One of the opportunities that teaching English abroad allows you is being able to spend a lot of time with our cousins from across the pond. For me, it's an especially interesting cultural and linguistic exchange for the reason that we have so much in common and yet it's our differences that we so often give weight to. I've been given some fascinating insight into British culture, their sense of identity, as well as into the unique relationship that exists between our two countries. I also generally think their accents and use of English are awesome and hilarious and seem to be straight out of a movie, something which I'm sure goes both ways. Plus, having plenty of opportunity to work on my own impression can only come in handy down the road.
A lot of the British blokes I've been meeting around campus and in our accommodation are second or third generation immigrants to the isles from the subcontinent. There are lots of Pakistanis and Indians. It's given me a lot insight into the nature of the U.K.. I could definitely tell from my time in London that at least that city is a truly international metropolis, but what I'm learning is that the whole of Great Britain seems to have the identity of a melting pot and has for quite some time. Imperialism has of course played a large role in this and it's interesting to talk to both Anglo-Brits and those of various ethnic backgrounds to get some perspective on how it's shaping the country today, and how people feel about it. I've gathered that while there is an acceptance among white Brits that their country is a multi-cultural one and they even take a certain amount of pride in that aspect of their identity, there is still a pretty strong resistance to immigration, especially that which is done so illegally. I've also found that a lot of the Indian or Pakistani-Brits I've met identify much more with the U.K. than they do with their parents' homeland and consider themselves British above all. The effects of Great Britain's imperial past seem to be carrying over, and it' position as a hub for business as well as education in the modern world means that people will continue to try to move there and make it their home. Sound familiar?
Linguistically, I could never tire of exchanges between British and American English. The debate over which is more relevant, more useful, or better to me is ridiculous. We both have to accept that our language has always been as much of a hodpe-podge as it is today and it is its nature to flow, adapt, give and take. Modern English has been affected by no less than 30 languages including, Angle, Saxon, Celtic, Norman, French, German, Norse, Latin, Spanish, those of various native American tribes and far too many more to name. There doesn't even exist a governing body over the language and the whole of the language's existence has freely allowed for adaptation and evolution. Neither is more correct and both have taken liberties in how they've developed over the years. In some ways American English is more Elizabethan than what the Queen's English is today and words and expressions have been flowing both ways across the Atlantic ever since the New World was colonized. So in my opinion all there is left to do is inquire, appreciate, and find hilarious one another's own quirky little expressions which often vary as much within one country as they do between the two. Just the other night we had quite the time comparing anatomical euphemisms, and suffice it to say that I've grown a new appreciation for British wit. I'm also thoroughly entertained by Cockney Rhyming Slang and for those of you who aren't familiar with it, it's the way that the Cockneys of the East-End of London use rhyming words to express ideas in a round-a-bout way. A lot of it is still in use today. Some has even crept into American English and I recommend doing some wikipedia'ing for some interesting tidbits.
More than anything though, I've come to develop a better understanding of how exactly the States and the U.K. really are similar, although this doesn't always come as a welcomed opinion when I've shared it with British folks. The history of the U.K. is one where people from mainland Europe were constantly coming, invading, fighting, conquering, leaving their mark and taking off. It really was kind of a mini and more easily accessible New World, centuries before the "discovery" of the Americas. The point I've made that to some Brits seems so contentious is that the U.K. actually has much more in common with the U.S. than it does with the rest of Europe. I've even gone as far as to say that it's not Europe at all. And as much as they hate to admit it, most of the people I've talked to are willing to concede as much after further explanation. It is hard to argue the fact that there is an Anglo-American ideological and political alliance. It's also quite obvious that the U.K. doesn't want to let go of it's independence from Europe. Add to that the facts that the military and economic exchanges with the States have made our two countries inextricably linked in world affairs and that these links only encourage further cultural interrelation creating that much more of a sense of "us", and it's pretty easy to see how much we are connected.
Still though, I would never say that we are the same. The U.K. is a pretty fascinating place with a unique history that's inseparable from our own. Its use of our common language while sometimes bringing about tension with the American variety is equally intriguing and as native speakers ourselves we're in the perfect position to try to understand and appreciate with just what kind of flavor and creativity they've developed it. I thoroughly enjoy the process of dispelling our mutual stereotypes (i.e. that Americans are stupid and Brits are pretentious) and while I never thought I'd care to know as much about cricket as I do right now, I can say that it's been more than a worthwhile exercise in cross-cultural understanding.
