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Smee
Joined: 24 Dec 2004
Location: Jeollanam-do
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 Posted: Wed Aug 29, 2007 4:36 pm Post subject: Question about the TOEFL and British English |
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Hi,
My friend has been bugging me about this, and all of my googling turned up nothing. My friend is Taiwanese, and she is more comfortable with British English usage, as she lived in the UK for a short while, and as she frequently had British teachers in her cram schools. She asked me if, on the TOEFL, she will be penalized if she uses British spelling instead of American English.
I looked around the internet and couldn't find a definite answer, so I'm looking for some "proof" here. |
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T-dot
Joined: 16 May 2004
Location: bundang
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| Posted: Wed Aug 29, 2007 4:52 pm Post subject: |
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| no, just be consistent. Dont be switching back and forth between the 2. |
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SPINOZA
Joined: 10 Jun 2005
Location: $eoul
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| Posted: Wed Aug 29, 2007 4:53 pm Post subject: |
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Even though I'm an absolutely raving nationalist, I think US spellings should be universal.
Tell your mate to use American spellings.
I find Brits who insist on 'colour' and 'emphasise' embarrassing, the British equivalent of Dokdo and East Sea.
Unlike the Koreans though, the British have punched well, well, well above their weight in the world and we should simply follow American improvements to our language and accept North American English as the standard in the modern era, home as it is to 75% of all native speakers.
Discourage British spellings and avoid 'lift', 'lorry' etc.
Pronunciation won't be a problem though, as TOEFL encourages a variety of accents as it should. |
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ED209
Joined: 17 Oct 2006
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| Posted: Wed Aug 29, 2007 5:51 pm Post subject: |
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They could contact them at [email protected]
American English is in extremis, they'll all be speaking Spanish in a couple of years 
Also it's the Hornet Rocks not Dokdo. |
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Jizzo T. Clown
Joined: 27 Mar 2006
Location: at my wit's end
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| Posted: Wed Aug 29, 2007 7:52 pm Post subject: |
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I take it she's taking the iBT? At any rate, it's an American test so American English would be her best bet. At my old job I had to administer the TOEFL several times but it was paper-based, so no writing or speaking components.
However, the reading and listening sections were strictly in American English. The structure section is the same spelling-wise but no different grammar wise (and why would it be, eh?). |
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Smee
Joined: 24 Dec 2004
Location: Jeollanam-do
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| Posted: Wed Aug 29, 2007 10:29 pm Post subject: |
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Hi,
Yeah, I assume it'd be an ibt, unless Taiwan has restrictions on it (I thought I heard there were some restrictions in place in Asia to reduce cheating). There's another test---IELTS, maybe?---that caters to British English, and from what I read, that test has more writing components, making spelling an issue.
I'll suggest that she email with that address given. But, does anyone have a definite answer here? I'm seeing a lot of the "probablies" and contradicting advice that I myself found via google. |
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Dome Vans
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| Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2007 12:57 am Post subject: |
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I find Brits who insist on 'colour' and 'emphasise' embarrassing, the British equivalent of Dokdo and East Sea.
Unlike the Koreans though, the British have punched well, well, well above their weight in the world and we should simply follow American improvements to our language and accept North American English as the standard in the modern era, home as it is to 75% of all native speakers.
Discourage British spellings and avoid 'lift', 'lorry' etc. |
This has to be one of the worst posts I've ever read.
See Spinosa it's called English for a reason. You can try polluting english with your trashy, dumbed down language. I'll try and find the article that showed that English and Americans at one point in time, had the same level of English. Problem was the Americans stopped progressing with their language, whereas the brainy Brits carried on developing their language, improving it, increasing the vocabulary. If your kids to be dumb then teach them the American English. It's not the real one.
Favourite, Colour, Emphasise. Beautiful words, I make sure my students which is the correct English.
As for punching well above our weight, I think the US is now deep in the middle of punching well above it's weight. It's going to fall and it's going to fall hard.
Back to the thread: I agree with T.Dot , whatever they choose be consistent throughout. They shouldn't penalise you for being consistent. |
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Alyallen
Joined: 29 Mar 2004
Location: The 4th Greatest Place on Earth = Jeonju!!!
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| Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2007 1:15 am Post subject: |
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| Dome Vans wrote: |
| Quote: |
I find Brits who insist on 'colour' and 'emphasise' embarrassing, the British equivalent of Dokdo and East Sea.
Unlike the Koreans though, the British have punched well, well, well above their weight in the world and we should simply follow American improvements to our language and accept North American English as the standard in the modern era, home as it is to 75% of all native speakers.
Discourage British spellings and avoid 'lift', 'lorry' etc. |
This has to be one of the worst posts I've ever read.
See Spinosa it's called English for a reason. You can try polluting english with your trashy, dumbed down language. I'll try and find the article that showed that English and Americans at one point in time, had the same level of English. Problem was the Americans stopped progressing with their language, whereas the brainy Brits carried on developing their language, improving it, increasing the vocabulary. If your kids to be dumb then teach them the American English. It's not the real one.
Favourite, Colour, Emphasise. Beautiful words, I make sure my students which is the correct English.
