Should I learn American or British English?

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samuraivader
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Should I learn American or British English?

Postby samuraivader » Tue Oct 01, 2019 6:28 pm

Hi! I'm a native Spanish speaker and have an intermediate English level and I'm working in order to improve it.
I want to reach an advanced level because I want to move to an English-speaking country. I'm still not sure about which country I'm going to be, but the most probable one is America. But, even though I'll probably need more the American English, I don't like to learn it (I think I don't like American culture in general) and I really prefer a lot to learn the British dialect with its different vocabulary, and I love learning in that accent!

In summary, I love the British dialect of English and learning it but I'll probably need more the American dialect, which dialect do you think I should learn between the American and the British?
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Re: Should I learn American or British English?

Postby Lawyer&Mom » Tue Oct 01, 2019 9:03 pm

It doesn’t really matter. You are European, you will read as European in America, no reason not to have a British accent too. Now that said, try not to sound like the Queen. A BBC newsreader approximately your age is ideal. (I had a German friend who sounded like a 98 year old grandmother when she spoke English. She was 20.)

Edit: I just realized that I assumed you are from Spain. This might not in fact be true. It would be slightly odd to me if a Latin American had a British accent, but still not a big deal.
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Re: Should I learn American or British English?

Postby Speakeasy » Tue Oct 01, 2019 9:51 pm

samuraivader wrote: ... I want to reach an advanced level because I want to move to an English-speaking country ... the most probable one is America ... I love the British dialect of English and learning it but I'll probably need more the American dialect ...
First, welcome to the forum!

I recommend that you move to Canada and adopt our accent. As we don’t really have one, should you relocate elsewhere in the English-speaking world (United States, Australia, Great Britain, Ireland, India, Singapore), you’ll pass for a local. :)

On a more serious note, to a very large extent, it does not matter which variant of English (British or American) you choose. Putting regional accents aside, despite a few particularities of vocabulary and idiomatic speech, the differences between the variants of English throughout the world are no more imposing than the differences between the variants of Spanish. Were I interested in moving to the United States and had I already attained an Intermediate Level in English, I would focus on native American English audio/video input (which is almost impossible to avoid these days) augmented by working with an online tutor.
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Re: Should I learn American or British English?

Postby Olekander » Tue Oct 01, 2019 9:59 pm

If you're looking for more of a challenge go with British English particularly various "working class" variants. You'll have a lot of fun with those. If you're not looking to move to Britain, British colloquial English is likely to be more of a challenge and not worth the effort. African American English would also be of colloquial interest to you perhaps too.

If you're just looking to increase vocab and grammar just work with American sources.
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Re: Should I learn American or British English?

Postby iguanamon » Tue Oct 01, 2019 11:46 pm

In my experience, the differences between American and British English are over-exaggerated to a large extent. I have a foot in both camps as my kids are English, Northern English, and they live there. I am American, Southern American- 7th generation. I have lived in England and Australia and now the English-speaking Caribbean. I have traveled in New Zealand and all over Canada. I have felt very much at home in all these countries as an American. Yes, there are cultural differences between Americans and British (and Australians/Canadians/Kiwis) but we are much more alike than either, or any, of us care to admit. British and American politics tend to follow and mirror each other to an eerily creepy extent for two countries that have been separated for such a long time. We regularly dip into each other's media. My daughter knows more about US rap than I do and I didn't introduce it to her. I love Dr. Who, the BBC and Monty Python. A lot of our cultural convergence has to do with globalization but it is so much easier for British and American companies to do business in an English-speaking country where the language is the same and the rules and laws are so similar. My ex, who lives in England (born and raised/reared), watches more American TV than I do, I can assure you! She hates Monty Python... well, there's no accounting for taste. :lol:

Beginners here who are learning a pluri-centric language like Spanish often stress way too much about which accent to learn. The Assimil Spanish course is Castilian Spanish and they either want to not have a Castilian accent or to continue with Iberian resources and not "contaminate" their Castilian. My advice is always: "Just learn Spanish. The accent and usage will sort itself out in time."... and it does. Learn one variety but be familiar with the differences in the other. They're more common in both places than beginners think. So learn whichever variety of English you wish. As an ESL learner living outside an English-speaking country, your English will adjust and adapt to whomever you are talking with on a regular basis or wherever you may be traveling... despite your best efforts to maintain your second language purity. Just learn English! The accent and usage will sort itself out in time. You won't be able to avoid American English unless you move to Tristan da Cunha or Ascension Island and... even there...
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Re: Should I learn American or British English?

