An American’s Guide to Speaking British English

How to Avoid Embarrassing Mistakes in Word Usage from Football to Pants

By: George Budge

Narrated by: Joel Daffurn

To understand the differences between British and American culture, you must understand that the two countries have everything in common except the language itself. The line has been blurred in the technological age, as we see US English words crop up increasingly in the UK. However, the bulk of the British English language has stayed true to its original form.

Across the entirety of the British Isles, the language shifts, and changes to suit the current town or city of the occupant; however, there is one thing that any Brit can utterly agree with, and that is the hatred for Americanisms. For example. "Pants" are the undergarments or knickers that one would wear, unlike US English which defines them as trousers. Every Brit will associate the word pants as undergarments not trousers. To understand British culture, you must understand the language itself.

Here we will guide an American listener around the potential pitfalls to speaking clear British English, including differences in words, phrases, the education system, foods, and culture, from the royal family to the essential British pub. By the end of this book, you'll understand to give way, rather than yield, to wear a jumper not a sweater, understand what skint, faff, and rank all mean, as well as what it means to "see a man about a dog" and countless other words and expressions. This simple guide will get you on the right track as an American communicating in the UK or to British English speakers anywhere in the world.

This edition also includes an overview of Gaelic and Welsh, which are completely different languages spoken in the United Kingdom, as well as a tour of different English accents from around the UK, from Cockney to Yorkshire accents. There's also a fun quiz at the end to help you make sure you can remember all the important things you've learned in this valuable, sometimes funny and always unique audio course.

©2022 George Budge (P)2022 Historical Audiobooks