As for punching well above our weight, I think the US is now deep in the middle of punching well above it's weight. It's going to fall and it's going to fall hard.
Back to the thread: I agree with T.Dot , whatever they choose be consistent throughout. They shouldn't penalise you for being consistent. |
Alright, I have to toss out some info.
Here are some words that are from America: commuter, bedrock, snag, striptease, cold spell, gimmick, baby-sitter, lengthy, sag, soggy, teenager, telephone, typewriter, radio, to cut no ice, to butt in, to sidetrack, hangover, to make good (to be successful), fudge, publicity, bucket shop, joyride, blizzard, stunt, law-abiding, department store, notify, advocate (as a verb), currency, (for money), to park, to rattle (in the sense to unnerve or unsettle) hindsight, beeline, raincoat, scrawny, take a backseat, cloudburst, graveyard, know-how, to register (as in a hotel), to shut down, to fill the bill, to hold down (as in keep), to hold up (as in rob), to bank on, to stay put, to be stung (cheated) and oddly enough stiff upper lip and roundabout... [Source: The Mother Tongue by Bill Bryson p. 171]
And this bit "...There is no denying that the great bulk of words introduced into the English language over the last two centuries has traveled from west to east. And precious little thanks we get." (p. 172) |
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Matman
Joined: 02 Jun 2006
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| Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2007 4:34 am Post subject: |
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| You forget some other great contributions like muthafucka, asswipe, big mac, oops my bad and I could care less. |
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Alyallen
Joined: 29 Mar 2004
Location: The 4th Greatest Place on Earth = Jeonju!!!
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| Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2007 4:40 am Post subject: |
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| Matman wrote: |
| You forget some other great contributions like muthafucka, asswipe, big mac, oops my bad and I could care less. |
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Smee
Joined: 24 Dec 2004
Location: Jeollanam-do
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| Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2007 4:51 am Post subject: |
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| Well, irregardless, this is getting way off topic. Maybe that's the point of the off topic forum, and whatnot. |
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SPINOZA
Joined: 10 Jun 2005
Location: $eoul
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| Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2007 12:45 pm Post subject: |
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| Dome Vans wrote: |
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I find Brits who insist on 'colour' and 'emphasise' embarrassing, the British equivalent of Dokdo and East Sea.
Unlike the Koreans though, the British have punched well, well, well above their weight in the world and we should simply follow American improvements to our language and accept North American English as the standard in the modern era, home as it is to 75% of all native speakers.
Discourage British spellings and avoid 'lift', 'lorry' etc. |
You can try polluting english with your trashy, dumbed down language. |
And how does dumbing down, trashy and pollution follow from US spellings or any of my observations?
| Quote: |
| I'll try and find the article that showed that English and Americans at one point in time, had the same level of English. Problem was the Americans stopped progressing with their language, whereas the brainy Brits carried on developing their language, improving it, increasing the vocabulary. |
The English language is already a mixture of Anglo-Saxon, Norman French and with bits of Latin and Greek. British and North American English are already rich enough, but sure, try to find the source you mentioned and I'll have a look.
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| If your kids to be dumb then teach them the American English. It's not the real one. |
That sentence is absolute garbage, you realize that, right? Don't accuse others of teaching trashy English (just because they've advocated US spellings taking precedence in an international context) when you can't even articulate yourself to a standard expected of a British graduate.
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| Favourite, Colour, Emphasise. Beautiful words, I make sure my students which is the correct English. |
You and your ilk are a national embarrassment. If people type/write those out of habit, no problem. Insisting on them, making a meal of it (no - growing the vegetables yourself, designing the menu, preparing a 5-course meal and heating some up for your lunch tomorrow) is pitiable reading.
"No - it's colour" = "no - it's East Sea"
"No - it's emphasise" = "no - it's Dokdo and Korean land"
We expect that kind of thing in a desperate, insignificant people like the Koreans, but Britain is without question the most influential country in the history of humanity. Investigate British inventions and discoveries - it's terrifying that they come from such a little island with hardly any resources. And here the likes of you are, embarrassing the nation, by making a song and dance about spelling. You are to be pitied.
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| As for punching well above our weight, I think the US is now deep in the middle of punching well above it's weight. It's going to fall and it's going to fall hard. |
Hopefully not and I do hope you are not secretly hoping for the decline of an English-speaking superpower that is a former colony and that has contributed so hugely to the continued Greatness of Britain?
It's emphasize, it's color, it's neighbor, it's realize. Maybe there are other annoying aspects to English worthy of the chop! |
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Grimalkin
Joined: 22 May 2005
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| Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2007 2:34 pm Post subject: |
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SPINOZA
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You and your ilk are a national embarrassment. If people type/write those out of habit, no problem. Insisting on them, making a meal of it (no - growing the vegetables yourself, designing the menu, preparing a 5-course meal and heating some up for your lunch tomorrow) is pitiable reading.
I use Br English spellings out of habit. I never ask my students to. I think both Br and Am English spellings should be accepted in exams and I think the rule that you have to be consistent in choosing one or the other is stupid. Don't Canadians use Br spellings for some words and Am spellings for others? |
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