Postby golyplot » Wed Oct 02, 2019 2:28 am

Olekander wrote:African American English would also be of colloquial interest to you perhaps too.


Be careful with trying to speak it though, since you might be perceived as making fun of people in an inappropriate manner.
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Re: Should I learn American or British English?

Postby Speakeasy » Wed Oct 02, 2019 3:36 am

Olekander wrote:If you're looking for more of a challenge go with British English particularly various "working class" variants … African American English would also be of colloquial interest to you perhaps too…
Olekander, I believe that your intentions were genuinely good when you suggested that the OP might find certain elements of dialectical speech interesting from a standpoint of studying languages. I do not believe that, included in your suggestion, was the recommendation that the OP mimic the speech of underprivileged minorities or that of members of a presumed socially inferior class. Nevertheless, I believe that golyplot has raised an important issue…
golyplot wrote:Be careful with trying to speak it though, since you might be perceived as making fun of people in an inappropriate manner.
I would like to express my deep appreciation to golyplot for having raised a very sensitive issue. Whether we are talking about African American English pronunciation and idiomatic speech, or that of anyone else, we should always exercise judgement in mimicking others. No matter how genuine we might believe our “good intentions” should appear to native-speakers, our efforts at imitating “authentic speech” and being taken for “one with the people” could easily result in our hosts feeling ridiculed and humiliated. The resulting frustration and anger could lead to acts of retaliation which we would have thoughtlessly provoked. :shock:

EDITED:
Expansion of the text.
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Re: Should I learn American or British English?

Postby tussentaal » Wed Oct 02, 2019 4:42 am

Something like two thirds of Americans speak with an accent close to General American.
On the other hand, Received pronunciation accent is rare in the UK, being used by only 3% of Britons.
So many people learning British English fail to understand random British show characters, like Vicky Pollard. :lol:
Most British artists sing in American English, so there must be some covert prestige of American English in the UK. :mrgreen:

American English is understood in the UK and Ireland.
The opposite is not always true, because the exposure to British English is more limited in North America.
So, many people will not understand Briticisms.
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Re: Should I learn American or British English?

Postby Cavesa » Wed Oct 02, 2019 11:06 am

I totally agree with Iguanamon, the issue is usually being overestimated. Just learn English. You'll need to be familiar with both major versions anyways, and you'll also be baffled by some variants of each of them anyways.

I'd recommend considering these points:

1.You live in Europe now. While the normal media is available in both languages (there is no reason to worry about your receptive skills in either variant, as long as you are exposed to both), the rest of the tools may not be that common. If you want to work on your English with more structured tools meant for the advanced learners, there are tons of awesome stuff from the UK everywhere, while the US alternatives might be less common here. Why would you avoid that advantage? You also happen to love the British English, so there is no reason to avoid it.

2.The exams. They are one of the most important things for the serious learners wishing to use a language for work or life abroad. If you want to pass the Cambridge ones (they last for life, and they are widely recognised), active use of the British English will definitely need to be a part of your routine. If you need the american ones (IELTS and others, usually valid for a few years, and they are the only option recognised by many institutions), adapt accordingly. Learn to write for the exam, most people in the real life won't hang you for using the "wrong" spelling or vocabulary alternative.

3.Sorry to say that, but you are unlikely to be totally native like anyways. It makes sense to strive for excellent pronunciation and very good accent. But you will most probably still not sound like someone from a particular place, at least until you'll have lived there for a very long time (=the problem will slowly solve itself). And it's not just about the accent. And that is actually a good thing! It is a liberating attitude. I'd recommend not obsessing over it. It is great to strive for a non obtrusive accent, that simply won't make people think about your origin at all, because they'll focus on the content and the situation. Later on, you can also get to the category "probably native from a different region", which is an even better result. But you will simply never sound like a Texan to a real Texan, or a Scot to a real Scot.
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Re: Should I learn American or British English?

Postby Olekander » Wed Oct 02, 2019 8:55 pm

I agree with the points above raised with reference to trying to imitate certain dialectical speech from various non standard forms of English. My suggestion reiterated is that from a COMPREHENSION stand point, you absolutely will need to be able to understand those forms IF you intend to live in those countries. Being unable to understand widely spoken dialects would be severely limiting to your ability to communicate. It goes without saying that learning them with the intention of speaking them would be counter productive and as mentioned above, above all, just odd.
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