English Essay in progress

_Stepdude_ · 04-22-2011, 10:57 AM

Hey.

At the moment I am writing an essay about which type of English (American English or British English) that should be taught in Swedish schools.
It is a discursive essay, which means I.E. that I have to have advantages and disadvantages for both sides.

So far I have not progressed very well and that is where you guys come in.

This is my opening for the essay

"Which English, American English or British English, should be taught in Sweden?

It is generally agreed that the English dialect Swedish people use the most is the American English. Sweden is basically being bombarded by advertising and movies in which most of them use American English and not British English. However, a lot of teachers prefer to use British English as their foundation in teaching. This essay will take a closer look at the two English dialects and discuss the pros and cons for teaching them in Swedish schools.

AmE1 pros
Because of the similar way of pronouncing Swedish and AmE, it is naturally less difficult to pronounce AmE than BrE2. The large amount of AmE in media, in example TV, music, computer games, students are more likely to understand AmE. Even if there are shows that uses the BrE, the AmE speaking shows are more common. Swedish students are more familiar with AmE than BrE which makes AmE become easier to them by default. A lot more people in the world are speaking with the American dialect than the British one, which makes it preferable to teach AmE in schools. When the AmE seems easier for us to learn, why complicate it?

AmE cons
The majority of schools in Sweden are teaching BrE, and there are differences in the two English dialects, which could make it harder for some students to separate them. It stands to reason that the AmE is not as proper and or formal as BrE, and it should also be remembered that AmE is a deviation of BrE, which is the original English, and therefore not the dialect that should be taught in schools. Why use the American dialect when the British one is the original?

BrE pros
BmE is the original English, which makes it essential in learning the language the way it should be learned. The spelling is more accurate and it is also considered to be more proper and formal than the American counterpart.
In Sweden the BrE has almost always been used for teaching writing and spelling, and has always been used since English was introduced to the Swedish schools, why stop now?

BrE cons
BrE is arguably more difficult to speak correctly, accordingly to some students. People in Sweden are accustomed to speaking AmE, due to the fact that most media in Sweden is AmE, and that makes BrE seem unnecessary. Why speak with a dialect that we are not used to anyway?

To summarize, BrE and AmE, similar yet different, both have their pros and cons.
One could argue that British English is more formal, proper etc. but if both dialects get the same message across, it does not really matter which English that we should or not should be using.

"

THIS IS ONLY A WORK IN PROGRESS, A DRAFT. IT IS NOT HOW THE FINAL ESSAY WILL BE WRITTEN

But it IS going to be written in the way of pros/cons in both dialects.

I want a discussion and perhaps some brainstorming to help me get somewhere, I am at a standstill at the moment.

So here's the question.
What are the advantages/disadvantages of teaching American English or British English in a non-English talking country?

Thanks beforehand.

/Nisse Rolf

Edited the essay some.

**Xayphon** · 04-22-2011, 11:22 AM

Hmmm..tough topic.

At my school, I learned kinda both types of English, e.g.: when I learned my English vocabulary, there were sometimes little notifications below the English word.

For example:

German word: Die Oper
BE (British English): Opera
AE (American English): Theatre

It's hard finding advantages and disadvantages for this, but I'd say (conclusing from my Brainstorming) Britsh English is more polite than American English, but on the other hand British English is a tad harder to learn than American English.

I don't know if these statements are true or false, so correct me if I am wrong, but I just wanted to help out a bit xD

Phlegmatism · 04-22-2011, 11:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by _Stepdude_

Hey.

At the moment I am writing an essay about which type of English (American English or British English) that should be taught in Swedish schools.
It is a discursive essay, which means I.E. that I have to have advantages and disadvantages for both sides.

So far I have not progressed very well and that is where you guys come in.

This is my opening for the essay

"Which English, American English or British English, should be taught in Sweden?

