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Use Melody, Not Speaking Rate and Loudness, to Show Emotions

3/16/2017

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When we speak, there is much more to our message than just the words we say.  Our melody, sometimes referred to as stressing and intonation, plays a significant role in how others interpret what we say.  This is how our pitch goes up and down to convey our message.  

Another way to show emotion is in our speaking rate.  We associate someone who speaks quickly as being excited and sometimes inexperienced, while someone who speaks very slowly might be viewed negatively as someone who is boring or unintelligent.  

Speaking volume also tells a great deal about us. A very soft-spoken person may be viewed as insecure, while a person who speaks very loudly all the time may be viewed as someone who appears angry for no apparent reason.  

The best speakers of English speak using approximately 150 words per minute.  Broken down, it comes to 2.5 words per second.  If we focus on maintaining that rate during all speaking situations, whether we are angry, upset, excited, happy, or sad, can we still show our emotions effectively?  Of course we can!  

A person who keeps their cool under pressure and who can handle difficult situations without showing negative emotions are people who are most successful and are those that most of us try to emulate. 

We do not need to speak quickly or too loudly to show excitement, we can do it with our tone or melody.  We’ve all heard the expression that some people wear their emotions on their sleeves, which means that their emotions are transparent or that they show them easily, while other people, not so much.  Some people speak without emotion to the point where we can’t tell how they feel. While we don’t want to sound overdramatic all the time, it is equally undesirable not to show any emotions at all.  

Our melody should reflect our situation and our audience.  Let’s take for example a business manager who has a meeting with his team.  He is upset because their project is behind schedule.  Because he tends to show his emotions easily, he raises his voice and speaks very quickly when showing his anger and disappointment.  When yelling, all of the words he says are emphasized.  Maybe he says something like, “WE HAVE TO DO BETTER IF WE ARE GOING TO SUCCEED!” (The words in caps represent emphasized words).  What does his team think of him?  They think that he is a “hot head” who is unapproachable, both qualities being equally undesirable.  While having authority and control is an obvious strength for a leader, trying to obtain it in this way leads to disaster.

Let’s take the same scenario now with a business manager who is talking with his team about his unhappiness about their performance on their project and approach it from another angle. He speaks in a calm voice maintaining an appropriate speed and stresses the positive words he wants his team members to remember.  We will use the same sentence as before, but say it as follows: “We HAVE to do BETTER if we are going to SUCCEED.” (the words in caps represent emphasized words).  Now the team’s perception of their manager is much different.  They know that things are not going well, but because the manager stayed calm and spoke in a professional manner, they can now move on to solving the problem.  The team will be more motivated and want to please their manager more when treated with respect.  

In any professional or personal situation, we should all try to remember these important tips:  avoid yelling every time we find ourselves in a difficult situation, maintain our sense of calm by speaking at a consistent, appropriate rate, and emphasize the most important words we want people to remember.  Speaking too quickly, yelling, and stressing every word during an argument or difficult situation means we are out of control, and that is the last quality we want others to associate with us.
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Changing Speech Habits Can Feel Awkward for ESL Speakers

3/16/2017

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If you speak English as a second language and are participating in an accent reduction and communication skills training course to improve your American English, you may feel very awkward when you first start incorporating changes into your daily speech. This is common and very natural.

Why does this happen? You have been speaking English the same way for a long time and associate yourself with your particular speaking style and habits. It is natural for you to feel awkward and maybe even a little embarrassed when you first start pronouncing some sounds differently or making changes in your speaking rate and melody. Practicing in the privacy of your own home is easy because no one else can hear you, but when you feel comfortable with the changes during private practice sessions, it is time to start incorporating them into your everyday speech. This is where you may be hesitant to use them. You might listen to yourself speak and think, "This just doesn't sound like me!"

The bottom line is that it takes about a month before a new habit feels comfortable, and that is with daily practice. No one likes change, and you will naturally resist it when you first start letting people hear the "new you", even though you want to. Your new speaking patterns may feel and sound strange to you initially, so you might think that everyone who listens to you speak may also think it sounds strange.

The good news is that NO ONE will laugh at you or think you sound strange. The changes that you are making in your speech are going to sound much more natural to American English speakers and will help others understand your speech more easily. This is because it will be more in line with what they are used to hearing.

Changing an accent and speaking style are not always easy and, like most things, they take dedication and practice. Don't get discouraged and keep working on it. The results will be well worth it!

