Comparison of American and Australian English

1.

Comparison of American and
Australian English
УГИ-144004
Likhushina Maya Danilina Valeria Malika Dzhurabaeva
Krivosheeva Tatyana
Shatunova Maria

2.

History of American English
American English is the variety of the English language that is na
United
States. It is the most widely spoken language in the countr
government,
education, and commerce, and is an official language in most US sta
of 50).
Since
theoflate
20th century,
Englishof
has
become
mos
Varieties
American
EnglishAmerican
include a variety
patterns
of the
pronunc
form
of
vocabulary,
English
worldwide.
grammar,
and spelling that are united nationwide but are distinct from
English
dialects around the world. Any accent perceived as lacking noticeable
ethnic or
cultural markers in the US or Canada is known as General American, c
fairly
uniform accent that is native to certain regions in the US but is espec
associated
with broadcast media and highly educated speech.

3.

The use of English in the US is the result of British colonization. The firs
English-speaking settlers arrived in North America in the early 17th cen
followed by
further migrations in the 18th and 19th centuries. During the 17th and
centuries,
dialects from various regions of England and the British Isles existed in
American
Since the 18th century, American English has evolved into several new
colonies,
a process
of extensive
dialect
mixingfrom
and leveling
includingallowing
regional for
dialects
that maintain
minor
influences
immigr
English
speakers
varieties
across
colonies
becamefrom
more
homogenous compared to thos
of various
languages,
primarily
Europe.
Certain racial and regional variations in American English reflect these
geographical settlement, legal or de facto separation, and patterns of
resettlement.
This can be seen, for example, in the influence of Ulster Scots immigran
in the
US as Scotch-Irish) from the 18th century in Appalachia, resulting in Ap
English, and Great Migration of the 20th century bringing African-Ame
Vernacular
English to urban centers of the Great Lakes region.

4.

History of Australian English
Australian English is Australia's common and de facto national
language. While Australia has no official language, English is spoken by
the majority of people, and has become entrenched as the national
language since British settlement. It is the main language of education,
as well as government, state, and territorial legislature and courts.
Australian English began to diverge from British and Irish
English after the First Fleet (a fleet of 11 British ships that
took the first British colonists and convicts to Australia)
established the Colony of New South Wales in 1788.
Australian English arose from a dialectal melting pot
created by the intermingling of early settlers who were
from a variety of dialectal regions of Great Britain and
Ireland, though its most significant influences were the
dialects of South East England.
Australian English differs from
others in its phonology, pronunciation,
vocabulary,
idiom, grammar, and writing. It is
relatively consistent across the
country, though it has numerous
regional and socio-cultural varieties.
"General Australian" refers to the
standard dialect free from pronounced
regional or socio-cultural markers and
often used in media.

5.

The earliest Australian English was spoken by the first
generation of native-born colonists in the Colony of New
South Wales from the end of the 18th century.
Similar to early American English, the process of dialect
levelling and koineisation (In linguistics, a koine or koiné
language or dialect is a standard or common dialect that
has arisen as a result of the contact, mixing, and often
simplification of two or more mutually intelligible varieties
of the same language.) which ensued produced a relatively
homogeneous new variety of English which was easily
understood by all.
In the 1850s, gold rushes began a large wave of immigration that brought
about two percent of UK population to colonies of New South Wales and
Victoria. The rushes brought people and linguistic influences from all over
the world, including vocabulary from American English like bushwhacker
and squatter. This continued with American films in the early 20th century
and American military during World War II.

6.

American English
Particularly influential were in the lives and livelihoods of the colonists in
the United States. A different climate, nature, led to the adaptation and
emergence of new words and concepts in vernacular English. It includes
words that originated in the United States.
These are names of animals, plants, words related to the life of the first
settlers: Drugstore; Moose; Corndodger; Lot; Sar. The replenishment of
the vocabulary of the English language in America was also due to the
reinterpretation and method of borrowing from other languages.
Studying American English we meet words that are spelled the same but
have different meanings both in American English and British English,
for example football British understand soccer as a sport, and in America
American soccer, hockey in Great Britain the word refers to field hockey,
and in Americans - to ice hockey, bathroom in the British is understood
as only a bathroom, in Americans bathroom, where there is a toilet.
Oral speech instantly gives away a person's nationality. Americans have a
jumping speech, while the English have a smooth speech with a gradual
increase or decrease in the volume of their speech. Listening to
American speech, we will try to understand every word of the speaker,
but the attempts will be in vain because some words they pronounce
clearly, and some merge with each other

7.

