3. The Statue of Liberty's elevator broke down (American vocabulary)

Just the same way as Spanish is different in Spain and Latin America, so there are differences in pronunciation and vocabulary between British and American English. Sometimes it may be funny. Anyhow, it is a good way to enlarge your vocabulary.

Comprueba lo aprendido

Watch the video about British and American English vocabulary and complete the gaps with these words:

crisps, soda, elevator, pants, french fries, movie

 

Video de British Council Hong Kong en Youtube

British English 

American English
 trousers  
   chips
 chips  
 lift  
 film  
 fizzy drink
 sidewalk

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Reflexiona

While there are certainly many more varieties of English, American and British English are the two varieties that are taught in most English as a Secondary Language programs. Generally, it is agreed that no one version is correct. However, there are certainly preferences in use.
The most important rule is to try to be consistent in your usage. If you decide that you want to use American English spellings then you must be consistent in your spelling and the vocabulary you are going to use.
Probably the major differences between British and American English lie in the choice of vocabulary. Some words mean different things in the two varieties.

Ejercicio Resuelto

From the context , try to guess the equivalent of these American English underlined words/phrases are in British English:

1)  We went on vacation to Florida last month.

2)  Can I use the eraser? I've made a mistake.

3) She gave him nothing for his birthday. She's rather mean!

4)  "Atchoo!"   "Gesundheit!"

5)  My brother takes the subway to work everyday.

6) After drinking 3 beers, he asked the waitress where the restroom was.


Union Flag or "Union Jack" The Stars and Stripes, Old Glory, The Star Spangled Banner
Imagen de Zscout370. Dominio público. Imagen de Zscout370. Dominio público.

Comprueba lo aprendido

Pregunta

Choose the words used in American English.
1) Don't forget to take the letter to the __________.

Respuestas

a) Post Office.

b) Mail Office.

Retroalimentación

Pregunta

2) Did you buy the __________ ticket for Long Island?

Respuestas

a) one-way

b) single.

Retroalimentación

Pregunta

3) Would you like to have some __________ for dinner?

Respuestas

a) french fries

b) chips

Retroalimentación

Pregunta

4) Please, don't let your dog walk alone by the __________.

Respuestas

a) pavement

b) sidewalk

Retroalimentación

Curiosidad

American and British English differences

 

The English language was first introduced to the American people by British colonization, beginning in the early 17th century. Similarly, the language spread to numerous other parts of the world as a result of British trade and colonization elsewhere and the spread of the former British Empire, which, by 1921, held sway over a population of about 470–570 million people: approximately a quarter of the world's population at that time.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown of the United Kingdom and President Obama
Imagen de Pete Souza. Dominio público.

Over the past 400 years, the form of the language used in the Americas—especially in the United States—and that used in the British Isles have diverged in a few minor ways, leading to the dialects now occasionally referred to as American English and British English. Differences between the two include pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary (lexis), spelling, punctuation, idioms, formatting of dates and numbers, and so on, although the differences in written and most spoken grammar structure tend to be much more minor than those of other aspects of the language in terms of mutual intelligibility. A small number of words have completely different meanings between the two dialects or are even unknown or not used in one of the dialects. One particular contribution towards formalizing these differences came from Noah Webster, who wrote the first American dictionary (published 1828) with the intention of showing that people in the United States spoke a different dialect from Britain, much like a regional accent.

Nevertheless, it remains the case that although spoken American and British English are generally mutually intelligible, there are enough differences to cause occasional misunderstandings or at times embarrassment – for example, some words that are quite innocent in one dialect may be considered vulgar in the other.

Taken from Wikipedia.