British music vs American music?
I'm sorry but I have read some unrealistic posts on Yahoo saying British music is better than American. Let's look at this objectively America has invented Rock, Blues, Swing, Jazz, Country, R&B, Soul, Swing, Salsa and Rap. Now answer this question. What genres have originated in the United Kingdom? It seems as if 60's/70's English rock seems to be the only music anybody remembers from the past. Not to say that the Beatles, the Stones and Led Zeppelin's contributions aren't of great importance, but I would put Jimi Hendrix over Pete Townsend, Paul Simon and Bob Dylan are deeper songwriters than Lennon/McCarthy, although the Beatles have more pop/mass appeal. America and the U.K. shared the 60's/70's. But soul/R&B/pure pop music were all dominated by America in those decades as well. But outside of 60's/70's rock, all other eras of rock are dominated by American artists. and outside of Rock in general, the great majority of other genres are dominated by America. It's like nobody remembers the great Ray Orbison's, the Marvin Gayes and the Louis Armstrong's... people need to expand their musical knowledge. Not to say that other countries haven't put out great artists, but if you were to make a list of great American artists from the past 100 years and compare it to any other country, America's list would be several pages longer. And please, please don't be stupid and compare today's run-of-the-mill American pop artists to the English greats. Compare American greats to English greats. And horrible American pop artists to horrible U.K. pop artists And who were the Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin listening too when they were finding their sound? American country, early rock and blues
Why is English music (American, British) so popular worldwide if most people don't speak English?
Music enjoyment is more about the notes and chords being played than the language of the lyrics. If you listen to extremely “modern,” “computer-generated,” or “experimental” music, you might find it difficult to hear because the notes and their sequence creates a dissonant sound that is unpleasant to our ears, especially if not accustomed to it.American and British music, more than any other type, uses the available notes and chords in combinations that are extremely pleasant to hear.The other factor comes from the American Bandstand show of the late 1950s. The host, Dick Clark, would have a panel of kids rate a new song. Their scores always included their response to one important question: Can you dance to it?American and British music, with British music being heavily influenced by American jazz, blues and rock and roll, is usually great for dancing. Any time we humans find we can move to the rhythm of a song, it has our attention.Our taste is also influenced by what we hear growing up. After my cousin moved to NYC, he was surprised to discover he loves opera. Turns out, that’s the music his mother played while pregnant with him and when he was an infant.
Should I learn British English or American English? Is it okay to have an Asian accent?
ESL students seem to have a fixation about American and British English. This differentiation generally relates to:Rules of spelling (colour/color; maximise/maximize), grammar (off / off of)There is also differentiation with regard to:Accent (but remember that the “standard” British and American accents are only two of dozens, or perhaps hundreds of English accents)Vernacular expressions (such as I couldn’t care less / I could care less) but remember that vernacular also varies widely according to differences in location and demographics if the speakers.If you are writing formal reports, you should preferably comply with the formal writing rules applying in the territory in, or with, which you are working. Otherwise, either form is acceptable in written English.Wuth regard to spoken English, your accent will most likely be strongly influenced by your mother tongue than an alignment to BE or AE. As others have said, speaking slowly and clearly is likely to be the most significant factor in your ability to make yourself understood.
British music Vs American music?
