Word Power American English vs British English

Vocabulary BrE toilet/WC AmE rest room /bathroom BrE trousers AmE pants

BrE sweets AmE candy BrE football AmE soccer ball

BrE sitting room AmE living room BrE holiday AmE vacation

AmE BrE pants candy restroom bathroom soccer ball holiday sitting room film trousers sweets football toilet/WC vacation living room movie

Spelling BrE Rules programme colour traveller centremetre humour skillful -er vs -re -or vs -our -l- vs –ll- -ze vs –ze/-se - m vs -mme kilogramme AmE meter realize humor skilful kilogram AmE organize organise realize realise center organize color traveler program

Guess favourite theater neighbor kilogram jewelleryrecognise

Grammar Sam just went home. Sam’s just gone home.

That skirt fit badly. That skirt fitted badly.

Hello, is this Wang Li? (on the phone ) Hello, is that Wang Li ? (on the phone)

I live on Zhenning Road. I live in Zhenning Road.

Call me at Call me on

I often watch TV on the weekend. I often watch TV at the weekend.

1 I play basketball on weekends. 2 Please call me at I have just lost my pen. 4 Hello, is that Hallie? Find out if the statement is in American or British English. Then change it to the other form. I play basketball at weekends. Please call me on I just lost my pen. Hello, is this Hallie? AmE BrE

AmE vs BrE There are some differences between them in : Vocabulary Spelling Grammar

Read the following dialogue carefully, and find out if the underlined sentences are British or American English. Sam: Hi David.How are you? David: Fine, have you just come back from New York? Sam: yeah, I just came back here. David: How was your summer holiday, Sam? Sam: Excellent, during my summer vacation I joined a soccer ball club. David: Good! I also practised playing football this summer too. Sam: Ok. Please call me at if the students’ union organizes a soccer ball match. David: Good idea! You may call me on BrE AmE BrE AmE BrE

Change the underlined words and phrases from American to British English. Then,practise the new dialogue with a partner.

Li Hua: Hello, (1) is this ____ Dai Jun? Dai Jun: Yes. Hi,Li Hua, how are you? Li Hua: I’m okay now, but I just had the worst morning ever! Dai Jun: What happened? Li Hua: I went to the shopping (2)center ______ near Huaihai Road, to change the new shoes I bought, the ones that (3)fit ______ badly, for bigger ones. One saleswoman was in the (4) bathroom _____ and the other was watching a TV (5) program _______ behind the counter. that centre fitted toilet programme

Neither of them would help me! Finally, I got help, but they only had the shoes in a (6) color _____ I didn’t like. I wanted to complain, but when I asked to see the manager, they told me, ‘Oh, sorry, (7) she just went home _________________.’ Dai Jun: what a terrible shop! What did you do ? Li Hua: They gave me a number to phone the manager (8)at _____, so I called when I got home. Now I feel a bit better, but I still don’t have new shoes! colour She’s just gone home. on

Pair work Suppose that you’re Annie from London, Britain, and your partner Hallie from California, America. This time Hallie has just come back from New York. She met Annie in the street.

Hallie: Hi Annie. How are you? Annie: Fine, have you just come back from New York? Hallie: Yeah, I __________here last Monday. Annie: How is your winter holiday, Hallie? Hallie: Excellent, during my winter_______ I watched a movie called ‘Parent Trap’ and I loved it. I love movies. Annie: Oh, it sounds interesting. You know, I love _____ too. We can watch them __weekends later. Hallie: Ok. Please call me at if you get any news. Annie: No problem! Call me __ Hallie: Ok. See you! Annie: Goodbye! came back vacation films at on

Homework : 1.Try to collect more words or expressions which are different in British English and American English in the three ways. 2. Talk with your group members after class which language you prefer and why. 3.Go to the following websites to get more information about American English and British English tm tm