You may always have an accent and some language differences when speaking English; getting rid of an accent and differences completely is not the goal. The goal is to create speech that is easy for others to understand, thus eliminating any communication barrier that you may once have had. The key to success in today's society is successful communication, and that is what you will be striving for!
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What We Hear Isn't Always What We Should Imitate: Say It Ain't So, Joe!

3/16/2017

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Every day we hear people all around us speaking English. Some may be on the radio or television, while others may be having conversations we overhear on a bus, train, subway or as a passerby. Just because someone speaks English as a native language, doesn't necessarily mean that they speak correctly. We should be careful of what we choose to imitate unless we know that it is correct or appropriate.

What do I mean by this? There are a great many people who speak English with glaring grammar mistakes or who use non-standard words. While some words or grammar mistakes are acceptable in some regions of the United States, they are not necessarily standard American English and should not be used in everyday conversational speech. Let's take a look at one word in particular that you will want to avoid using like the plague!

The word "aint" has been around for a long time, and originally started as a contraction for "am not", "are not", "is not", "has not", "have not", as well as "does not", "do "not" and "did not. You may hear it in informal speech, especially in certain regions of the United States. It carries a negative association with it and is often associated with individuals from a low socio-economic or educational background.

Is "aint" ever acceptable to use? The simple answer is "yes", but only in specific instances. There are times when using the word "ain't" is acceptable, but only as an expression that has become a famous quote, either from a movie or reported incident.

Probably the most famous use of "ain't" comes from an incident that was reported in the newspapers in 1920 when professional baseball player Shoeless Joe Jackson was leaving the courtroom after apparently been accused of taking a bribe to lose the 1919 World Series. On his way out of the courtroom it is reported that someone shouted to him, "Say it ain't so, Joe." There is a lot of controversy as to whether or not this statement was actually said, however it became well-known and has been used by many ever since.

The bottom line is that you should be careful with the words you choose to use. Don't repeat a word or expression that you hear just because you hear someone say it. Check it out to make sure that it is standard American English and that it is appropriate to use.
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Did You Know That People Really Do Hear Grammar Mistakes? I Know It, But He Don't!

3/16/2017

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​Let's face it, even the best speakers make grammar mistakes from time to time. We are human and with that comes imperfections. It's just the way things are. Minor grammar errors are common and don't really have a significant impact on our spoken English. We all make minor errors such as, "a apple" instead of "an apple" and "all kind of things" instead of "all kinds of things." Having said that, there are some glaring grammar errors that you should make sure you never make. These are errors that will make many people cringe when they hear and may create a negative impression.

In this article, we will focus on what we call "subject-verb agreement." In English, the rule is that the subject of the sentence (what the sentence is about) always has to agree with the verb (the action of the sentence). In simple terms, this means that there is a specific form of a verb for every subject, the subjects being I, you, he, she, it, we, they. When the subject and the verb do not agree, this is a very noticeable grammar error and should be avoided at all costs.

The most common error is made with what we call the third person singular form of a verb in the present tense. The third person singular form refers to "he", "she" and "it." Many of the errors occur with the verb "to do" (do, does, did). The verb that goes with this form always has to have an "s" at the end, so for the verb "to do", the correct form would be "does."

Let's look at an example: 
This sentence is correct: "She doesn't know them." The pronoun "she" is the subject and the helping verb "doesn't" (does not) is the correct form that goes or agrees with it. The form "does" agrees with "she" because it has an "s" at the end of it, as third person singular forms must have.

Many people, however, do not use the correct form of the verb when using the third person singular present tense.. 
This sentence is not correct: "She don't (do not) know them." The pronoun "she" is the subject, but this time the helping verb "do" is used, which does not have an "s" at the end of it. The form "do" is used with all subjects, including "I", "you", "we" and "they." The only one it is never used with is the third person singular form, including "he", "she" and 'it."

In summary, there are minor grammar errors that most of us notice but overlook. Because so many people make them, they are becoming more acceptable in informal everyday conversational speech. Then, there are some major grammar errors that are very noticeable and may stereotype us as to our educational or socio-economic level. Forming the third person singular present tense verb incorrectly certainly gives our listener a negative impression and may even be a deciding factor in obtaining a job in which public speaking is important.
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  The Key to Perfect Grammar:  What Every Non-Native English Speaker Should Know

2/16/2017

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Many non-native English speakers fall into the same trap when speaking:  they try to use long, complex sentences that they have not yet mastered in terms of grammar.  What happens is that they make many grammar errors, and the sentences they are trying to say become jumbled or confusing to their listeners.  They might hear, "Could you repeat that?"