It is generally agreed that American English the most used type of English for Swedish people. Sweden being almost bombarded by advertising and movies in which most of them use American English and not British English. Though, a lot of teachers prefer to teach the more formal British English in schools. This essay will take a closer look at the two similar, yet different, English languages and discuss the advantages and disadvantages for teaching them in Swedish schools."

I want a discussion and perhaps some brainstorming to help me get somewhere, I am at a standstill at the moment.

What are the advantages/disadvantages of teaching American English or British English in a non-English talking country?

Thanks beforehand.

/Nisse Rolf

Don't state that something is generally agreed. It's just not convincing. Say something like 'the most common dialect'. The second and third phrases are sentence fragments. Either add a comma, or finish the second phrase's idea and begin the third with "however". Never state "this essay" ever in any essay. There is only one English language; there are just many dialects. Rephrase the thesis. Rather than stretching out your sentence with "similar, yet different" and "advantages and disadvantages", try condensing them to other words with parallel structure.

EDIT: If you have access to an online database, you can find a lot of topics on this subject I'm sure. But before you do that, the most important question is what kind of teacher/professor are you trying to please?

**dore** · 04-22-2011, 11:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phlegmatism

Never state "this essay" ever in any essay.

That's more of a teacher/professor thing not an actual rule. Sometimes it's much simpler to state the thesis by saying "This essay will argue that blah blah blah": it's clear, concise, and easy to find. But some teachers really hate that so it's not something I would do in every class.

fido123 · 04-22-2011, 12:05 PM

British English because the world shouldn't have to conform to America's **** ups

/thread

_Stepdude_ · 04-22-2011, 06:25 PM

Thanks for your help so far! I will work alot more on the essay tomorrow.

I've talked to my teacher about the "this essay will blah blah" and because we are such a small group of only five she said that it was ok to use it. She also told us that you shouldn't write it under normal conditions.

Edited the OP.

**Patashu** · 04-22-2011, 06:55 PM

What is the driver behind teaching english in Sweden - is it pedagogy or is it conformance?

If it's pedagogy, then both american AND british english are the wrong way to go. Esperanto ( http://donh.best.vwh.net/Esperanto/rules.html ) is an artificial language designed to be as basic to pick up and use as possible. Studies show that people who learn Esperanto then learn another language learn it quick than people who skip Esperanto.

If it's conformance, then American English. Why?
-The staggering majority of native English speakers are from the USA.
-It's not like one dialect of English is particularly better than another. It's fun to complain about u's being dropped from colour, but it makes no difference.

If you need more to talk about, you could go on about fixing English. Prescriptive grammar vs descriptive grammar is what the problem is called - prescriptive grammar is how textbooks and professors say it SHOULD be used (e.g. whom, don't end in a preposition, etc), descriptive grammar is how people end up using it. Intellectuals go for the former typically but it's actually the latter that should be encouraged, since however people are communicating with it is the right way to communicate with it. Besides, the natural drive of people is to make the complicated language of English easier, and I support that.
One could argue that British English is more formal, proper, whatever - but if both dialects get the same message across who cares?
See http://www.xamuel.com/it-needs-fixed/

_Stepdude_ · 04-23-2011, 05:54 PM

Thanks for your input Patashu, it's been really helpful. Both for me and for my studypartner.

Updated the OP with the final draft.

**Dorby** · 04-26-2011, 12:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fido123

British English because the world shouldn't have to conform to America's **** ups

/thread

Are you going for DoTY 2011?

Cause I'll vote for ya

ddrxero64 · 04-26-2011, 01:09 PM

If the assignment is to pick a side, not sure which you're picking. But as writing classes get more advanced, they let you write argumentatively more realistically. When I was in my English AP (Advanced class in high school, which I hated anyway) class I was told at the beginning of the year that a neutral position is always possible for an essay based on argument. It is the hardest position though, you'll need to be accurate when representing both sides. Make sure you weigh both arguments evenly and that you bring out every possible argument to light.

