Do Americans speak English or American?

Do Americans speak English or American? Автор: Кеммер Анастасия ученица 11«Б» класса МОУ СОШ №6 г.Куйбышева, Новосибирской области Руководитель: Казакова Е. В. учитель английского языка

“The English have really everything in common with America nowadays, except, of course, language.” Oscar Wilde “America and England are two great nations separated by the same language.” Bernard Shaw

Цель: Выяснить на каком языке разговаривает население США

Problem questions: Do the English and the Americans speak the same language or two different languages? Do the USA possess their own language?

Задачи: Изучить словарный состав языка Рассмотреть грамматическую систему Выявить фонетические особенности

Введение: There are scholars who regard American English as one of the dialects of the English language. This theory can hardly be accepted because a dialect is usually opposed to the literary variety of the language whereas American English possesses a literary variety of its own. Other scholars label American English “ a regional variety” of the English language. It is necessary to find out whether or not American English in its modern stage of development, possesses those characteristics which would support its status as an independent language. A language is supposed to possess a vocabulary and a grammar system of its own.

Vocabulary of American English: - autumn - fall - cold snap (“a sudden frost”) - to think - to guess - blue-grass (“a sort of grass”) - ill, unwell - sick - sun-fish (“a fish with a round flat golden body”) historical Americanisms proper In American usage these words still retain their old meanings used by the first English migrants whereas in British English their meanings have changed. On American soil the first English migrants were faced with a lack of words to describe all new things. Such words were formed.

British English: American English: sweets candy underground subway lift elevator railway railroad biscuits cookies car automobile Some English words have developed new meanings and they are traceable to the development of American ways of life.

Though British and American spelling is the same in most cases, it differs in a few details. British English: American English: honour honor colour color theatre theater centre center catalogue catalog programme program

American borrowings Spanish: Negro: Indian: ranch banjo squaw canyon canoe cinch moccasin sombrero toboggan These groups of specifically American borrowings reflect the historical contacts of the Americans with other nations on the American continent.

American shortenings: It is a productive way of word-building typical of both British and American English. Yet, this type of word structure seems to be especially characteristic for American word-building. The following shortenings were produced on American soil, yet most of them are used both in American English and British English. mo (for moment) g. m. (for grandmother) cert (certainty) b. f. (for boy-friend) gym (for gymnasium)

The grammar system of American English: The use of the auxiliary verbs “will” in American English and “shall” in British English in the first person singular and plural of the FIT The substitution of the Past Indefinite Tense for the Present Perfect Tense (Am. Eng.) I saw this movie. (Br. Eng.) I’ve seen this film. The grammatical system of both varieties is actually the same, with very few exceptions.

The pronunciation of American English: But AE intonation does not rise or fall as much as that of BE. American voices have a higher pitch. There are differences in the pronunciation of vowels and consonants: AE {æ} – BE {а:} in class, last, bath; the omission of { j } in AE – produce, stupid; { r } is sounded in all words where this letter appears: farmer, bird, hurt, tear. The pronunciation of British English and the pronunciation of American English are similar.

Заключение: The language spoken in the USA is, in all essential features, identical with that spoken in Great Britain. In spite of all borrowings and newly invented words, American English is not a new language. American English and British English develop as variants of the English language constantly influencing each other.

Список литературы: Нестерчук Г. В., Иванова В. М. «The USA and the America» - г. Минск, издательство «Вышейшая школа» , 1997 Костина Е. А. «About the USA» - г. Москва, издательство «Московский Лицей», 2001 Антрушина Г.Б. English Lexicology www.Google.ru