Australian English
Australian English, or Aussie English, is one of the most unique and distinctive
varieties of English. Its history dates back to the colonization of Australia by
European settlers, mostly from Britain and Ireland, in the late 18th century. Over the
following centuries, the language has been significantly influenced by the many
ethnic groups that inhabit the country, as well as by the unique natural
environment and cultural context.
One of the main differences of Australian English is its accent, which is
characterized by soft, smooth pronunciation and specific features in the use of
certain sounds. In addition, Australian English is rich in local idioms, slang and
abbreviated forms of words, which gives it a special vividness and emotional
coloring.
Australian English (or Aussie English) is one of the most famous and distinctive
varieties of English, with many unique characteristics that make it different from
British, American and other variants. These characteristics cover various aspects of
the language including phonetics, vocabulary, grammar, and syntax. Let's break
down each of them in more detail.

8.

Comparison of American and
Grammatical:
Australian
accents
Several aspects can be distinguished:
1. Irregular verbs that gradually change to regular verbs and have two Past Simple forms
and two past participles, e.g.:
to learn - learnt/learnt - learnt/learnt
to dream - dreamed/dreamt - dreamed/dreamt
Australians are more likely to use the irregular form, while Americans prefer the -ed form.
2. Using verbs with collective nouns, e.g. a class, a team, a family. Let us remind you that,
depending on the meaning,
both singular and plural verbs can be used with them:
The group was organised five years ago. - The group was organised five years ago.
The group were drinking coffee during the break. - The group were drinking coffee during
the break.
3. Australians use British spelling, for example, they write a theatre, a flavour, to specialise,
a catalogue and travelled,
whereas Americans write a theatre, a flavour, to specialize, a catalogue and travelled.

9.

4. The lexical uniqueness of Australian English lies in the
slang, the most prominent feature being the use of
diminutive forms of words. It is believed that there are
about five thousand of them in the language.
Australians do not like long words and often shorten
them, and in different ways:

10.

Phonetic:
- The approximation of the diphthong /ei/ to /ai/: the Australian favourite a mate
sounds like [mite], while the word a day sounds like [die].
- Approaching the diphthong /ai/ to /ɔi/: in words such as a night or right you will
definitely hear a sound close to /ɔ/.
- The sound /æ/ turns into /e/: if you don't like the open English sound /æ/, as in the
word cat [kæt], you can breathe a sigh of relief in Australia, as it's not favoured here
either. The word cat sounds simply [ket].
- The British accent often uses a ‘rotation’ of the [r] sound before vowels (e.g. in the
word ‘red
- Australian accents may also show aspiration of consonants, especially at the
beginning of words (e.g., ‘p’ and ‘t’ may sound sharper).The /ŋ/ sound at the end of a
word is pronounced like a normal /n/. Loss of the nasal sound is another attribute of
many British and American dialects, which has become widespread in Australian
English. The word king can be pronounced as [kin].
- In an Australian accent, long vowels often sound more ‘joined’ and less stressed
compared to a British accent. For example, in the word goat, the Australian accent may
have a less pronounced diphthongic quality.
- Replacing interdental sounds: The interdental sounds /θ/ and /ð/ are often replaced by
the lip-dental
sounds /f/ and /v/.
- Weakening of explosive consonants: Explosive consonants such as p, t, k are
pronounced less vigorously,

11.

Intonational Features
- Australian pronunciation is characterized by smoothness and relative
monotony.
Voice modulations are less pronounced than in British or American
English.
- Phrasal intonation often goes up at the end of a sentence, even when
it is not a question. This phenomenon is called high rising terminal
(HRT).
Cultural
aspects
"I went to
the store today." may end with a rising tone even though it
-does
Thenot
Australian
reflects the culture of a country
imply a accent
question.
that values casualness, friendliness, and humor. The
language is full of jokes, puns, and specific expressions
that reflect the local flavor.
- Because of Australia's geographic distance from other
English-speaking countries and the influence of immigrant
culture, the language has developed in isolation, acquiring
its own unique characteristics.

12.

Conclusion
In summary, Australian English is a unique and multifaceted form of
English, shaped by many factors, including historical heritage, cultural
traditions and geographical isolation. Its characteristics are manifested in a
variety of ways, from its phonetic structure, characterized by soft and
smooth sounds, to its rich and varied vocabulary, including local idioms
and abbreviations.
The language has become an integral part of Australia's national identity,
reflecting its open, friendly and vibrant culture. It continues to evolve and
adapt to modern realities while remaining true to its roots and traditions.
The study of Australian English provides a deeper understanding not only
of the linguistic features of the region, but also of its social and cultural life,
making the study of this language a fascinating and informative process.

13.

Project was made by:
History of American and Australian English
Danilina Valeria
American English
Shatunova Maria
Australian English
Dzhurabaeva Malika
Comparisons
Krivosheeva Tatyana
Dzhurabaeva Malika
Video
Dzhurabaeva Malika
Krivosheeva Tatyana
Presentation
Likhushina Maya

14.

Thank for your attention