Try to think outside the box and tie everything into how it'll affect us in life. Even though history may seem and bland stupid to learn, we learn from past mistakes and learn to shape a better future. If you can tie how learning one English over the other will shape Sweden's future in terms of economy, growth, etc. you have a good essay.

It's cool to get the A, but it's also even more impressive to go above and beyond it and make use of that essay.

04-22-2011, 10:57 AM	#1
_Stepdude_ FFR Player Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Sweden Age: 34 Posts: 641	English Essay in progress Hey. At the moment I am writing an essay about which type of English (American English or British English) that should be taught in Swedish schools. It is a discursive essay, which means I.E. that I have to have advantages and disadvantages for both sides. So far I have not progressed very well and that is where you guys come in. This is my opening for the essay "Which English, American English or British English, should be taught in Sweden? It is generally agreed that the English dialect Swedish people use the most is the American English. Sweden is basically being bombarded by advertising and movies in which most of them use American English and not British English. However, a lot of teachers prefer to use British English as their foundation in teaching. This essay will take a closer look at the two English dialects and discuss the pros and cons for teaching them in Swedish schools. AmE1 pros Because of the similar way of pronouncing Swedish and AmE, it is naturally less difficult to pronounce AmE than BrE2. The large amount of AmE in media, in example TV, music, computer games, students are more likely to understand AmE. Even if there are shows that uses the BrE, the AmE speaking shows are more common. Swedish students are more familiar with AmE than BrE which makes AmE become easier to them by default. A lot more people in the world are speaking with the American dialect than the British one, which makes it preferable to teach AmE in schools. When the AmE seems easier for us to learn, why complicate it? AmE cons The majority of schools in Sweden are teaching BrE, and there are differences in the two English dialects, which could make it harder for some students to separate them. It stands to reason that the AmE is not as proper and or formal as BrE, and it should also be remembered that AmE is a deviation of BrE, which is the original English, and therefore not the dialect that should be taught in schools. Why use the American dialect when the British one is the original? BrE pros BmE is the original English, which makes it essential in learning the language the way it should be learned. The spelling is more accurate and it is also considered to be more proper and formal than the American counterpart. In Sweden the BrE has almost always been used for teaching writing and spelling, and has always been used since English was introduced to the Swedish schools, why stop now? BrE cons BrE is arguably more difficult to speak correctly, accordingly to some students. People in Sweden are accustomed to speaking AmE, due to the fact that most media in Sweden is AmE, and that makes BrE seem unnecessary. Why speak with a dialect that we are not used to anyway? To summarize, BrE and AmE, similar yet different, both have their pros and cons. One could argue that British English is more formal, proper etc. but if both dialects get the same message across, it does not really matter which English that we should or not should be using. " THIS IS ONLY A WORK IN PROGRESS, A DRAFT. IT IS NOT HOW THE FINAL ESSAY WILL BE WRITTEN But it IS going to be written in the way of pros/cons in both dialects. I want a discussion and perhaps some brainstorming to help me get somewhere, I am at a standstill at the moment. So here's the question. What are the advantages/disadvantages of teaching American English or British English in a non-English talking country? Thanks beforehand. /Nisse Rolf Edited the essay some. Last edited by _Stepdude_; 04-23-2011 at 05:53 PM..