Try to remember this one important rule when speaking:   KEEP IT SIMPLE.  Speak in sentences using grammar you have mastered.  If shorter, more simple sentences are what you can form well, then these sentence structures are what you should use. If you try to speak in long, complex sentences that you still have difficulty forming, you will make mistakes and confuse your listener.  Always stick to what you know.

Right about now you might be saying, "If I speak in shorter, more simple sentences, people will think I don't know English or that I'm stupid".  This is simply not true!  In general, when you are speaking, no one will notice that your sentences are shorter;  they will only notice that your grammar is correct.  They will think you speak very good English!  They will notice, however, when you make mistakes in grammar, or when what you say confuses them.

Remember, listeners expect to hear people speaking with correct grammar, regardless of the length or complexity of the sentences being used.  Listeners do not focus necessarily on the complexity of what you say, but the accuracy of what you say. 

It is important to speak in sentences using grammar you feel comfortable with and that you have mastered.  Practice increasingly longer, more complex sentences as often as you can.  Ask for corrections when you make mistakes, and you will learn more quickly.  The more you use complex sentences, the easier it will become.

Practice makes perfect!
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 Correct American English Pronunciation  for  Ten of the Most Commonly Mispronounced Words in English

2/16/2017

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Everyone makes pronunciation errors from time to time; we are all human and are not perfect. But, there are some words that, when mispronounced, are noticeable to others and send a negative signal to our listeners. These are usually common words that we use on a regular basis, so we say them often. This is why they can really have a significant impact on the quality of our speech! This article is the first in a series that will identify commonly mispronounced words and how to pronounce them correctly.

There are many common words that are often mispronounced, but this article will take a look at 10 of the most common ones, how they are usually mispronounced, and how to say them correctly. If you are currently mispronouncing any of these words, make an effort to learn how to pronounce them correctly, so can avoid making a "vocabulary faux pas!"

1. Supposedly 
The correct pronunciation is "suh-POSE-id-lee" 
The most common mispronunciation is"suh-POSE-ub-lee" 

Remember, there is never a "b" in "supposedly."

2. Across 
The correct pronunciation is "uh-CROSS" 
The most common mispronunciation is "uh-CROSST" 

For some reason, many people add a "t" at the end of this word, which is incorrect.

3. Pronunciation 
The correct pronunciation is "pro-nun-see-YA-shin" 
The most common mispronunciation is "pro-noun-see-YA-shin" 

The confusion on this word, I believe, stems from the verb "pronounce" which has "noun" in it, but when it becomes the noun "pronunciation", the second syllable "noun" changes to "nun".

4. Probably 
The correct pronunciation is "Praw-bub-lee" 
The most common mispronunciations are "praw-lee" and "prob-lee" 

The key to pronouncing this word correctly is remembering there is a "bub" in the middle, and it always has three syllables.

5. Recognize 
The correct pronunciation is "RECK-ug-nize" 
The most common mispronunciation is "RECK-uh-nize" 

Somehow the "g" in the middle of this word is forgotten!

6. Regardless 
The correct pronunciation is "ree-GARD-less".  Many people confuse the word "regardless" with "irregardless" pronounced as "ear-ree-GARD-less".  

There really is no such word as "irregardless" so do not fall into this mispronunciation trap.

7. Nuclear
The correct pronunciation is "NEW-klee-yer" 
The most common mispronunciation is "NEW-cue-ler" 
Many prominent people, including news broadcasters and politicians say this one incorrectly. There is no vowel between the "c" and "l" in the word "nuclear"... ever.

8. Especially 
The correct pronunciation is "es-PESH-uh-lee" 
The most common mispronunciation is "eks-PESH-uh-lee" 

Please remember that there is no "k" sound in the first syllable of this word.

9. Et cetera 
The correct pronunciation is "eht-SET-er-uh" 
The most common mispronunciation is "ex-SET-er-uh" 

In this word, the "t" is incorrectly replaced with a "k".

10. Ask 
The correct pronunciation is "ask", just as it is spelled, however many people put the "k" before the "s", so it sounds like "aks". 

