Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
1. The US itself was once 13 UK colonies.
2. The UK had the more international empire that controlled a quarter of the world.
Why the US might be more instrumental:
1. Hollywood is American.
2. People are learning English because it's the language of the internet. Tim Berners-Lee was British, but the dot-com boom, and the current tech boom is overwhelmingly American. (Technically the world wide web and the internet are different--but that's not the point of this thread).
3. Outside of former British colonies, ESL students will almost always learn American English. In Continental Europe, China, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan, American English is taught much more often than British English.
4. American military bases are everywhere around the world--more so than British bases.
5. America's the world's largest economy.
I'll have to say that America is more influential. When you look at Asia (excluding Malaysia, Singapore, and South Asia), and continental Europe, it is almost always American English that is being taught. In particular, it is the California/West Coast accent that is closest to standard American English, because of Hollywood.
There is no such thing as 'American English', just like there is no such thing as 'Australian English', New Zealand English' or 'Canadian English', there is just 'English'. Your post is a good example, a post in good old English - the language spoken in England - if you can tell me what was so 'American English' about it I would be interested to know?
1. The US itself was once 13 UK colonies.
2. The UK had the more international empire that controlled a quarter of the world.
Why the US might be more instrumental:
1. Hollywood is American.
2. People are learning English because it's the language of the internet. Tim Berners-Lee was British, but the dot-com boom, and the current tech boom is overwhelmingly American. (Technically the world wide web and the internet are different--but that's not the point of this thread).
3. Outside of former British colonies, ESL students will almost always learn American English. In Continental Europe, China, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan, American English is taught much more often than British English.
4. American military bases are everywhere around the world--more so than British bases.
5. America's the world's largest economy.
I'll have to say that America is more influential. When you look at Asia (excluding Malaysia, Singapore, and South Asia), and continental Europe, it is almost always American English that is being taught. In particular, it is the California/West Coast accent that is closest to standard American English, because of Hollywood.
When it comes to proliferation, I'm gonna have to say the UK. The British empire spread English to the 4 corners of the Earth.Many people learn English as a result of the influence of the British Empire.
In Europe, almost everyone learns British English.
On the other hand, you could argue that American political and economic power plays a huge role in maintaining the status quo that the English language benefits from.
Status:
"“If a thing loves, it is infinite.”"
(set 2 days ago)
Location: Great Britain
27,180 posts, read 13,461,836 times
Reputation: 19487
Quote:
Originally Posted by MrJester
Why the UK might be more instrumental:
1. The US itself was once 13 UK colonies.
2. The UK had the more international empire that controlled a quarter of the world.
Why the US might be more instrumental:
1. Hollywood is American.
2. People are learning English because it's the language of the internet. Tim Berners-Lee was British, but the dot-com boom, and the current tech boom is overwhelmingly American. (Technically the world wide web and the internet are different--but that's not the point of this thread).
3. Outside of former British colonies, ESL students will almost always learn American English. In Continental Europe, China, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan, American English is taught much more often than British English.
4. American military bases are everywhere around the world--more so than British bases.
5. America's the world's largest economy.
I'll have to say that America is more influential. When you look at Asia (excluding Malaysia, Singapore, and South Asia), and continental Europe, it is almost always American English that is being taught. In particular, it is the California/West Coast accent that is closest to standard American English, because of Hollywood.
The Americans are our allies, so good for them and best of luck to them.
As easthome pointed out, there is only English and not American English.
As for tech investment and the film industry, the UK is doing extremely well.
Furthermore I think you will find Britain was a Naval power, and it's Empire was based on trade, indeed the local rulers often policed Empire for the British and their countrymen actually volunteered to serve in the British forces including in two world wars, for which we are very grateful to them and for their bravery.
As for Economy, the US is a much bigger country, so it's economy is going to be bigger and this especialy applies to certain states on the East and West coasts.
All the Best to the US, the Anglosphere an commonwealth countries, as well as our European and other allies.
1. The US itself was once 13 UK colonies.
2. The UK had the more international empire that controlled a quarter of the world.
Why the US might be more instrumental:
1. Hollywood is American.
2. People are learning English because it's the language of the internet. Tim Berners-Lee was British, but the dot-com boom, and the current tech boom is overwhelmingly American. (Technically the world wide web and the internet are different--but that's not the point of this thread).
3. Outside of former British colonies, ESL students will almost always learn American English. In Continental Europe, China, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan, American English is taught much more often than British English.
4. American military bases are everywhere around the world--more so than British bases.
5. America's the world's largest economy.
I'll have to say that America is more influential. When you look at Asia (excluding Malaysia, Singapore, and South Asia), and continental Europe, it is almost always American English that is being taught. In particular, it is the California/West Coast accent that is closest to standard American English, because of Hollywood.
Both instrumental in making English the worldwide language of business...the Brits started it, the americans perpetuated it by dominating the world economically, technology and, entertainment.
Put this way, the US almost adopted German as their official language, if they had, the world would use German as the world business language.
Both instrumental in making English the worldwide language of business...the Brits started it, the Americans perpetuated it by dominating the world economically, technology and, entertainment.
I agree with this. If it weren't for the one-two punch, so to speak, we wouldn't be here communicating in this language.
Just for fun, if Quebec had become an industrial powerhouse in, say, the 1910s-1980s period, French may have accelerated and perpetuated its role as a global language.
If Spain had ever been an industrial powerhouse followed by one of its colonies, then Spanish.
At any rate, nothing lasts forever: will come a time when people won't remember or care when or who started the industrial revolution, and contemporary English will have evolved into something as foreign to us today as, just for example, Sumerian, Aramaic, classical and koine Greek, Gandhari, Sanskrit, Latin, and even the English of Shakespeare and King James (who?).
Besides economic and political reasons, English has a relatively simple syntax, compared to other major European languages.
Among all major languages in the world, probably only Chinese has a simpler syntax than English.
Both instrumental in making English the worldwide language of business...the Brits started it, the americans perpetuated it by dominating the world economically, technology and, entertainment.
Put this way, the US almost adopted German as their official language, if they had, the world would use German as the world business language.
Overall, it would be the country whose media has the most influence and reach in the world. I'll let you guys debate which country that is.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
