English

Have fun on the wallwisher.  Post your “creative note”!  I posted mine with a video 😉

Look at the following photo, what does it reveal about the developments of the English language? What does it tell you about your knowledge of English?  You certainly know more English than you can really fathom!

We will be working on the awareness of different accents in English, on the use of slang words or swear words, on the history of the English language, on its developments, so on so forth.  In other words you will become English experts!  This is a funny video we watched together in which the famous “Doctor House” leading actor is confronted with the different slang words between British English and American English.  The British and the Americans speak different langugages indeed!

A porter in a British hotel comes upon an American tourist impatiently jabbing at the button for the lift.
“Sir, the lift will be here in a moment.”
“Lift? Lift?” replies the American. “Oh, you mean the elevator.”
“No sir, here we call it a lift.”
“Well, as it was invented in the United States, it’s called an elevator.”
“Yes sir, but as the language was invented here, it’s called a lift.”

from The Reader’s Digest

As we dealt with in class, there sare some differences between British English and American English.  The video shot by the British Council is just an “appetizer”, since there are many more differences the short video could not take into consideration.  Can you find others? Think of spelling? grammar? slang words? body language? just to name a few possible “gaps” between the two countries.

Another successful actor performs an array of different accents for us.  We (Italians) are included!  He is such a great performer, isn’t he?

Thus speaking with an accent is fine, yet when you speak if you mispronounce words you may make blunders that are quite embarrassing.  Watch the following video and be prepared to point out the verbal misunderstandings (caused by “poor” or “bad” pronunciation).

A funny snapshot, which reveals how empowering or disempowering an accent can be.  When you speak English your social class is revealed, so what is Phoebe trying to do here? Why has she put up such a “posh” accent? How is the real Phoebe revealed? In the use of language? In the manners? Are the same differences in social class revealed through language and manners in Italian too? Discuss about this.

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