Remember that the "s" always comes before the "k", otherwise it becomes "axe."
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How to Speak More Clearly Instantly

2/16/2017

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Good public speaking skills do not come naturally to everyone.  Too often, we hear public speakers give presentations, and we think to ourselves, “That speaker sounds awful!” They may be described as mumbling, swallowing their words, speaking too quickly, or speaking too softly, for example.  How can we become better speakers, and how do we avoid these pitfalls when we speak publicly?

In American English, we basically have two types of sounds:  consonants and vowels. While it is important to take the time to pronounce all sounds clearly and completely, this article will focus on pronouncing vowel sounds, because these sounds are always syllables and affect speech most.  They can have a significant impact on the quality and clarity of our speech.

Let’s take a look at two key factors in achieving speech that is easy to understand: 

  • Open your mouth to make the space inside your mouth larger.  I don’t mean that you have to open your mouth so wide that your listener can see down your throat, but you should feel that you are opening your mouth a little bit more than you are used to.
  • Move your lips when you form sounds.  If you are someone who tends to keep their lips flat when speaking or moves their lips slightly, you will want to focus on making circles and smiles with your lips for sounds that are formed using these features.  

Here are some key factors to remember about vowel sounds:
1.    Vowel sounds are always use your voice
Every time you say a vowel sound, you must use your voice.  This means that your vocal cords in your throat are vibrating to create sound, and you can hear your voice as you say them.  Examples of vowel sounds include:  “ah”, “ee”, and “oh”.
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2.    Vowel sounds are always syllables
Here we are talking about a sound, not a letter.  This is very important to remember.  Not only vowels in English are pronounced.  Every time we say a vowel sound in English, it is a syllable.  This means that our pitch will either go up or down when we say them.  Each word must have at least one syllable. 

3.    When a vowel is a stressed syllable, we stretch or prolong the sound.  
The stressed syllable in a word is always said more slowly, and the pitch usually goes up.  This makes it stand out.

4.    When a vowel is an unstressed syllable, we say it more quickly.  When saying an unstressed syllable, we shorten the vowel and lower our pitch.

5.    Vowel length determines speaking rate. 
The more you stretch or prolong vowels in words, the more slowly you will speak.  The opposite is also true:  the more quickly you say vowels in words, the more quickly you will speak.

6.    There are three types of vowel sounds in English
Vowel sounds are grouped together according to the part of the tongue that is used to form them.  The “front vowels” use the front part of the tongue, the “central vowels” use the middle part of the tongue, and the “back vowels” use the back part of the tongue. 

7.    There are 15 vowel sounds in English.  In English, we only have five vowel letters, but we have 15 vowel sounds.  The vowel letters include:  a, e, i, o, u.  We can also include the letter “y” as a vowel when it occurs at the end of a word, such as “happy”.  Here it makes the “ee” sound.

To speak clearly, follow these guidelines:
1. Open your mouth more when you say vowels in general
The inside of your mouth is a very small space, and we need all the space we can get in order to speak clearly. A general rule of thumb is, if your teeth are so close together than you can’t fit your finger in between them, or if your teeth are edge to edge when you speak, then your mouth is not open wide enough.  If you speak with your teeth too close together, then the space inside your mouth may be too small to speak clearly.  You also will have a difficult time speaking loudly enough. To others, it will sound like you are mumbling and not pronouncing words clearly.  Opening your mouth more when you speak will help you pronounce words more clearly, speak more loudly, and eliminate mumbling.  I don’t mean that you have to open your mouth so wide that your listener can see down your throat, but you should feel that you are opening your mouth a little bit more than you are used to.  Even though you may feel awkward opening

2. Move your lips more when you speak
American English is one of the languages in which you will have to move your lips more than others.  We have some sounds that require us to make a big circle, some that are formed with a smile, and others that are formed by a tight circle.  If you are used to keeping your lips flat when you speak, then you are most likely not pronouncing words as clearly as you could.

Both of these speaking skills are very important in creating speech that is easy to understand.  While I don’t mean that you have to open your mouth so wide that your listener can see down your throat, try opening your mouth a little more than you are used to.  Just remember that even though it may feel awkward to you, it won’t to anyone else.  As a matter of fact, your listeners will think that you speak very well!




