People learning English.

[Dax]

Screw that, let's all speak Esperanto.

 

[The Monkey]

Brittish English mostly, especally in the low grades, but as I the English classes became more advanced, we learned more and more American English, after all that's what you hear on the TV and the movies all time, but whenever I'm speaking to a english-speaker I try to use my Oxford-english.

 

[Pressure]

Spanish is the easiest language lol.

 

[CptStern]

Spanish is the easiest language lol.

y todo esto tiempo yo pensaba que engles es mucho mas facile

 

[qckbeam]

i just dont see the REAL reason why americans are considered to have their own language, when the most commonly, therefore correct, language worldwide is 'ENGLISH' and not american...

I didn't know there was an "American English", and I'm an American. We have some differences as far as spelling goes, and obviously pronunciation is different in America, but the languages are exactly the same. I've never heard of English referred to as "American" or "American English" or anything other than just plain old "English" outside of this forum. I've certainly never met another American who considered English to be "our" language. (as in something we invented or own).

 

[Sprafa]

Actually I would love we all started speaking Esperanto.

And English is one of the easiest languages because it's so young.

 

[Dynasty]

I didn't know there was an "American English", and I'm an American. We have some differences as far as spelling goes, and obviously pronunciation is different in America, but the languages are exactly the same. I've never heard of English referred to as "American" or "American English" or anything other than just plain old "English" outside of this forum. I've certainly never met another American who considered English to be "our" language. (as in something we invented or own).

yeah but the point is that there is an american english. like you say, the only difference is that we spell and say things differently. so why do americans have to say 'its american and not english'..as of to say 'were so powerful and great, why cant we have our own language aswell as everything else'. its not that im jealous, god no. they may aswell call it 'bad english' instead.

 

[qckbeam]

yeah but the point is that there is an american english. like you say, the only difference is that we spell and say things differently. so why do americans have to say 'its american and not english'..as of to say 'were so powerful and great, why cant we have our own language aswell as everything else'. its not that im jealous, god no. they may aswell call it 'bad english' instead.

That's exactly my point. I've never, not once in my entire life, heard an American say "It's American not English". Everyone I know considers English...English. Again, I've never heard it called anything else other than English. No American I've ever met considers it "our language".

 

[Letters]

I always thought aluminium was just something that people who couldn't say aluminum said... hah... go figure...

 

[Alig]

I always thought aluminium was just something that people who couldn't say aluminum said... hah... go figure...

No because its said "alu - min - yum" but is spelt aluminium, not aluminum

 

[Matthias]

A lot of Europeans I've met speak American English (with an American accent to boot) as they pick as much from films/tv than form school.

Maybe I biased but I really do prefer the english versions of some words:

bloke vs guy
shopping trolley vs shopping kart
trousers vs pants
autumn vs fall
settee vs couch
jumper vs sweater
sleeping policeman vs speed bump
pelican crossing vs crosswalk
fire engine vs fire truck
queue up vs wait in line

And that's without going into swear words.

 

[Wiegje]

I learned American english although I'm not doing bad on my English engish, been to the UK last summer aswell, noticed a big difference between american and english.

been learning english/american since i was 6 years. and i can basically speak better english/american than dutch. well writing and reading atleast.

oh, ive been picking up american from the tv/movies and all.

 

[EC]

I'm an American, so obviously, I speak "American" English. However, like Qckbeam says, I have *never* heard anyone call AE anything else except English.
So what if there are differences? Who cares if we say "aluminum"? To us (me at least) "aluminIum" sounds funny, but it's how you spell it. It's correct to you. "Aluminum" is correct to us. I really wish people would stop harassing America just because we talk different.

On a humorous note: I have never heard of "pelican crossing" or "sleeping policeman". Quite funny!