04-22-2011, 11:22 AM	#2
Xayphon sausage Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Germany Posts: 1,630	Re: English Essay in progress Hmmm..tough topic. At my school, I learned kinda both types of English, e.g.: when I learned my English vocabulary, there were sometimes little notifications below the English word. For example: German word: Die Oper BE (British English): Opera AE (American English): Theatre It's hard finding advantages and disadvantages for this, but I'd say (conclusing from my Brainstorming) Britsh English is more polite than American English, but on the other hand British English is a tad harder to learn than American English. I don't know if these statements are true or false, so correct me if I am wrong, but I just wanted to help out a bit xD

04-22-2011, 12:05 PM	#5
fido123 FFR Player Join Date: Sep 2005 Age: 32 Posts: 4,245	Re: English Essay in progress British English because the world shouldn't have to conform to America's **** ups /thread

04-22-2011, 06:25 PM	#6
_Stepdude_ FFR Player Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Sweden Age: 34 Posts: 641	Re: English Essay in progress Thanks for your help so far! I will work alot more on the essay tomorrow. I've talked to my teacher about the "this essay will blah blah" and because we are such a small group of only five she said that it was ok to use it. She also told us that you shouldn't write it under normal conditions. Edited the OP. Last edited by _Stepdude_; 04-22-2011 at 06:38 PM..

04-22-2011, 06:55 PM	#7
Patashu FFR Simfile Author Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: we traced the call...it's coming from inside the house Age: 33 Posts: 8,609	Re: English Essay in progress What is the driver behind teaching english in Sweden - is it pedagogy or is it conformance? If it's pedagogy, then both american AND british english are the wrong way to go. Esperanto ( http://donh.best.vwh.net/Esperanto/rules.html ) is an artificial language designed to be as basic to pick up and use as possible. Studies show that people who learn Esperanto then learn another language learn it quick than people who skip Esperanto. If it's conformance, then American English. Why? -The staggering majority of native English speakers are from the USA. -It's not like one dialect of English is particularly better than another. It's fun to complain about u's being dropped from colour, but it makes no difference. If you need more to talk about, you could go on about fixing English. Prescriptive grammar vs descriptive grammar is what the problem is called - prescriptive grammar is how textbooks and professors say it SHOULD be used (e.g. whom, don't end in a preposition, etc), descriptive grammar is how people end up using it. Intellectuals go for the former typically but it's actually the latter that should be encouraged, since however people are communicating with it is the right way to communicate with it. Besides, the natural drive of people is to make the complicated language of English easier, and I support that. One could argue that British English is more formal, proper, whatever - but if both dialects get the same message across who cares? See http://www.xamuel.com/it-needs-fixed/ __________________ Patashu makes Chiptunes in Famitracker: http://soundcloud.com/patashu/8bit-progressive-metal-fading-world http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v216/Mechadragon/smallpackbanner.png Best non-AAAs: ERx8 v2 (14-1-0-4), Hajnal (3-0-0-0), RunnyMorning (8-0-0-4), Xeno-Flow (1-0-0-3), Blue Rose (35-2-0-20), Ketsarku (14-0-0-0), Silence (1-0-0-0), Lolo (14-1-0-1) http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee301/xiaoven/solorulzsig.png Last edited by Patashu; 04-22-2011 at 07:01 PM..

04-23-2011, 05:54 PM	#8
_Stepdude_ FFR Player Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Sweden Age: 34 Posts: 641	Re: English Essay in progress Thanks for your input Patashu, it's been really helpful. Both for me and for my studypartner. Updated the OP with the final draft.

04-26-2011, 01:09 PM	#10
ddrxero64 FFR Player Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: MA, United States Posts: 789	Re: English Essay in progress If the assignment is to pick a side, not sure which you're picking. But as writing classes get more advanced, they let you write argumentatively more realistically. When I was in my English AP (Advanced class in high school, which I hated anyway) class I was told at the beginning of the year that a neutral position is always possible for an essay based on argument. It is the hardest position though, you'll need to be accurate when representing both sides. Make sure you weigh both arguments evenly and that you bring out every possible argument to light. Try to think outside the box and tie everything into how it'll affect us in life. Even though history may seem and bland stupid to learn, we learn from past mistakes and learn to shape a better future. If you can tie how learning one English over the other will shape Sweden's future in terms of economy, growth, etc. you have a good essay. It's cool to get the A, but it's also even more impressive to go above and beyond it and make use of that essay.

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