A lot of the British blokes I've been meeting around campus and in our accommodation are second or third generation immigrants to the isles from the subcontinent. There are lots of Pakistanis and Indians. It's given me a lot insight into the nature of the U.K.. I could definitely tell from my time in London that at least that city is a truly international metropolis, but what I'm learning is that the whole of Great Britain seems to have the identity of a melting pot and has for quite some time. Imperialism has of course played a large role in this and it's interesting to talk to both Anglo-Brits and those of various ethnic backgrounds to get some perspective on how it's shaping the country today, and how people feel about it. I've gathered that while there is an acceptance among white Brits that their country is a multi-cultural one and they even take a certain amount of pride in that aspect of their identity, there is still a pretty strong resistance to immigration, especially that which is done so illegally. I've also found that a lot of the Indian or Pakistani-Brits I've met identify much more with the U.K. than they do with their parents' homeland and consider themselves British above all. The effects of Great Britain's imperial past seem to be carrying over, and it' position as a hub for business as well as education in the modern world means that people will continue to try to move there and make it their home. Sound familiar?
Linguistically, I could never tire of exchanges between British and American English. The debate over which is more relevant, more useful, or better to me is ridiculous. We both have to accept that our language has always been as much of a hodpe-podge as it is today and it is its nature to flow, adapt, give and take. Modern English has been affected by no less than 30 languages including, Angle, Saxon, Celtic, Norman, French, German, Norse, Latin, Spanish, those of various native American tribes and far too many more to name. There doesn't even exist a governing body over the language and the whole of the language's existence has freely allowed for adaptation and evolution. Neither is more correct and both have taken liberties in how they've developed over the years. In some ways American English is more Elizabethan than what the Queen's English is today and words and expressions have been flowing both ways across the Atlantic ever since the New World was colonized. So in my opinion all there is left to do is inquire, appreciate, and find hilarious one another's own quirky little expressions which often vary as much within one country as they do between the two. Just the other night we had quite the time comparing anatomical euphemisms, and suffice it to say that I've grown a new appreciation for British wit. I'm also thoroughly entertained by Cockney Rhyming Slang and for those of you who aren't familiar with it, it's the way that the Cockneys of the East-End of London use rhyming words to express ideas in a round-a-bout way. A lot of it is still in use today. Some has even crept into American English and I recommend doing some wikipedia'ing for some interesting tidbits.
More than anything though, I've come to develop a better understanding of how exactly the States and the U.K. really are similar, although this doesn't always come as a welcomed opinion when I've shared it with British folks. The history of the U.K. is one where people from mainland Europe were constantly coming, invading, fighting, conquering, leaving their mark and taking off. It really was kind of a mini and more easily accessible New World, centuries before the "discovery" of the Americas. The point I've made that to some Brits seems so contentious is that the U.K. actually has much more in common with the U.S. than it does with the rest of Europe. I've even gone as far as to say that it's not Europe at all. And as much as they hate to admit it, most of the people I've talked to are willing to concede as much after further explanation. It is hard to argue the fact that there is an Anglo-American ideological and political alliance. It's also quite obvious that the U.K. doesn't want to let go of it's independence from Europe. Add to that the facts that the military and economic exchanges with the States have made our two countries inextricably linked in world affairs and that these links only encourage further cultural interrelation creating that much more of a sense of "us", and it's pretty easy to see how much we are connected.
Still though, I would never say that we are the same. The U.K. is a pretty fascinating place with a unique history that's inseparable from our own. Its use of our common language while sometimes bringing about tension with the American variety is equally intriguing and as native speakers ourselves we're in the perfect position to try to understand and appreciate with just what kind of flavor and creativity they've developed it. I thoroughly enjoy the process of dispelling our mutual stereotypes (i.e. that Americans are stupid and Brits are pretentious) and while I never thought I'd care to know as much about cricket as I do right now, I can say that it's been more than a worthwhile exercise in cross-cultural understanding.
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