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Speaking Rate:  Why It’s Important and What It Says About Us

2/16/2017

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In the business world, we are constantly being judged by what we say and how we say it; it doesn’t matter who we are or what position we hold.  People listen to our speech and receive an impression of us that they take with them.  When we speak to colleagues, managers, or other professionals, we all want to sound confident and convincing.  Having others believe in us and trust what we are saying is very important.  Believe it or not, how quickly or slowly we speak can give very definite impressions of us without us even knowing it.

There is an American saying, “Slow and steady wins the race.”  Simply put, you will have more success if you take your time and do something slowly, rather than hurrying and making mistakes.

How does the above saying relate to speech?  The slower you speak, the easier your speech will be to understand.  A rapid rate of speech will make your accent sound heavier and your speech more difficult to understand.  Slower speech will help you think about the sounds and words you are saying and will allow more time for your tongue and lips to reach the proper placement for those sounds.  The objective is not to speak too slowly; it is to speak as slowly as you need to in order to be able to pronounce sounds more accurately and clearly.  When speaking slower, remember to keep your words connected, unless it is a natural place to pause.  Speaking more slowly means prolonging vowels, not separating words.

Don’t worry about what Americans think about you when you are speaking slowly.  The goal is to make your speech understood.   Try to speak slowly as much as you can in all speaking situations, especially when speaking on the telephone.  Speaking on the telephone is the most difficult speaking situation because your listener must rely only on what they hear.  They don't have any visual cues to aid in understanding you, such as watching your lips and body language, or seeing your facial expressions.  

There is much more to oral communication than just speaking slowly, but until you can receive accent reduction classes, this is a good place to begin, and is a very quick way to help improve your speech right away!
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Five Important Rules to Remember When Speaking  English

2/16/2017

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If you speak English as a second language, you may be having difficulty speaking clearly and effectively. 
Here are some important tips to follow to make sure that you do!

1.  Open your mouth and move your lips!
When speaking American English, it is important to remember to open your mouth. This may sound funny to you, but if you think about it, many languages do not require much movement in the mouth to form sounds like American English does.  This is especially true when forming vowel sounds.  For example, the “ay” sound, as in the word “say” is formed by opening your mouth so that the teeth are more than an inch apart and spreading your lips in a smile. If you keep your teeth too close together and your lips relaxed and flat, the result will be a distorted sound. 

2.  Speak up
If you tend to speak too softly, your listeners may not hear everything that you say. Let’s add not opening your mouth wide enough and not moving your lips enough when you speak, which creates mumbling. They may need to ask you to repeat yourself several times, or even worse, they may not ask you to repeat and go away not understanding what you said. This is the worst case scenario, as your listeners may misinterpret your words.

3.  Take the time to pronounce all the sounds in words
Many people tend to omit sounds in words, especially the final sound.  For example, when saying the words “right now”, make sure not to omit the final “t” on “right”.  While Americans do not pronounce the final “t’” in “right” completely, they hold their breath and place the tongue in position to say this sound, in effect “marking” where the sound should go.  This creates a slight pause in between the two words. To completely eliminate the “t” would make this phrase sound like “rye now.” 

In addition, when saying words with three or more syllables, avoid omitting an unstressed syllable. For example, the word “generally” has four syllables.  The first syllable is stressed, and the last three are not, so it should sound like “GEN-er-uh-lee”. It is common for some individuals to omit the “er”, or second syllable, making the word sound like “GEN-uh-lee.”  Don’t let this happen to you!

4.  Speak slowly
English is not a fast language, as compared with other languages.  The average speaking rate is about 150 words per minute.  Whether you are a native American English speaker or speak English as a second language, speak slowly enough so that you have time to form sounds correctly and completely; however slowly that is.  There is no benefit to speaking quickly.  Let me repeat that:  there is no benefit to speaking quickly.  It does not mean that you are more fluent in the language, and it does mean that others will understand you better.  The faster you speak, the more difficult it will be for others to understand your speech and to process what you say. 

5.  Listen to Americans speak
The best way to improve your comprehension of English and to learn how to express yourself is to listen to American television and radio shows.  Sitcoms, which stand for “situation comedy” shows, are funny weekly television shows that are most representative of everyday vocabulary, common expressions, and situations. 

If you want to listen to a neutral or standard American accent, watch any news channel, local or national.  News broadcasters and anchors are trained to speak in the standard accent, which is considered to be the professional accent.  This accent does not exist naturally, but the closest to it is said to be in the Midwestern part of the United States.
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Common Differences Between  American English  and British English

2/16/2017

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Even though American English and British English are both English, there are several differences between the two.  The good news is that these differences usually do not have an impact on how well we understand each other, as long as the speaker does not speak too quickly.

