Job Discussion Forums

matador · Joined: 07 Mar 2003 Posts: 281

Are most Japanese students more comfortable learning American English as opposed to, say, Australian or British English?

furiousmilksheikali · Posted: Sun Dec 10, 2006 3:34 am Post subject:

Most have no idea what the difference is and most probably don't really care about the differences because given what American English, British English and Australian English have in common the differences are rather slight.

However, if your students are taking TOIEC or TOEFL tests then the preference would be for American English and if they were taking the Cambridge proficiency tests then the preference is for British English.

callmesim · Joined: 27 Oct 2005 Posts: 279 Location: London, UK

I'm surprised when I tell students the differences they tend to adopt the British / Australian pronunciations. Though this could be just a ploy to try and impress me.

As I tell students though, Japanese comes from Japan, French comes from France and English comes from England and if you look at English speaking countries, usually the odd one out is America. Very Happy

Personally, I think it's a conspiracy against sign-writers and advertisers where you usually pay by the letter. Someone in America obviously wanted to screw these people over and decided to be economical with their letter use! Twisted Evil

P.S. The moon is made of cheese!

littleturtle · Joined: 31 Oct 2006 Posts: 24

Second that - they usually cant tell the difference.

Many JTEs will ask you to teach american english. I often agree to this, and then carry on teaching my own country's language instead.

wolfman · Joined: 18 Jan 2006 Posts: 189

Being from Kentucky I have a bit of my own twist on American English.

Such as "one two three four fAAHve"

or

"lets eat some AAHce cream."

some students pick up on this i think. some of them repeat it

Dipso · Joined: 28 Apr 2004 Posts: 194 Location: England

Glenski · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

Guy Courchesne · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 9650 Location: Mexico City

Pardon the interruption but maybe those of you teaching in Japan can settle a point for me. What is more commonly taught...British (and variations) English or American? Or neither I guess...World Standard (Fictional) English?

sallycat · Joined: 11 Mar 2006 Posts: 303 Location: behind you. BOO!

japanese standard fictional english.

Brooks · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 1369 Location: Sagamihara

I would say American English is dominant, especially when it comes to the CDs they listen to in classes and on tests.

Students have to get used to British or Australian pronunciation if they have a British or Australian teacher. But they can and do.

Some Japanese teachers have preferences for British or American English.

But the way grammar is taught, with its focus on sentences, it seems like British English from 200 years ago, or at least real formal English.

the TOEIC has been changed and it is not just American English anymore.
Australian English can also be heard on the listening part.

sallycat · Joined: 11 Mar 2006 Posts: 303 Location: behind you. BOO!

cornishmuppet · Joined: 27 Mar 2004 Posts: 642 Location: Nagano, Japan

I'm British, and an ALT. I teach whatever spelling it says in the books, occasionally pointing out a difference just for interest's sake. But when a JTE I worked with in my previous school asked me to do the listen/repeat part in an American accent (because that's what was on the CD and she was a real stickler for following the book) I refused. I said she could play the CD then. She wasn't too amused, but I got my way, mainly because I couldn't actually pronounce 'badmin'n' or 'mount'n' particularly well.

Saying that, while the books might have an annoyingly strong American accent, some of the English is from no language I know.