Hyderabad, July 23, 2011

I can talk English, I can walk English, I can laugh English because English is a very funny language, thus spoke Amitabh Bachchan, veteran Bollywood actor, in his 1982-film Namak Halaal. Such dialogues endeared him to millions of Indians in his hey days. No wonder his dialogues remain eternal!
This famous dialogue of Amitabh can be watched on YouTube at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSrMb8IBsTQ

There are several versions of English the world over. Two main types are American English and British English. In India, we have our own Indian English. If we dont use our language properly, we can also find ourselves in such funny situations. Language defines a person. With increasing globalisation, businessmen, travellers and students are exposed to several hues of English. A week ago, Infosys founder and chief mentor, N R Narayana Murthy, had exhorted the youngsters to improve their written and spoken English. Foreigners would find it amusing if we use the word prepone instead of advance, because there is no such word as prepone in English language. However, this word prepone as the opposite of postpone is widely/wrongly used by Indians. In India, we have been mostly using British English even though, of late, we have been veering towards American English. George Bernard Shaw once said: "England and America are two countries separated by a common language." However, we need to be aware of the main differences among the different flavours of English language. The important differences are in spelling, pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary and usage. More and more people, including the Brits, are now being influenced by American English due to the overwhelming use of social media, like, Facebook, Twitter, and others in our daily lives. All the social media are from the US. The worlds most popular computer software MS Office also follows mostly American English. American English is racy, vibrant and more flexible. Whereas, British English is considered conservative. In India, we love Good Day biscuits, but in the US we need to say Good Day cookies. We say ground floor whereas Americans start with first floor. In India, if we write 11/7/2011 it means July 11, 2011. But, in the US it means November 7, 2011. Americans cant walk on pavements. In British English r is pronounced before a vowel only, whereas in American English, r is pronounced in all positions in a word. For example, in British English, first r only is pronounced in river, whereas in American English both the first r and the last r are pronounced. News is pronounced like nyooz in British English, whereas in American English it can be pronounced like noose. Watching television channels, BBC or CNN, may help in improving our knowledge of English.

Rama Krishna Vadlamudi, HYDERABAD July 23, 2011 www.scribd.com/vrk100 MY BLOG: www.ramakrishnavadlamudi.blogspot.com

Spelling differences:
British/Indian English *

Noun aeroplane aluminium autumn bank cheque behaviour biscuits bonnet catalogue cemetery centre chemist clamour colour cutting (newspaper) dynamo flat flavour glamour hairdresser honour interval jewellery leader lift lorry maths metre motor car motorway mould moustache

American English Noun airplane aluminum fall bank check behavior cookies hood catalog memorial park center druggist clamor color clipping generator apartment flavor glamor beautician honor intermission jewelry editorial elevator truck math meter automobile highway mold mustache

British/Indian English *

American English Noun Noun nappies diapers notice board bulletin board number plate license plate parcel package pavement sidewalk petrol gasoline or gas plough plow pram baby carriage programme program pyjamas pajamas race-course race-track railway railroad right-angled triangle right triangle rubbish junk sceptic skeptic silencer (of a car) muffler single ticket one way ticket speciality specialty sulphur sulfur sweets candy tap faucet theatre theater torch flashlight tram street car traveller traveler trunk boot tyre (of a car) tire (of a car) waste paper basket waste basket windscreen windshield woollen woolen * At times, Indians follow American words

Page 2 of 3

Rama Krishna Vadlamudi, HYDERABAD July 23, 2011 www.scribd.com/vrk100 MY BLOG: www.ramakrishnavadlamudi.blogspot.com

British/Indian English Verb/sentence to meet someone got (past participle of get) to stay at home programmed to analyse I'll write to her I'll talk to him to black shoes to protest against something signalled travelling worshipped Have you got children? levelled

American English Verb/sentence to meet with someone got or gotten (past participle) to stay home programed to analyze I'll write her I'll talk with him to shine shoes to protest something signaled traveling worshiped Do you have children? leveled

There have been many more divergences between them. Currency notes are called bills, in the US, for example, one dollar-bill. In Britain, it is one-dollar note. English is a universal language. It is a sponge language. It has absorbed many words from other languages. Appreciating such nuances in the language will make us a better person. Finally Famous British author Oscar Wilde wrote: "We have really everything in common with America nowadays except, of course, language."
References: 1. A University Grammar of English by R Quirk and S Greenbaum 2. The Hindu

Personal note: The author is a prolific writer with interests spanning from financial markets, book-reading, English and wildlife. This article on English is inspired by N R Narayana Murthy, who, a week back, exhorted youngsters to improve their written and spoken English.

Page 3 of 3