You are here: HomeOpinionsArticles2016 09 29Article 472925

How American is your English?

This article is closed for comments.

Read Comments Comments (27)

  • Kotey 7 years ago

    I asked the Gentleman at the hotel to direct me to the lift and he stood there wondering what I was up to.

    I was so baffled by the response since I thought at least he owed me that courtesy.At first I thought he was just b ...
    read full comment

  • Jordys 7 years ago

    "But I bet you these frustrations are in no way comparable to the one you experience when you are in a country that is supposed to speak a language that you have a degree in and yet you can't seem to communicate."

    Kidding ...
    read full comment

  • Pumpuni 7 years ago

    "I have learnt,..."
    I do not want to grade your write up. But I can tell you that you still have a lot to learn when it comes to American English. You can't use "learnt" in the classroom. Your Professor will accept "learned" ...
    read full comment

  • Joe 7 years ago

    The Professor instead of "Lecturer". Better still he may have to consider taking English 101

  • Idiot Mugabe 7 years ago

    I agree mate. The author writes: "For the obvious reasons that America is the greatest
    nation on earth and the fact that it is an English speaking country should make it easier for me to settle into my new environment".

    O ...
    read full comment

  • Idiot Mugabe 7 years ago

    Again, since when did 'groundnut' become an an American? In fact, groundnut is a generic term for most nuts. For example, 'peanut is a groundnut; 'tigernut is a groundnut etc.

  • Kokuvi Da Togolese 7 years ago

    I'm laughing all throughout because I have had similar experiences. That is why the Akans say "brofo ye duru".

  • John Baboni 7 years ago

    The kind of writing you've presented here doesn't confirm your boast of being good at English. What village boys like you don't know is that American English wasn't even recognized by the authoritative British English system ...
    read full comment

  • Henry 7 years ago

    Look, the guy is sharing his experience regarding some parts of American culture.You cannot call it shallow because it's a first hand personal experience until his friend even has to come to his rescue.What do you think you k ...
    read full comment

  • carmah 7 years ago

    John Baboni. This is not about grammar or spelling. It's about the guy's experiences and frustration with how the English language works in different societies. Could we just enjoy the substance.

  • John Baboni 7 years ago

    The word is "village" and not the "viullage" that showed up.

  • francis kwarteng 7 years ago

    Quite interesting.

    I enjoyed reading your piece.

    Funny though.

  • Henry 7 years ago

    Hahaha Kwame ,interesting! .I love your American experience.A lot more to learn maybe about names & the pronunciation of some words.E.g,Peter which would sound as PITA in Ghana is "Piide" in America.
    Don't forget, Americans ...
    read full comment

  • BERNARD 7 years ago

    LOOSE WEIGHT NATURALLY
    Do you want to lose weight faster?
    Do you want to flush out and eliminate toxins?0572174551
    Do you want to have a nice shape?
    Do you want to do more physical exercise without fatigue?
    Wondering how ...
    read full comment

  • Sam 7 years ago

    We were taught the "ORIGINAL ENGLISH" from England/Great Britain. The Americans have their own bastardized version of it called "Americanism".
    Rudyard Kipling, had this to say about American English.

    "The American has no ...
    read full comment

  • KOFI YESU 7 years ago

    Mr Kwame Yeboah,please come back with Part 2 of this nice article .If you have never left shores of Ghana,you won't understand all that has been written but for those of us who has been in the writer's shoes,this is a well ar ...
    read full comment

  • cdes 7 years ago

    I can't stop laughing

  • Loving 7 years ago

    A non-been-to can hardly appreciate the nature of linguistic frustration the writer is lamenting over until you you have experienced it first hand.
    I was once a victim; nor have I overcome it yet.
    True is the observation o ...
    read full comment

  • Rev. Kofi. U.K. 7 years ago

    Write a book on this topic...it will sell.

  • Out of American dillemma 7 years ago

    Any body wanting to get a quick handle of American English may want to buy a copy of 'The American Heritage Dictionary,' fifth edition. This dictionary gives crisp definitions, pronunciations, and etymology. You can't go wron ...
    read full comment

  • Kofi 7 years ago

    OED is a fat lot better than any American crap on the English Language.

  • Out of American dilemma 7 years ago

    The title of the article was "How American is your English", with emphasis on the word American. Regardless of how crappy you think other dictionaries might be (relative to the Oxford English Dictionary) you may want to brows ...
    read full comment

  • Nigger 7 years ago

    Carpet in ghana is rag in US, in Texas you have to paid attention to differentiate' for and four', these people -them folks

  • SOD 7 years ago

    Couldn't stop laughing esp. if you've experienced the situations described.
    Laughter is indeed a medicine.
    Thanks Doc.

  • Haile K 7 years ago

    You are absolutely right. Back home we think we speak English even after we graduated from College. But when we come here(in America),people particularly African-American can't understand us. However, when money involves, the ...
    read full comment

  • Dee Young KD 7 years ago

    Yea! All the comments here seems about right. One thing which i also find interesting is not to say lectures. Rather, say class. It appears that all classes from grade school level to graduate level are called class.

  • maame 7 years ago

    funny im also a victim right now. hmmmm USA