Many Americans who love tea would turn up their noses at the idea of adding milk to it. Brits, on the other hand, are known for lacing their strong tea with milk. With or without milk, tea is tea. It’s served one way in Britain and another way in the United States, but everyone can recognize it for what it is. The language that Americans and Brits share is a bit like that—spoken differently in the two locations, but understandable by both groups of speakers.

1. Vocabulary Differences

Other words exist in both languages, but they mean different things. For example, if you requested a caretaker in England, you might be introduced to someone holding a broom and dustpan. There, a caretaker is a person who cleans and maintains a building. To Americans, a caretaker is someone who takes care of someone, such as a child or sick person, or who looks after a property while the owner is away. Other Briticisms are famous. Have you learned what a lift is? Would you go for a ride in a lorry?

2. Spelling

One man is responsible for many of the spelling differences that exist between American and British English. His name was Noah Webster. Yes, the same Webster of Webster’s Dictionary. He decided that Americans should be independent, not only politically, but also lexically. That’s why you’ll notice an extra U in some British words like colour, armour, and humour. American English tends to end words with -ize rather than the British -ise. The -er ending of words like theater and center is reversed in British English words. Other words are almost unrecognizable as cognates, such as curb and kerb.

3. Grammar

In British English, you have to use the present perfect for recent actions that affect the present.

I’ve broken your vase. Will you forgive me?

American English accepts the present perfect as correct, but it also offers a second possibility—the simple past.

I broke your vase. Will you forgive me?

American English is tolerant of present perfect, but it’s not as understanding of Britain’s past participles. In the following sentences, Americans would usegotten as the past participle of the verb to get, leaned in the place of leant, andspoiled instead of spoilt.

You have got much better at breaking things!
It’s because you’ve leant too hard against the furniture.
Now it’s spoilt!

Even with the Ts in place of the -ed endings, an American could understand the meaning of these sentences without a problem. And despite both groups’ accents and idiosyncratic expressions, Brits and Americans have little problem communicating with each other in English. If you visit London, you may be invited to join the natives for an afternoon tea. If you don’t “fancy” milk in your drink, you can let them know. Aren’t you grateful for that?

Let me tell you a secret: you’re not the only one who gets confused by English grammar. Native English speakers get just as confused. I before e except after c… except for the words caffeine, decide, reinforce etc…

See? It’s confusing. A lot of the rules don’t make sense, and they don’t apply to every situation. So even if you know some grammar rules, like the i before e except after c, you still need to know the exception to the rules. And that just presents a whole new problem!

So what are you supposed to do? Study grammar textbooks forever?

Well, there’s no need to do that. While you’re learning English, don’t get too hung up on having perfect grammar. Grammar is still really important, but the most important part of learning a language is learning to communicate in the language. And your use (or lack) of grammar can cause miscommunication. But please remember, when you’re a child, you don’t learn to communicate with others through the use of grammar textbooks. It occurs naturally. Similarly, it will occur naturally with you as well.

So whether you have a firm grasp on the English language or not, here are some simple tips to apply to improve your grammar:

1. Know The Basics

Knowing the basic grammar rules will allow you to understand and contribute to any English conversation. It’s important to know the basics because the basics are the foundation of the English language. So, what are the basics?

• sentence structure;
• subjects and predicates;
• parts of speech;
• punctuation;

Once you know the general rules of basic grammar (like all sentences must start with a capital letter), then you’ll have a really good understanding of the English language. And you’ll probably be ahead of most native English speakers. If you’d like a blog post talking about the basic grammar rules in more depth, just let me know in the comments below.

2. Read… And Read Some More

The only time you can really see how English grammar works, is to expose yourself to it. The more you expose yourself, the more you will see and understand the correct usage. I know it’s a lot of work, and it can be really tiring – especially when you don’t understand everything you read. But you can make reading fun by picking up books, articles, or magazines that are of interest to you.

3. Write More In English

I know writing can be very tiring too, especially when you’re already writing a lot for your classes. Try keeping an English journal, and write about your day or something of interest. You can also try writing your own songs, poems, or books! The more you write, the more comfortable you will feel putting English grammar into practice. You will also be able to figure out what ‘sounds’ right, and apply it into your writing.

4. Practice On Your Own

There are many online resources that allow you to practice your grammar skills through tests or exercises. Give those a try! Sometimes it can be fun to challenge yourself and see how well you can do.

5. Zero In

If you notice yourself making the same grammatical mistakes, zero in on that particular point. Maybe tenses are something you really struggle with. You can go to free websites like Grammar Monster and fill-in-the-blanks, so to speak. You can also ask a tutor, instructor, teacher or maybe even a knowledgeable friend about your errors.

6. Get Some Help

There are a lot of companies (such as mine!) that will help you improve your grammar.They can personally tailer homework exercises for you, or edit your writing for grammatical mistakes. There’s nothing wrong with seeking help from people who have a good grasp on the English language. The more you learn from others, the more you will learn yourself.

So, don’t focus too much attention on memorising crazy grammar rules. Try to understand the basic grammar rules, and try to read and write as often as you can. Yes, grammar is an important part of learning English, but don’t let it wreck your brain!

What’s the most difficult part of grammar for you? What personally helps you?

Bahasa Inggris merupakan bahasa Internasional yang dipelajari disetiap negara, khususnya Indonesia. Mempelajari bahasa Inggris  tidaklah mudah, karena merupakan bahasa kedua dan pengucapan serta strukturnya berbeda. Di setiap negara yang mempunyai bahasanya sendiri pasti mempunyai aksen bahasa sendiri. Dengan demikian, aksen tersebut menjadi karakter dari tempat asalnya. Maka dari itu, dalam mempelajari bahasa lain, aksen asli tersebut turut serta dalam pengucapannya. Sehingga, di setiap negara memiliki aksen-aksen sendiri dalam berbahasa Inggris.

Berikut adalah 7 negara yang mempunya aksen sendiri:

1. British

British Accent in Harry Potter

2. Jepang

Jepang Accent

3. Singapur

https://youtu.be/5j2qZb3H2D4

 

4. India

India Accent

5. Indonesia

Indonesia Accent

6. Australia

Australia Accent

7. Swedia

Swedia Accent

Nah itu tadi bahasa Inggris dalam beberapa aksen. Dan kalau ditelusuri lebih dalam lagi, maka akan dapat menemukan aksen-aksen bahasa Inggris lainnya.

Semoga Bermanfaat

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