For some one to say there was no American Invasion of England does not know their music history. Let me see all of these rock bands have taken their music from the blues and rock & roll out of America. So yes there was a very big invasion, which has left it's mark on English musicians. One can not take anything away with the Brits as they perfected the rock end of the music. I have just as many American bands in my well over 3000 vinyl collection. But I do have to say I listen to more British bands, such as The Stone, The Who, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd. And no one country has the better music, if that is the case then it would have to be America where all rock started, which was taught to the British. I would say they are about the same: Americans have, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Blood Sweat & Tears, Chicago, Paul Butterfield's Blues Band, J. Geils Band, Jefferson Airplane, The Eagles, Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson, B.B. King, Howlin' Wolf, John Lee Hooker, Jimi Hendrix The Band of Gypsys, Janis Joplin, Johnny Winter, Tracy Chapam, Jim Croce, Neil Diamond, Bob Dylan, GeorgeThorogood, Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Mamas & Papas, Buffalo Springfield, The Byrds, Joan Baez, The Temptations, Otis Redding, Wilson Picket, Sly & The Family Stone, Simon And Garfunkel, Carol King, James Taylor, Jimmy Buffet, The Greatful Dead, Country Joe And The Fish, Bloodrock, Blue Cheer, Everly Brothers, The Doobie Brothers, The Chamber Brothers, The Alman Brothers Band, Emmylou Harris, Linda Ronstadt, Willie Nelson, Randy Newman, Lynyrd Skynyrd, ZZ Top, Molly Hatchet, Chuck Berry, Roy Orbison, Billy Haley And The Comets, Frank Zappa, Captain Beefheart, Styx, Journey, Electric Light Orchestra, Boston, Foreigner, Kansas, Supertramp and Electric Light Orchestra,Alice Cooper, Lou Reed, Iggy Pop, New York Dolls, Billy Joel, Guns N Roses, Vanilla Fudge, Iron Butterfly, Aerosmith, Blue Oyster Cult, Grand Funk Railroad, Three Dog Night, Patti Smith, Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Booker T. & MGs, Dead Kennedys, The Cars, Blondie, The Velvet Underground, Metallica, Kansas, REO Speedwagon, Bob Seger, Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen, John Cougar, Steve Earle, Frank Sinatra, Nirvana. And I could go on and on, as I could with the British artist, but when morning comes, it all falls back on the USA. take care dave Emmylou Harris, Linda Ronstadt
When other countries learn English, do they learn American English or British English?
It is not just a duality. If you learn English in the South Pacific, it will probably be New Zealand English. I met a second cousin of mine in Los Angeles for the first time last month. She was born and brought up in the Netherlands and has only recently come to LA, but she speaks perfect English, thanks to her Dutch education, but she has a Canadian accent which she cannot account for. Her teacher must have learned English in Canada. I had a Brazilian friend who had learned American English but was about to go to live in Nigeria where she presumed (correctly) that she would have to communicate in British English and was so aprehensive she brought me her textbook of American English for me to read and tell her how different it was. I made the discovery that the main difference was the American sense of urgency. Old buildings in London, for instance, get "pulled down", those in NYC are "torn down." Otherwise the differences are mainly in the kitchen (skillet for frying pan, faucet for tap) and in buying fruit and veg: rutabarga for swede, eggplant for aubergine, courgette for zucchini. Lengthening As before two consonants (kahsle for castle, dahns for dance, etc,.) is a strictly southern English affectation: no one does it north of the Trent, or even north of the Watford Gap. And of course, the differences within the UK and the USA, and the other Anglophone countries are far, far greater than those between the various national standards of English: visit Hoosier country, Kingston Jamaica, or Geordieland! Incidentally, in Brazil, learners of English are completely confused, seldom sure which sort of English they are being taught, or how much it matters, and if so, why.
Do Scandinavians learn British English or American English?
I think I’m the first Scandinavian to respond to this. I’m myself Danish and I’m pretty fluent in English I would say.English classes in Denmark begin at a very young age. This is where we learn grammar and expand our vocabulary, and to spell English words. These lessons always take place in British English. I’m rather certain the government mandates that.But, of course, our exposure to the English language begins even earlier than that. As I’m sure you’re aware, the US is one of the biggest cultural exporters of the entire world. Most Danes will have seen at least a few English-language films, before they reach the first grade (out of ten, there is a zeroeth class), at which time they’ll be about 6 or 7.Most of these films will be from America. And of course, there’s English-language video games, books, internet pages and much more. And all of this will be in the English language.And of course, I think Americans will be quite surprised to hear about a very specific dialect of English that’s pretty popular among younger Scandinavians: African-American slang English.Yep, through our exposure to African-American artists in the American music industry, most Scandinavian teenagers will gain some sort of proficiency in American street lingo of various types. Some might also learn it in other accents, if they have particular interests in certain fields dominated by people from that region of the Anglosphere.
