Losing your native English
Posted on June 26th, 2011by Michelle
In Culture, English | Leave a Comment »
There’s a great piece in The Globe and Mail (a Canadian newspaper) about how different the English language can be in the various countries that speak it.
The Canadian writer moved to Britain and has found she is forgetting many of the Canadian-English words and pronunciations she grew up with. In order to be easily understood she uses British English words and phrases rather than their Canadian equivalents.
I’ve referred to hockey as “ice hockey” – even to Canadian friends – a sure sign that my cultural boundaries have shifted. In Britain, field hockey is the more popular sport and retains the generic “hockey” title.
I now live “in” a road, not “on” it, and when I’m under pressure I’m “under the cosh.” I ask “y’all right?” instead of “how’re you?” I say “cheers” instead of “thank you.” And I ask for a tomato and basil panini without any hard As. (Source: The Globe and Mail)
I was born and grew up in England but I’ve lived in a number of different English-speaking countries, from Canada to New Zealand. I’ve always enjoyed picking up local terms and using them, from kia ora in New Zealand to toque in Canada. Like the writer, this has had some impact on my life – people in my native country often ask if I’m Australian!
Communication across the world has never been easier – I wonder what impact this will have on the English language worldwide?