Globalization of American English
The American vocabulary during the 19PthP and especially 20Pth P and 21 centuries began to be exported abroad due to its economic, political and technological prominence in the world. American movies, radio, television, pop culture have certainly hastened the process.
In recent years Americanisms have been introduced into international usage. The ubiquitous OK seems to occur more frequently nowadays in England than in the land of its origin and may be found in quite formal situations, such as on legal documents and computers to indicate the correctness of details. Americanisms have slipped into British English and father in the most unobtrusive way, so that their American origin is hardly regarded at all. Know-how, a cafeteria ,a supermarket, a filmstar, coca/pepsi-cola,a skyscraper, chewing gum ,a credit card, a skyscraper, a baby sitter, electrocute, etc. firmly established not only in Standard British English. but in many other countries as well.. Most words and usages are frequently borrowed from American English quite unconsciously. Even when they are consciously borrowed, the fact that they are of the transatlantic origin is soon forgotten.
.American dictionaries give a fascinating glimpse of the vast changes in American and, inevitably, global English by the electronic age. Some fifty years ago no one walked on the Moon, bought a sun blocker or running shoes. VCRs were unknown. Heavy metal, punk rock music, post-modernism, yuppies and soft contact lenses didn’t exist. Hundreds of new business buzz-words are used, reflecting the birth of global markets and the take-over boom. Americans invented a lot of new words connected with new technology, computers and internet: state-of-the-art (very latest technology), artificial intelligence, a notebook, a laptop computer, download, upload, online, offline, website, to hack, software,know-how, the dotcom economy, screensaver, trackpad, thumbnail, footprint, gridlocked, cyberpet , a techno-wizard, a cybercafe and many others of computer-related terms are increasingly invading the daily life.
A lot of politically correct terminology also appeared: people of color, coloreds, organized crime (mafia), Hispanic culture, stay-at-home mom (housewife). Among such words there are euphemistic references: senior citizens or older adults (pensioners), the loved one ( death and funeral references), to dehire employees ( to fire them), powder room (ladies’ toilet), etc.
Vocabulary of equality: Fireman-firefighter; policeman-police (security) officer; mailman- mail carrier; salesman-sales person; manmade-artificial; synthetic-manufactured; stewardess-flight attendant, chairman-chairperson; chair-presiding officer.
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A lot of abbreviations and acronyms appeared, especially often used in media and ads ( advertisements): NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) , UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), IIMF (International Monetary Fund), CIA (Central Intelligence Agency), Call (Computer Assisted Language Learning), ZIP code (for Zone Improvement Plan), SALT (Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty),INF (Intermediate Range Nuclear Force), AAAAA (American Association for the Abolition of Abbreviations and Acronyms),all mod cons (all modern conveniences), ch.(central heating), d/g (double garage), etc.
The spreading of American English is also supported by the international examination TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) which all foreign students and immigrants are obliged to pass to study or live in the USA.
1. Answer the questions:
1. How can the Indian contribution to American English be traced?
2. What kind of words did the English settlers borrow from other languages?
3. When was the phrase “the American language” used for the first time?
4. What importance did the founders of American nation attach to the power of the language?
5. Who was the first to think of reforming the chaotic English spelling?
6. What measures were suggested to promote American English?
7. What was the aim of this political action?
8. Why is Webster called the champion of American English?
9. What did Webster do to develop American English?
II.. Here are some words and phrases which can cause confusion when used by Brits and American talking together because they mean something different in each “language”. Can you explain what American and British people mean when they say : a bill, a purse, subway, pants, vest, wash up?
2. Can you give the British equivalents to the American words: gasoline, truck, sidewalk, line, vacation, trunk (of a car), hood (of a car), a cab, freeway, round trip,a railway car, an engineer(on train),an eraser, a closet, drapers, faucet, a yard, cookie, candy, garbage, intersection, a living room, a long-distance bus, blue-chip investments, call loan, stocks, an express man, to fix a meeting, government bonds?
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3.Discussion problems:
1. Describe the differences between British and American English in grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation. Give examples.
2. List the major dialects of American English.
3. Why can American English be called as “a linguistic melting pot”?
4. What are the reasons of the influence of American English on its mother tongue and many other languages o the world?
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