This article will discuss common differences between the two languages, including the following:

  • Pronunciation
  • Grammar
  • Vocabulary

 1. Examples of pronunciation differences between American English and British English 
First of all, let me begin by saying that there are lots of different accents in both American and British English.  An accent can identify the region of a country in which a person comes from, a well-educated person versus a person with limited education, and the person’s native language if they speak English as a second language, just to name a few.  For the purpose of this article, we will be discussing some of the common differences between Standard American English and Received Pronunciation, which is also called The Queen’s English.  


These are the accents you would hear news broadcasters use. 
a. The “ae” (short a) sound as in “ask” is pronounced the “ah” in British English, making “ask” sound like “ahsk”.
b. The unstressed vowel “er” as in “sister” is pronounced like “uh” in British English, making “sister” sound like “sistuh”.
c. The stressed vowel “er” as in “person” is pronounced like “ah” in British English, making “person” sound like “pah-sun”.
d.  The “aw sound” as in “talk” is pronounced more like “oh” in British English, making “talk” sound like “toke.”

2.  Examples of grammar differences between American English and British English
British English speakers use some tenses differently than American speakers and also may use different words to express actions.

Let’s look at a few differences between how British speakers and American English speakers form tenses.
a. The present perfect tense versus simple present tense
British English speakers often use the present perfect tense to refer to something that happened in the recent past. American English speakers use the simple past tense to refer to something that happened in the recent past.

Let’s look at some examples:
British English:  “I’ve lost my wallet”, or “I have lost my wallet.”
American English:  “I lost my wallet.”

British English speakers tend to use the present perfect tense much more often than American English speakers do.  Where American speakers would normally use the simple past tense to tell about a recent event, British English speakers often use the present perfect tense even when talking recent events.

For example:
American speaker:  I dropped my keys.
British speakers:  I have dropped my keys.

American speaker:  I bought you a birthday gift.
British speaker:  I have bought you a birthday gift.

b. Using “shall” and “will”
While Americans used to use “shall” when talking about the future, we now find that “will” is the norm.  British speakers still use “shall” very often to talk about the future.

For example:
American speaker:  I will go on vacation tomorrow.
British speaker:  I shall go on vacation tomorrow.

British speakers also use “shall” when they offer help to someone. American speakers use “should”
For example:
American speaker:  Should I go pick up your brother?
British speaker:  Shall I go pick up your brother?

c. Expressing possession
British English speakers use “have got” to show possession, where American speakers use “have” or “have got” to refer to something in the present tense.

For example:
American speaker:  I have a new coat . I’ve got a new coat.
British speaker:  I have got a new coat.  I’ve got a new coat.

American speaker:  Do you have a new car?
British speaker:  Have you got a new car?

3. Vocabulary differences between British English speakers and American English speakers
Just as speakers from different parts of a country can have different names for objects, the same is true for British and American English speakers.  Let’s take a look at a few common vocabulary differences.
a.    British speakers use the word “boot” instead of “trunk”
For example:
American speaker:  My groceries are in the trunk.
British speaker: My groceries are in the boot.

b.    British speakers use the word “flat” instead of “apartment”
For example
American speaker:  John just moved into a beautiful apartment.
British speaker: John just moved into a beautiful flat.

c.    British speakers use the word “knickers” instead of “underwear”
For example:
American speaker:  The girl’s underwear is showing through her dress.
British speaker:  The girl’s knickers are showing through her dress.

d.    British speakers use the word “holiday” instead of “vacation”
For example:
American speaker:  I’ll be on vacation all next week.
British speaker:  I’ll be on holiday all next week.

While both British English and American English are the same language, there are many differences between them.  The above examples are just a few of the differences that we hear on a regular basis.  Other differences may include stressing and intonation differences, voice quality differences, mouth movement differences, as well as others.

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    Cheryl Posey is a licensed and nationally certified speech/language pathologist.   She specializes in accent reduction and communication skills training and provides useful tips and suggestions to help you improve your spoken English and reduce your accent with articles from Speaking Your Best's blog.  Subscribe today so that you don't miss any articles!

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Cheryl Posey, MS CCC-SLP
speakingyourbest@gmail.com
774-212-3241


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