF PERSONS IN JURIDICAL TERMINOLOGY OF BRITISH AND AMERICAN VARIANTS OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (193) ◽  
pp. 231-235
Author(s):  
Maryna Kizil ◽  
Keyword(s):  
English Language ◽  
American English ◽  
Old French ◽  
British English ◽  
Legal Documents ◽  
The Law ◽  
Legal Procedures

The article is devoted to the research of Briitsh and American English juridical terms designating persons. This is the most numerous thematic group of juridical terms among others including terms designating different branches of law, terms denoting types of different insitutions of the sphere, types of legal documents, stages of legal procedures, procedural norms, types of crimes, offences, punishments in particular. The group of juridical terms designating persons is not homogeneous semantically. It consists of terms denoting representatives of different professions of the sphere, persons with assigned juridical rights or duties, criminals who break the law. Many of these terms have the same meanings in British and American variants of the English language. That is why they are called equivalent for both variants. Most of these terms are of Franco-Latin origin, as they were borrowed from Latin into Old French and from it into Middle and New English. So they appeared in the British English and penetrated into American one later. Some terms in the analyzed thematic group have synonymous or nearly synonymous meanings represented by different forms in British and American variants of the English language. The analyzed group also comprises other types of terms. Such terms are not equal in meanings or their shades. That is why they are called non-equivalent terms for analyzed variants of the English language. The categorial semes of their meanings are the same or practically the same in both variants. The differential semes of meanings of these terms can differ not only qualitatively, but also quantitavely. Their quality reveals in the shades of meanings or their differences. Quantitative differences reveal in widening of the denotative meaning of the term in one variant of the English language (British or American) and its narrowing in another variant correspondently. Most of non-equivalent terms from the analyzed thematic group have nationally marked semes. Such semes reveal and characterize national and cultural peculiarities of the development of British and American legal and juridical system somehow.

scholarly journals Vowel Variation Between American English and British English

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 350
Author(s):  
Afzal Khan ◽  
Soleman Awad Mthkal Alzobidy
Keyword(s):  
English Language ◽  
American English ◽  
Stress Pattern ◽  
Standard English ◽  
Social Differences ◽  
British English ◽  
International Language ◽  
South Eastern ◽  
The World

The English Language, being an international language, is spoken all over the world with many variations. These variations occur primarily due to environmental, cultural and social differences. The main reasons for these variations are intermingling of different races and strata in a society. In this regard prominent differences can be observed at phonological levels. These phonological variations produce different kinds of English, like British and American English. In these two there are differences in intonation, stress pattern, and pronunciation. Although South-Eastern British R.P. is known as Standard English but one cannot deny the existence and value of American English. The study attempts to highlight the vowel variation between British English and American English at phonological level.

scholarly journals "How many c(R)s do you have?"

2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 2-16
Author(s):  
Alexandra Hofbauer
Keyword(s):  
Language Proficiency ◽  
English Language ◽  
American English ◽  
Young Female ◽  
English Language Proficiency ◽  
British English ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
American Media ◽  
Group A ◽  
Number Of Individuals

Singapore English (SgE) is, thus far, not known to be a rhotic variety of English, having its roots in standard British English (BrE). However, recent studies have shown evidence of rhoticity in SgE, and this has been attributed to the widespread influence of the American media, especially on local youth. This study questions the factors affecting rhoticity among young, female Singaporeans. It looks at rhoticity in SgE by considering speakers who have attended a particular group of schools with a strong tradition of English language proficiency. Rhoticity is investigated through a reading task and a Diapix task, and it is found that within this group a small number of individuals do exhibit some limited rhoticity, but that most of them seem to prefer a more local speech style. The use of rhoticity and American English (AmE) evidenced here is nonetheless interesting, perhaps taking on a more specific function in this group—one of achieving particular conversational goals and of establishing commonality among a group who share an affinity with American culture.

The Study of English Style: British English and American English Words

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Made Suardika Jaya
Keyword(s):  
English Language ◽  
American English ◽  
British English ◽  
The City ◽  
Social Backgrounds

The British English and American English are most commonly used; which are usually referred as two ‘main’ accents for the English language. Both of them are having their own uniqueness and characteristics in terms of word choices. When the speaker utters the words in one particular accent, by some means the listener could recognise which English style is the speaker more familiar with. To obtain the data of which English style are the speaker more familiar with, a straightforward study was held.  The respondents for this study are ten people who live in the city of Singaraja with various ages and social backgrounds. They are requested to determine which English words are more familiar for them by showing them a table of words list. Fine comprehension about English in cooperation with the vocabularies that the respondents have will lead them to English style that fits them in four English proficiencies

American and British Business-Related Spelling Differences

2004 ◽  
Vol 67 (2) ◽  
pp. 153-167 ◽  
Author(s):  
James Calvert Scott
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Differences ◽  
English Language ◽  
American English ◽  
Culturally Sensitive ◽  
British English ◽  
The World ◽  
Teaching Ideas

English language business-related documents around the world contain purposeful spelling differences that reflect two standards, American English and British English. Given the importance of culturally acceptable spelling, the need to be aware of and sensitive to cultural differences, and strong reactions to variation in spelling, it is important to understand the differences in these two spelling systems. Families of words that illustrate spelling practices draw attention to differences between the American and British spelling systems. Under at least some circumstances, business communicators should accommodate for spelling differences when communicating with those from other cultures. Implementing the presented teaching ideas based upon reacting, discussing, adapting, researching, and writing can clarify understanding of the American and British business-related spelling systems and help learners to prepare more culturally sensitive business documents when appropriate.

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