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What are the seven amazing ancient and modern Wonders of the World? They
can be anywhere between the Channel Tunnel, (England and France ), to the Great
Pyramid of Giza in Africa .
However, in reference to language tips, the Seven Wonders of the World are
the seven English speaking countries. Those countries are the United States of
America, (US), the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, (UK),
Australia, (AU), Canada, (CAN), New Zealand, (NZ), Ireland, (IRE), and South
Africa, (SA). What is so magnificent is how the seven countries have such a wide
variety of spoken English intrinsic sounds.
My specialty in teaching is specifically American English, (in combination
with American culture). I have chosen to teach this combination of English as I
believe that American culture is woven very tightly into the fabric of American
dialogue. One cannot dismiss the US culture from the language without
compromising the authentic or absolute meaning of the language. In short,
cultured English is the style of English in which Americans speak. So, if one
wants to improve his/her everyday English, one must incorporate American culture
into their spoken dialogue. (The author states how to accomplish this in “How to
Speak English Better in 30 Days”).
Once again, one of the ways to improve your English is to incorporate
American culture into your everyday life.
American English is of course the most influential and most widely spoken
forms of English since this version is comprised of a culture which emanates
communicative resources for the entire world. Those resources are in the formats
of popular culture including American film and television, and in an assortment
of pop culture in the forms of dance and radio. Furthermore the resources in the
forms of technological advances are astounding. Therefore, if culture is a
strong component of any language, then one should view American English, for
example, in its many cultural facets. Below are two examples of how American and
New Zealand English combine culture into their spoken languages.
American English:
For instance, using a humorous approach one could say the following:
A spoken type of American English could be called, “Garth Brooks American
Cowboy-English.” This could be a compilation of a lifestyle, of country
“mountain-music,” and of the love of an infamous southwestern homestead in the
United States. This specifically is the state of Texas, but not completely
eliminating the old California west of the past. Cowboys are an eccentric part
of American folklore and include big and rich men in high Cowboy hats who ride
their horses into the sunset with their favorite Cowgirl. (i.e., The American
Cowboy rides into the sunset with anyone from Grace Kelly to the Dixie Chicks to
the author herself. Ah - Cowboy Take Me Away).
New Zealand English:
In another instance using a humorous approach one could say the
following:
A spoken type of New Zealand English could be called, “Sam Neill New
Zealand English.” This form of English radiates a style, pitch, and intonation
of speaking English which is relative to The NZ film star Sam Neill who gave
autographs on bottles of wine at a news conference in Hong Kong recently. Sam
Neill introduced a bit of NZ culture and conversation to Hong Kong by exhibiting
a line of fine wines into Hong Kong at an organic food store in January of
2007.
Garth Brooks American Cowboy-English and Sam Neill New Zealand-English are
not names of actual styles of spoken English, although these are rather
real-life and cultured people and cultured folklore which is associated with
each country. Perhaps you can smell the cowboy leather apparel, taste the fuzzy
green kiwi fruit, and hear that country fiddler?
It might be important to note that about six words in every 1,000 in spoken
and written New Zealand English are of NZ’s Maori origin, or of the indigenous
peoples of New Zealand’s past. And given the above examples, we can see that
culture is woven and woven over and over again and again into the English
language.
You can hear the culture in the dialect and in the choice of words
associated with the territorial region when an American or a New Zealander
speaks.
Every country at one time contained exclusively its indigenous inhabitants.
If all seven of the amazing Wonders of the English Languages have a spoken style
unique to its own people, then all English as foreign language speakers in China
must take note of these different styles of English. (As “the Seven Wonders” are
relative to a particular country and to its culture. See the author’s upcoming
English Stylebooks).
Two of the modern Seven Wonders of the World are the Golden Gate Bridge in
San Francisco and the Empire State Building in New York, (and if both hip hop
and country music are the genres that rock the musical atmosphere in the United
States), then everything calculated and monitored in the world is relative to
the United States and to its culture-influenced language. (Therefore hip hop and
country music are relative).
This is ultimately vital in understanding how culture is interwoven into
the fabric of spoken American English to all learners of English. In final,
absorb the culture. Dream it. Become it. Live it. Tie a lasso around the golden
moon. Saddle up your old stud Leroy horse and ride into the city. Good luck and
great fortune cruising in your horn-grilled, Silverado Chevy truck; you’re 100%
Cowboy.
Good Ride Cowboy!
American Country-Western Songs
Good Ride Cowboy – Song, by Garth Brooks
100% Cowboy – Song, by Jason Meadows
Cowboy Take Me Away – Song, by The Dixie Chicks
Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy – Song, by Big and Rich
Gia Lovelady-Johnson
United States of America
English Language Consultant
Email: shanghai_expatriate@yahoo.com
About the author:
Gia Lovelady-Johnson is an English Language Consultant and a private
American College Admissions Counselor from the United States of America who
teaches English at several locations throughout Shanghai. Ms. Lovelady-Johnson's
specialty is a principle methodology for teaching English, "The Notebook
Project", which is proven widely successful and whose fast-track format for
teaching adults and university students spoken English and American Culture is
gaining in popularity in Shanghai. |
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发表于 2016-7-9 23:38:32