In Germany, do they teach American English or British English?
Rant mode ON.Let’s just say I have had many Germans snootily tell me they learned something called “Oxford English” (whatever that is) and not that ugly American stuff I speak.And say zis in a ferry stronk Tchermin akzent mit lots of ferry bad mistakes. But hey, if it makes you feel good about yourself, pal.It also irks me to no end when I see a German text “translated from American”. Do Austrians speak Austrian? No. So why do you insist Americans don't speak English?My kids, who are bilingual, also often get “corrected” by their English teachers, my son in particular, because they speak American English. (Thankfully my daughter’s teacher is more clueful.)Like a couple other answers noted, though, this is hardly universal. Many Germans are keen on American English and want to learn it. Many teachers are happy to let them, too, and don't insist on the by-the-book version. (Good thing, too.)And anyway this whole “Oxford English” thing is a big fat lie. No such dialect actually exists in the real world. Even in England, if you spoke the way they try to teach you “Oxford” English in Germany, the locals would be bewildered and wonder who you are trying to impress with such nonsense.So when teaching English to scientists and civil servants here, the very first thing I do is drop a big-assed bomb on the notion that they learned Oxford English or that it is inherently superior to any other dialect. Many have told me my presentation is eye-opening for them and actually helped them enjoy the language more. Because the whole Oxford English thing is, as we Americans say, a crock of shit. Or, as the REAL English say, a load of bollocks, but you won't learn that in Oxford English.—EDIT: I once invited a bunch of my students over for a barbecue at my house, where they met my wife. They had gotten so used to my hammering on “Oxford” English that they were very surprised to hear from my wife that I am actually very Anglophile…What can I say, I enjoy the actual English language, not some made-up nonsense.
Should all English speakers speak like Americans and write in American English grammar? What do you think?
Accent: I teach English and people ask me this sometimes. The truth is that unless you live in the UK, USA, Ireland, etc. for many years, you're going to have a noticeable foreign accent, even if your vocab and grammar are excellent. So, if you're French, you're going to speak like a French person. If you're Japanese, you're going to speak like a Japanese person. Just speak clearly and don't be overly worried with copying an American or British accent.Grammar: As for grammar, the idea that there are two different systems of grammar is a myth. For formal speech Americans and Brits use exactly the same grammar. In writing the same is true, though we have a few different spellings and rules about punctuation. Sometimes textbooks claim that the grammar is different, (Americans don't use....), but they are describing informal English. When we're having a beer or talking to our friends over the phone, Americans and Brits both break the rules of grammar, though we do it in different ways.So, just pick the one that you like better, but understand that for a student learning English, it's probably not that important.
Do Malaysians generally use British English or American English?
More British English than American English.We learn British version of English at school, at least for writing. But I don’t recall we try so hard to mimic British pronunciation.Of course we can’t help to modify the pronunciation according to our primary language, be it Malay, Tamil, Mandarin. Even English-speaking family pronounce words differently than families that do not. Pronunciation also varies according to the race: Malays speaking English would sound different vs Indian or Chinese or Sabahans.I can’t recall hearing any young people that grew up here that speak British-like English or anything close. On the contrary, American-like pronunciation can be heard once in a while. This could be b/c American influence in movies, songs, and social media contents. We virtually just consume these materials directly without translation into our local languages.In corporate, government or mass media culture the English is way much simpler than the real British English (i.e, compare written English in UK daily vs The Edge or The Star in Malaysia). When I was in the UK for the first time and read UK newspapers, it took a while to properly digest some articles – it required a bit of adaptation on my part.Our spelling here follows UK English: corporate, government and law terms align more with the UK since we started out with British system after Independence. Plus quite a majority of our professionals trained there, even now (other professionals trained in other English-speaking countries such as Canada or the US don’t mind about it, it seems).