So if people all over the world are learning English, is this really because of !
Question: Or is it because of the ubiquitous American film/television culture that all of us know so well? Are the English fooling themselves into thinking that the rest of the world emulates UK-English spellings such as, "favour" and, "recognise?"
Answers: Or is it because of the ubiquitous American film/television culture that all of us know so well? Are the English fooling themselves into thinking that the rest of the world emulates UK-English spellings such as, "favour" and, "recognise?"
Most said above. To sum up:-
Former British Empire
Use by all air traffic controls
American & UK films
Also remember that English is made up of many languages. There are bits of French, German and Italian, and even a little of the Scandinavian languages.
So most people recognise some of their own language in English and it has therefore spread and evolved throughout the world..
dont speak unless spoken too
But it's true the rest of the world DOES use UK spellings..
come on..i've lived in 7 different countries Americans are the only ones who use 'yards' 'fahrenheit' 'feet' the z's in 'recognize' instead of recognise 'color' instead of colour...
and american shows aren't all that everyone in this world watches
and it's really pointless hating on british people cause all caucasians in America came from Europe so you're getting nothing out of it..and it's just naive
It is a result of both the British empire prior to 1900 and the spread of US culture from WW1 on.
i have to agree with you i think its because of the intertainment industry, i do know however that when someone is learning English as a foreign language in another country they learn uk English
English as a language is all pervading and has led to many older language's in the u.k and further afield becoming all but extinct in some case's it has robbed the welsh,irish,scot's of their use of their own language's in everyday communication,some area's do still use the native tongue but it is rare,as a world language yes it is due mainly to the victorian era and their almost world domination that it has spread so far thruoghthe world and is found as a second language in most other countrie's the bastardisation of English by our american cousin's is an unfortunate developement,never mind it is still just barely recognisable as English ?.
Hi Redbeard, The Pilgrims went to the US in search of religious freedom. I don't think they really had a lot of other choices. If the English government had know Australia was down there; Plymouth Rock would have been located near Sydney Harbour. English is the language of money, financial transferral, insurance,and banking in general...It's all about the money. If you want to know why something happened; now or in history; look at who financed it (Who Paid The Bill and Why) [Happy Birthday Sarah] KTnTexas
I think it's less about the entertainment industry and more about technology and the huge market for consumer goods that exists in the west. To trade with the west you primarily need to speak English hence wherever you go in the world these days, if somebody has something to sell they will have at least a smattering of English. If Germany had colonized the US I suggest the world would be speaking German as their second language. In the future I predict that spelling will become primarily phonetic as SMS language becomes the norm. Inevitable, I fear.