Is the language of English taught in Australia more similar to British English or American English?

Show all answers

votehowardout

Closer to British english in terms of spelling etc. But you will find, like in Britain that we have a very unique way of speaking - like you guys we use rhyming slang and stuff like that, called "strine". Most of you poms can pick up on the majority of it as you use some of the same ones, those americans have no idea what we're saying if we do it.

sag_kat2chat

I gather you are asking this question with regards to the grammatical learning? English Grammar as taught is Universal, this is because it is Middle Class English and not the day to day or Working Class English spoken by the 'ordinary' person. Schools teach and use Middle Class English, so those who do not have it as their first language have difficulty with understanding what it is they are being taught. As do those from the lower socio-economic section of society. This was deliberate so that only the Middle Class and brightest of the underprivledged groups would go to University.
Whilst those of us from first language English speaking countries understand each other we often become confused with the different use of words when talking and so it needs to be explained. American English with regards to how words are spelt is from the period of the end of Middle English whilst when Australia was colonised Modern English had come into being, from memory.
I am okay with being corrected on this, long time since I learnt this at Uni.
Grammatically correct written English often does not reflect the spoken Grammar, spell check is proof of this. And when someone learns English as a second language they will often speak grammatically correct only as they have not learnt what we now call 'conversational English'.
China has been teaching grammatically correct English in their schools and have recognised they need to have English speaking (first language) people teach them the nuances of the conversational English.
Sorry if I rambled along.

andy c

British Enlish. Brits and Australians both spell colour. Americans spell color.

lulu

British English, we use the same spelling, not the American spelling.

Serena

British.

revilyan

g.day mate, us ozzies speak our own lingo ,not pommie or septic tank, see ya round the barby if ya decide to come over for a cold one

referralguru

British English

Sparky5115

More like British, not American.

Our spelling Your spelling
Colour Color

G L

Brit more. They proper stucture they use is very Brit English
the words are sometimes the same but not always. My Aussie boyfriend can understand more of what my British friend says than I can but he still does not understand all the words

tentofield

"American English with regards to how words are spelt is from the period of the end of Middle English whilst when Australia was colonised Modern English had come into being, from memory."

American spelling was fixed in the 19th century by lexicographer Noah Webster. Before that the most definitive spelling list was Johnson's Dictionary. Both Johnson and Webster spoke and used Modern English as did Shakespeare. Middle English became Modern English effectively at the time of the Tudors so American English has always been a form of Modern English.

Enter Your Message or Comment

User Name:
User Email:
Post a comment: